Awaken by Shadowstar

Awaken

It was this dream again.

 

He was standing on the very edge of the world, it seemed, soft green grass beneath his bare feet as he over-looked an endless desert. Just at the edge of his vision were two figures, both who pulled and tugged and shredded his heart in a way he couldn't understand. But even from the distance he stood, he could see them both heartbreakingly clear.

 

The lady was dressed in a white gown, dark hair pulled up into two half buns, the ends trailing over her shoulders. The gown was made of some satin-like cloth, but it was nothing he'd ever seen before as it shimmered in the endless light off to the west, just behind him.

 

The lord was dressed in white armor, numerous patterns and designs making him appear regal and royal. A sword and scabbard were at his hip, almost hidden under the cloak he wore attached to his fringed shoulder guards, silvery-blue material in the lining the only color in the beige landscape.

 

The two of them stood together, intent on each other, not knowing that they were being watched by a third, an outsider who was confused and who had no idea what was going on. One thing was certain, though. He was still on Earth, and Earth was...

 

Earth was gone. Billions of people, millions of plants and animals, all gone in a single flash of white and pain. What *he* can't figure out is how he survived. But then, he remembers the endless grave yard and he *knows* why. He's eternal, just as the Lord and Lady, and he would never have any rest.

 

"She who was thus anguished has ended the world that has wronged her," the velvet soft voice sounded behind him, just as it always did. It spoke in a language he didn't know, but could oddly understand. "Princess of the Moon, Killer and Death of the Earth." An arm came from behind him, encased in white, long slender finger pointing to the couple, pointing at the crying lady.

 

"She didn't mean to," he says, as he always says, heart clenching in understanding. "She loved him; he was her world. Without him, there is no world."

 

"He who has committed the highest offense and thus paid the price," the voice continued, this time smiling a little. "Master Endymion, Prince of the Earth and Father of the New World." Now the hand was pointing at the white-clad man, who was reaching up to gently trace his lady's cheek.

 

"They love each other so much..." he trailed off, blinking back tears that he hadn't meant to bring to the surface. "How can that be a crime?"

 

"Because those who were of the Moon Kingdom were like Gods and Goddesses; power within them beyond your imagining." A pause and the hand came to his shoulder, joined by its twin on his other shoulder, soft breath tickling his ear. "But perhaps you do know of the power I speak of, my brother protector."

 

In the distance, six ghostly figures appeared around the couple. Four were female, dressed in fuku, weapons in the sand beside their feet as they reached for their princess. The other two were male, dressed in armor of their own, one blond and the other a red head. The blond looked confused, but he was still reaching. The red head looked spiteful, confused in his own way, while he reached for the Prince, searching for answers that wouldn't be earned until the next life time.

 

Seemingly on its own, his own arm raised, reaching and confused. Anguished and angry and scared for what it meant. White encased arms went around him, holding him, trying to sooth the confusion away in warmth and familiarity.

 

"Now awaken, Last Kryptonian..."

 

Soft hair tickled his cheek, a flash of silver out of the corner of his eye as they shut, preparing (just like every time) for him to awaken.

 

"...My Kunzite."

 

-------------------

 

He jerked awake, gasping for air, tears streaming down his cheeks.

 

And he very-much wished that he hadn't woken up at all.

 

****

 

Lex paced the length and width of his office, waiting for the phone call that would hopefully end this mad, angry pacing (he wouldn't call it desperate because Luthors weren't *ever* desperate). It was precisely 20 paces from the door to his desk and 15 from the far wall to the fire place.

 

Damn it, why wouldn't the phone *ring*?!

 

Running a shaking hand over his head, feeling anxious and restless and looking for all the world like he hadn't slept in weeks (even though it had only been days), Lex thought over what had led him to this point.

 

It had started with an odd phone call about a week ago; there hadn't been anyone on the line, only the sound of piano music. Music that he felt shake him to his very soul (and he hated admitting that because Luthors were rarely, if ever, shaken). It had been sad and melancholy and had hit him like a punch in the gut and he couldn't say why. But even odder than that was the single word spoken just before Lex hung up.

 

"Awaken," the odd voice had said.

 

Awaken? To what? For what? And *why*?!

 

Since then, he'd spent a good chunk of the time he wasn't working sitting at the piano, trying desperately to re-create the haunting melody. Twice in that weeks' time had his radio, both in his car and the one there in the office, turned on as if by random and played a similar song. It wasn't anything he'd heard before then, but he had this sinking feeling that he'd actually *played* it before. And that was odd, because he *hadn't* *heard* *it* *before*!

 

Then, two days ago, Clark had called, sounding frantic, speaking fast and in some language that Lex didn't know. But he'd been able to understand, and how was that possible since he didn't know the language?! The farm boy who should be currently working on the Kent Farm, deep into a lazy summer, had called, frantically asking for help and begging him to save him. Then the phone had gone dead, quiet.

 

The call had been traced to no where. No one had seen or heard from Clark since. And every time Lex thought he was close to tracking his friend down, he got distracted by that *damn song*.

 

Running his hand over his hairless head again, he stared at the phone before beginning his pacing anew.

 

And in the background, above the sound of his shoe soles on wood, the sound of the haunting melody filled the room.

 

****

 

"Whoa...careful...hurt..." The odd voice filtered through the layers of his pounding head and the sound of his own rushing blood as he slowly came to, groaning and trying to sit up. "Whoa! Easy, there!" He stilled at the unfamiliar voice, squinting his eyes open.

 

The young man bending over him and gently but firmly holding him down was... Well, he couldn't quite place the young man's nationality. The dark hair could have come from anywhere and the big green eyes could have come from anywhere in Europe or North America. But the kind set of his eyes and mouth, though currently frowning in concern, spoke of a kind upbringing.

 

"Eh?" he blinked again at the young man as he moved back enough to sit him up carefully, leaning him back against cool stone.

 

"You need to be careful. You were wounded." And he motioned to the bloody hole in the once-pristine white of the cotton over shirt. "I don't know how long you were out; I only just came to a little bit ago, but it's obvious both of us were out for a while."

 

The English the young man was speaking, however, was thankfully clear and his time spent both in London and the time he'd spent learning the language helped. And it was American English, thankfully, which narrowed down the young man's point of origin.

 

But taking in the dirty t-shirt and jeans and work-boots that the young man was wearing, he had to wonder- he, himself, had been in Tokyo. How had he, or how had the young man, ended up wherever they were?

 

"Hey, you okay?" the young man was obviously referring to the confused frown currently furrowing his brows together.

 

"Hai-- er, yes, I am fine," he told the young man in his own thickly-accented English.

 

He was flashed a brief, almost blinding, relieved grin as the young man settled back against the wall beside him.

 

"I'm Clark, by the way." 'Clark' didn't offer his hand to shake, but glancing down at the still-wet looking wound in his shoulder, he could understand why.

 

"Mamoru," he replied, sighing a little and leaning his head back against the cool stone, trying to sooth the pounding in his temples. Unfortunately, he didn't have much time to rest his head because almost as soon as he thought he'd had the pounding under control, Clark was stiffening beside him, moving as though to protect him moments before the door he hadn't noticed swung inward. Lifting his heavy-feeling head, he watched a female figure entered the room, dressed in a skirt that seemed to made of various, triangular strips of fabric and a red corset top, dark hair pulled up messily on top of her head and black, stiletto heeled boots.

 

"Well," the single figure in the doorway purred, and Mamoru could see Clark cringe visibly. "It's good to see the two Princes getting along." She giggled in a not-so-nice way, eyes glowing purple in the shadows cast from the light coming in behind her. "Shall we play a little?"

 

****

 

The three young women could only sit helplessly as they watched their best friend, and Princess, pace angrily on the stage where the Karaoke equipment was set up. Usagi had stormed into Crown, face like a storm cloud, about an hour ago, saying nothing of what had caused her mood. The normally happy-go-lucky young woman had never looked quite so... well, pissed off.

 

Even Makoto was a little afraid.

 

Dark hair whipping around suddenly, dark eyes settled on the unsettled group waiting for their Princess to speak. Rei was the first to notice the unhappiness and fear in Usagi's eyes. But while she was the first, she wasn't the last in the group to notice.

 

"Usagi-chan?" Rei began haltingly, worried.

 

"Mamoru... he's..." Anger clouded the young woman's eyes, making her mouth turn down in a frown. The Japanese girl looked down at her fidgeting hands where she held the watch that Mamoru had given her. "He's missing," she finally said, looking up.

 

"Eh?" Everyone asked, clearly confused.

 

"But... I saw him just an hour ago," Makoto said, squinting at her younger friend.

 

Eyes glinting angrily, darkly, Usagi stared the Senshi of Jupiter down, making the other dark haired girl duck her head to hide the shock of the amount of anger in Usagi's face.

 

"It wasn't him," she said firmly, darkly, making everyone look at her sharply. "I just... I know."

 

She didn't explain further, and some how, no one needed her to.

 

****

 

It was another dream. Some how, it was much different than before, though. Much realer, some how. Like a memory.

 

The room was large and old-looking: big, heavy wooden furniture made of something similar to mahogany, white-washed walls, and a large stone fire place that currently had a roaring fire going.

 

The layout of the large room spoke of a busy, important person- from the doorway, the fireplace was against the far left wall and across from it was the bed, a large king-size four poster with thick, red velvet curtains that lay open to show fine satin sheets and a soft velvet coverlet, half pulled over a sleeping form bathing in the soft, warm glow from the fire. Beside the fireplace, in a shadowy corner, was a large desk that held scattered papers and a few books and a small oil lamp. Between the fire place and the bed was a small sitting area with two, comfortable chairs and a small end table where a book lay open, its pages flipping in the warm breeze. Almost directly across from the main doorway was an entire wall made up of windows with two French doors in its center. The doors were open and the soft, sheer curtains blew gently in the faint breeze coming from outside, smelling of fresh grass and spring.

 

A sad smile touched his face as he moved into the room, boots clicking softly on the marble floor as he moved across the room to the bed. The figure sleeping there shifted a little, turning in its sleep, sighing and folded around the pillow it was sleeping against. Wearily, he reached up and unlatched the cloak hanging around his shoulders, tossing it over the back of one of the chairs in front of the fire place before going to the bed, sitting beside the sleeping figure.

 

"You're late," the normally velvety voice was a rough tenor, thick with sleep. Clark was momentarily startled, but he had no control over this dream, over himself, it seemed, and he was reaching out to gently stroke over one covered arm.

 

"I know. I apologize," he sighed, shaking his head. "Master kept me late about plans for the new training for our newest brother, Jadeite." He stroked over the covered shoulder some more, soothing the stiffness out and smoothing out the soft satin sheets.

 

 

"Hurry and come to bed," the other mumbled, shifting to watch as he stood, already unbuttoning his tunic and removing his armor, sword, and gloves . Afterwards, he removed the tie-back and fillet holding his bangs atop his head, shaking out his hair and relieved as the pull on his temples lessened. He removed his well worn boots and trousers last, leaving his long underwear on as he padded back to the bed and slipped in behind the still half-asleep figure.

 

"The Prince has been spending much time with the Moon Princess," the other man suddenly said, shifting to face him, much more awake.

 

"I'd noticed," he admitted, fingers gently stroking the other's arm gently again.

 

"It worries me, Kunzite," the other said firmly, frowning a little.

 

He sighed, squeezing the finely toned and muscled arm beneath his hand. "I know, love. It worries me, too," he replied, wrapping both arms around the man in bed beside him, tucking the slightly shorter man under his chin. The man sighed a little, soft long hair tickling against the taller man's chin as he shifted to press a kiss to his lover's collar bone.

 

"Change is coming, my Kunzite," he whispered, almost desperately. "Remember that protecting the Prince comes before all else."

 

"Hush, Zoisite," he murmured back, kissing the top of the silver-haired head. "Sleep now and worry tomorrow." He closed his eyes and prayed that the anxious feeling in his gut was just nerves.

 

----------------

 

Clark woke with a start, sucking in a fearful breath through clenched teeth.

 

What the hell was that? Where had it come from?

 

Trying to calm down from the dream that had shaken him so, he glanced around, alarmed to notice that he wasn't back in the cell where he'd woken up in. More importantly, he wasn't wearing the clothing he'd been wearing earlier, either.

 

He was laying on the floor of a similar room to the one he'd seen in the dream, though it was at most half the size. He was lying at the foot of the bed, dressed in the same clothing as in the dream (except for the top-knot/bangs-pull-back; his hair was too short). Looking down at his gloved hands, he wondered just what the hell was going on.

 

"Ah, Kunzite. So good of you to wake up." The voice from somewhere on the bed startled him from his thoughts and had him scrambling to his feet (and nearly tripping over the cape/cloak he was unaccustomed to) to glare at the short-haired Japanese-looking girl lounging on the bed beside an unconscious Mamoru.

 

"Okay, firstly? My name isn't Kunzite. Secondly, who are you and where the hell are we?" Lex would be proud at the eloquently put demand. Luckily, he'd dealt with Meteor Mutants and witches and an alien computer come to Earth to destroy them all and bring back some guy named 'Zod'. But still, the girl unnerved him just a little.

 

"Oh, but it is Kunzite. You just can't remember," she told him, giggling at the same time before returning her attention to Mamoru. "Ah, Mamoru-kun; such odd company you keep," the girl giggled again, making the young man's eyes narrow in annoyance.

 

"You didn't answer my question," he growled at her, ignoring the name-thing for now.

 

"Such a demanding man," she sighed a little, as though sad about this fact. "But it should be obvious, Kunzy!" She giggled again, jumping off the bed and walking towards him. When she reached him, he jerked back a little in surprise, glaring down at her, crossing his arms over his chest. Surprisingly, though, she almost immediately moved past him, heading towards the door. "Stay in here if you know what's good for you, Kryptonian."

 

Unsettled by the threat, he could do nothing but watch her leave, wondering, not for the first nor the last time, where the hell he was and what the hell was going on.

 

****

 

"We don't have much of a choice, Lois," Chloe sighed at her cousin, shaking her short blonde hair (freshly cut) while pressing the cell phone to her ear more firmly while looking through her purse for her keys. "Clark is still missing, Lex is *still* acting weirder than usual and Lana is avoiding me as much as possible. What else are we supposed to do?" She snapped further, still searching for her keys.

 

#"I'm not sure, but sitting around certainly wasn't on my agenda; I say we start with the posters again,"# Lois answered on the other end, sounding decidedly strained. Chloe didn't blame her; working for the Senator was anything but easy. Not to mention the disappearance of Clark and Martha Kent was working her chief of staff to the bone.

 

"And I *told* you, Lois. It isn't a good idea to advertise the fact that the senator's son is missing, possibly due some part to the local billionaire," Chloe grumbled, still annoyed and getting more so as she continued to search for her car keys. "Damnit, where the hell did my keys go?!" She muttered, nearly dropping her phone in the process.

 

#"Well, gee, Chloe, I don't know; where *did* you put them?"# Lois asked rather sarcastically on the other end.

 

"I don't *know* Lois," the blonde snapped, finally having gotten fed up, holding onto her phone as she stopped her search, still without her keys. "I--" She cut herself off, blinking at the sight across the wide street, staring at the oddly dressed blond man who was staring right at her. She didn't feel the phone slipping from her hand, or the purse falling to the ground on its side, her keys and make up spilling to the sidewalk. All around her, the sounds of busy Metropolis fading away to the sound of her heart beat and blood rushing through her veins.

 

"Master is in danger," the man said, his voice carrying over the distance and sounding like they were right next to each other. "You have to get Zoisite and go to Master and Kunzite, for the sake of the world," he continued, lips moving in an unknown language but the words ringing clear in both mind and heart.

 

"I...I don't understand," Chloe breathed, feeling as though there was a great weight on her chest, stealing her breath away.

 

"I know," the man said honestly, shaking his head a little and making his short blond curls bounce. "But you must awaken."

 

"HEY! Lady!" And suddenly, she wasn't standing and looking at the odd man across the street, but staring up into a semi-familiar face (one she couldn't place right off memory). "You okay? You just dropped your phone and fell over."

 

"Wh-what?" Chloe breathed, swallowing painfully, the feeling of something pressing against her chest still there. Then she blinked, realizing the guy was waiting, rather worriedly, for an answer. "Oh! Yeah, yeah. I'm... I'm fine." She let the odd guy, dressed in old jeans and a polo shirt, help her up. "Thanks; I must have just gotten dizzy," she laughed at herself, pressing her palm to her forehead shakily, looking back across the street.

 

The man was long gone. Sighing a little, she turned back to the odd guy as he picked her purse, keys and phone up for her.

 

"Thanks," she told him again, blushing. "I was just in the salon; maybe the fumes got to me," she laughed, shaking out her hair again, remembering a little distractedly how the man had done the same, making his curls bounce.

 

"Hey, no problem. Just be careful, okay?" the young man grinned at her, turning to leave, waving over his shoulder. A few feet down the sidewalk he stopped, stooping over and scooping something up before turning and tossing it in her direction. Both were lucky that the sidewalk wasn't packed like it usually was and that Chloe was good at catching things as she caught the small ring. "Dropped that," he called, grinning and waving again before walking off.

 

Perplexed, Chloe stared at the simple college-looking ring with its jade-looking stone and odd symbol in its center inlaid on a simple, sterling-silver-like metal band. Confused, she slipped it on the middle finger of her right hand, eyeing it before moving on, totally forgetting about it afterwards.

 

****

 

The young woman dressed in her long skirt and off-the-shoulder top didn't even look up from what she was doing when her 'partner' walked in with the clicking sound of shoe soles on stone.

 

"And how are our guests?" she asked over her shoulder as she ran her hands over the piano she'd just finished conjuring.

 

"Demanding answers," the other answered in an amused tone, eyeing the piano. "Is it--"

 

"Just like his old one," the first mused, dark eyes glinting with maniacal glee. "Soon, we'll have all four of them and then--"

 

"The Dark Kingdom will be reborn," the other breathed, sounding as though the idea sent her into raptures. Considering she would be the new queen of this Dark Kingdom, she had every right to be.

 

"And my end of the bargain will be complete," the other woman said firmly, whirling on the would-be-queen.

 

"Yes. And I *will* hold up my end of the bargain, Izzy-chan. Promise," the young woman giggled. The sorceress scowled at the young woman, crossing her arms over her chest in annoyance.

 

"I wish you would stop calling me that," she growled, brushing past the other and walking out of the dark room.

 

"What else would I call you?" her partner asked ironically, raising an eyebrow at the dark haired girl's back. "Lana?"

 

 

The sorceress stopped cold in her tracks, whirling around and sending the other against the wall in a burst of angry power. "NEVER speak that name to me again, Mio, or you will find my fangs are sharp and dipped in poison."

 

Mio only smirked widely, eyes glinting in the not-light of the place they were in.

 

"I'm sure they are, Isobel. I'm sure they are," she purred as the sorceress went stomping down through the tunnels that served as hallways.

 

****

 

"Well that's odd," Minako commented as she read the article from America over Rei's shoulder. The priestess wasn't nearly as good with the computer as Ami, but she wasn't as bad as Usagi.

 

"It definitely is," Rei agreed, eyes wide as she scanned it over.

 

"What's odd?" Makoto asked, glancing up from the local newspapers she'd been glancing through.

 

"It says here that a boy from Smallville, Kansas, USA went missing about the same time Usagi-chan said that Mamoru went missing," Rei answered, reading over the article from a translated 'Smallville Ledger' newspaper.

 

"What makes it so odd," Minako continued for the other girl, "is that the circumstances are almost identical."

 

"Eh?" Mako-chan asked, shocked as she stood and came around the table with the crescent moon painted on it to Rei's other side. "How so?" she asked, leaning on the table beside the computer.

 

"No one knew that this Clark Kent was missing until almost three days after it happened," Rei read, eyes darting across the text shown on the screen.

 

" 'While disappearances are sadly normal for the area,' " Minako read aloud, face pressed close to Rei's as she read off the screen. Neither noticed Makoto having to hide her amusement behind her hand at the unconscious gesture of Rei gently rubbing her cheek against Minako's. " 'Clark Kent's case is strange because he seemed to just walk into the Kawatchee caves and not come back out again. Local billionaire Lex Luthor has guardianship over the caves and it is common knowledge that there was something odd about Mr. Luthor, especially after the second meteor shower.' " Minako looked up at Makoto, who couldn't hide the gleam in her eyes that was frowned at.

 

"I don't get it though- second meteor shower?" Makoto quickly asked, getting back on track and away from her friends supposedly secretly growing relationship.

 

"Yeah; apparently, there was a meteor shower in Smallville in 1989," Minako answered, still glaring a little at Makoto. "And another one a few months ago."

 

"Hmmm..." Rei hummed, leaning back in the chair she was sitting in, lost in thought. "You know, I remember Ami-chan saying something about interning under a private doctor in the big city near Smallville. I remember because Ami complained in her last letter about the drive to see her patient."

 

"Do you think that maybe Ami-chan's patient is Lex Luthor?" Mina asked, looking down at the priestess in curiosity.

 

"Hai," Rei answered, smiling suddenly. "Maybe we could get her to ask around about the missing boy, get more information."

 

"How do we know that this actually has anything to do with Mamoru-kun's disappearance?" Makoto asked, frowning in thought.

 

"Call it a gut feeling," Rei answered, already reaching for her phone.

 

****

 

Ami couldn't help but sigh as the castle came into view, quite ready to stretch her legs after so long a ride. She honestly hated coming out to the 'Luthor Mansion' (though, as she'd noticed, it really was a castle). Especially since she always got so flustered with Lex Luthor. He was good looking, yes, and quite charming. But she couldn't see herself actually making a go at sleeping with him (as Mako-chan had teased her of doing); she just felt like she saw him more as a big brother type. But he never failed to make her hackles rise and that little prickle of warning she'd used to get as Sailor Mercury go over her skin in a familiar way.

 

"He's been acting strange again," the driver warned as he opened Ami's door. It never really bothered her to be driven in a limo, though she did have to wonder how Minako put up with it. "He's waiting in the entertainment room."

 

"Thank you," she told the driver, bowing to him a little; this never ceased to amuse the driver, who had never been to Japan before and couldn't understand why such a nice young woman was bowing in thanks.

 

Ignoring his usual chuckle, she continued on her way, holding her briefcase on her right forearm, just as she'd done with her school bag what seemed like so long ago. Walking up the steps, bowing to the butler as she walked past him, she continued by memory through the large, lonely house, thinking over what she was supposed to also be doing on this visit.

 

She'd been surprised when Rei had called her from Crown, telling her about the missing Mamoru and the missing boy from Smallville. Of course, she knew all about Clark Kent- he was something of a legend in this household; all the staff loved him and would never speak ill of the young man they'd all hoped would settle the lord of the house like no other woman seemed to be able to. She'd had the guts to ask all of once about Clark, and Lex had clammed up faster than she could have yelled her henshin words. It had taken some fast explaining, that she'd over heard a few of the cooks lamenting that Clark Kent no longer had dinner at the castle for one reason or another. Lex had looked sad and had been silent through the rest of his exam with a look on his face that she'd been heartbreakingly familiar with- it had been the same one that Usagi had worn after finding out that Mamoru had been engaged to Hina. It had also been the same one that she'd worn after Mamoru had returned and then captured by Queen Beryl. That same heartsickness that Ami wished more than anything she could heal.

 

Now, apparently Clark Kent was missing. And Lex was acting stranger than usual, which didn't surprise the young, dark-haired doctor all that much, considering he'd been accused of the boy's kidnapping, murder and possibly more. From her personal experience, though, she knew none of it was true; Lex would no more harm a hair on Clark Kent's head than she would try to bed and wed Mamoru.

 

Face scrunching in displeasure at the thought, she nearly missed the sound of the piano drifting through the hallway she was walking down. But it cut through her, and her thoughts, like nothing else could. Because it was familiar, sickeningly so, and she hadn't heard it in a few years and she hadn't expected to ever hear it again.

 

Cautiously, with a sinking heart, she listened and made her way through the stone hallways, being guided by the familiar piano music. She didn't know whether to be shocked, relieved, or scared when she finally reached the source of the music, the very place she'd been going to anyway. Opening the double French doors cautiously, she stepped into the room, glancing left and right until she found the man she was looking for, bent over the piano and playing as though he could feel the music's life move through him.

 

"Mr. Luthor?" Ami called, a tremor of fear making her voice rise just a little. The man didn't stop playing and the tune seemed to change, becoming even more familiar, making her stiffen and turn a little in her stance, ready to either attack or defend should she need to. "Mr. Luthor, I'm here to take your monthly physical," she called, her voice now strong over the din of the piano music.

 

He continued to play, saying nothing, smiling a little smile as his fingers touched the keys gently to extract sound from the piano.

 

"Lex? What's--" the voice made Ami whirl in surprise, fist drawing back to punch until she saw the shocked blonde standing there in the hallway she'd just come from. "Uh... what's going on?"

 

"I'm not sure," Ami answered, turning back to where Lex continued to play, listening as the tune changed yet again, becoming more somber. "He was like this when I arrived." Her uneasiness must have shown in her voice because the blonde gave her an understanding look, blue eyes dark in contemplation.

 

"Welcome, Jadeite, Mercury." The voice coming from the vicinity of the piano startled both young women, making Ami stiffen and her dark eyes to narrow at the back of Lex's bald head. While Ami could understand the man perfectly, she knew for a fact (by instinct alone) that he hadn't been speaking any known language on Earth.

 

"Jadeite? Mercury?" the other young woman was obviously confused. "Lex, have you been sniffing glue again?" Ami gave the young woman an odd look when something occurred to her.

 

"Wait a moment, you can understand what he's saying?" She asked of the blonde, blinking at her with wide, round, dark eyes.

 

"Why wouldn't I be able to understand him?" the other asked suspiciously, eyes narrowing.

 

"Ah, but she can understand me, Mercury. Very much for the same reason you can, though for an entirely different one," The man mused, voice carrying easily over the din of the piano as the melody rose and fell, chilling the Japanese young woman to the bone.

 

"Great, now he's speaking in *riddles*," the blonde muttered, scowling at Lex's back some more.

 

Ami could think of nothing to say, her words stuck in her throat as she stared at Lex's back, herself, slack jawed, face pale and eyes wide. When she'd come to do the man's physical, when she'd come to get information on the missing local, she'd never imagined that she'd find herself stuck in the past again. And honestly, that's what this really was.

 

The doctor-in-training shook herself when the music changed, yet again, this time to the ever-familiar Moonlight Sonata. Ami's breath caught as the air shimmered between the piano and Lex's desk, that area suddenly seeming to disappear and be replaced with an oddly familiar room. It was small, but lavishly furnished, with a big bed and a dark wood table. At the table, a young man sat watching a familiar figure laid out on the bed while the figure slept. The young man was wearing even more familiar clothing.

 

"Kunzite," Ami breathed, heart leaping into her throat.

 

"Clark!" the blonde called, sounding shocked, and taking a further step into the room. The young man's head jerked up and after looking around, he blinked at the shimmery apparition.

 

"Chloe?!" He called back, standing from his chair and looking all around the shimmery spot for a way through.

 

"Clark! Where the hell are you?!" 'Chloe' called, while all Ami could do was watch the young man dressed like Endymion's most trusted guardian continued his fruitless search.

 

"I don't know!" the young man, Clark, called back, looking around. "But there's someone else here; a Japanese guy, and he's hurt."

 

"Mamoru," Ami breathed again, this time stepping forward. "Is he-- is he conscious?" Ami called, stepping up beside Chloe and startling the young man on the other end.

 

"Uh..." He blinked at her a moment before glancing back over his shoulder. "Not right now. But his wound is dressed," he answered, squinting at Ami. "Who else is there?" He asked, finally realizing that the piano music was coming from somewhere to the girls' left.

 

"Lex," Chloe answered, glancing over at the man playing at his piano, looking worried as she noticed how strained he was looking.

 

"Lex? Is he okay? What's going on?" Clark asked, noticing how worried Chloe looked.

 

"I think he's okay... As for what's going on, I'm not sure." Chloe sighed, shaking her head a little, making her short hair bounce a little about her face.

 

Clark opened his mouth to say more, but a voice from behind him made him whirl around. "My, aren't we being a naughty boy," the woman in the background murmured and suddenly, the connection was cut, and Lex's desk was back where it was supposed to be, if it had gone anywhere in the first place. Once again, the music had changed, though it was halting and stuttered as though the player couldn't quite grasp what he was doing. Almost immediately, Ami scampered over to Lex's side, placing a gentle hand over his forehead.

 

"It's okay to sleep now," she told him softly as his head drooped forward and his tired fingers skittered over the ivory keys. At her words, he stopped entirely, letting out a long, quiet sigh before wavering in his seat, swaying to lean against the young doctor.

 

As she listened to Chloe frantically search for the shimmering break in reality again and watched Lex drift off against her, she couldn't help but wonder what it all meant.

 

****

 

Chloe watched the young woman Lex had referred to as 'Mercury' (though she knew that wasn't her real name) pace frantically, watching her phone closely. She'd been watching that phone since earlier when they'd moved Lex from the piano stool to the couch.

 

Since the whole 'window in the air' thing had appeared and then disappeared, she'd had this funny feeling in her stomach, and the weight that had been on her chest since that morning had seemed to intensify. She couldn't explain it in feelings, except as a sense of fear and foreboding. The fear... Well, that weird blond guy had seriously creped her out. Especially when considering that it appeared that no one else had been able to see him.

 

And the foreboding...

 

The look on the young woman's face when she'd seen what Clark had been wearing had been a major tip off that *something* was going on. Something that the other woman hadn't expected, obviously, but something that she'd recognized. This only led to more questions like, what was with the window-thing in the first place? And who was the young woman and what was she doing at the mansion? What was her connection to Lex and what had happened to Clark?

 

Chloe jumped out of her skin at the sound of the other young woman's phone ringing, a sound that had obviously startled the other young woman as well as she stared at her cell phone for a few rings before visibly shaking herself and answering.

 

"Moshi-moshi?" She spoke, casting a slightly shaken look in Chloe's direction. The blond could only shrug in encouragement. Her eyes lit up and she smiled as she listened to the other person talk a little. "Ah, Minako-chan." She relaxed and listened some more, frowning a little. Her frown turned perplexed as she answered something in Japanese, seeming to stutter a little. She listened some more and then her eyes went wide. "You're WHERE?!" She shouted in clear English, rushing out of the room.

 

Startled, Chloe scrambled to follow, wondering what was going on.

 

****

 

Lois sat at her table in the Talon, leaning her head on her palm, watching as people walked by and went about their day. She didn't have much to do, and she would rather do nothing than sit around and worry about Chloe, who'd hung up so mysteriously earlier this morning. And while she could be doing paper work for her senator, she decided that having a break from the bureaucratic BS was a good idea for the moment. Especially since she had so much to think about right now.

 

Like the anger management case waiting to happen that was currently making his way with a cross face to her table, her cup of coffee in his hand. He was new, she knew, had only been working there a week. Started a few days before Clark disappeared, no less, and if he hadn't nearly bitten Clark's head off the one time the two had run into each other, she would have suspected that the new kid was working for one of the Luthors and had kidnapped the farmboy. But besides the serious need for a psychiatrist, the kid was pretty normal Smallville material. Smiling almost sweetly at the poor guy as he slammed her cup down none-too-gently, sloshing the scalding liquid over the table top, she could feel the usual pity she had for the poor, clueless souls of Smallville intensifying just a little.

 

Sighing a little, she took a careful sip of her coffee while wiping at the liquid with some napkins from the napkin dispenser on the table. She sighed, again, in appreciation as she felt the sugar and caffeine zip through her in a rush. She could understand why Chloe drank so much of the stuff.

 

Lois was pulled from her appreciation of the semi-fine coffee that the Talon offered by the usual jingle of the bell over the door and the sudden hush that fell over the room. Five young women walked in from the street, exotic in everything, including the way they walked. Obviously, they'd never been to a small town before. One of the girls, dressed in a red cherry-blossom top and jeans, her dark eyes wary of the many strangers in the Talon, was talking on the phone in Japanese.

 

The one in the front of the little procession, looking very posh and wearing expensive-looking clothing, carrying a purse and a small white kitty plush in her arms, glared a little around the room. This seemed to bring everyone back to reality, and the busy coffee house went from pause to play, the din of conversation comforting as it rose again with the sound of mugs and plates on tables. Lois didn't really notice the girls making their way to her table until the shadow fell over her.

 

"Excuse me," the one in expensive clothing and looking very much in charge said in thick-accented English. "But could you please give us directions?"

 

"Uh..." Lois blinked, standing a little. "Sure." She smiled a little at the odd looks she was getting from one of the girls, the youngest. "Where to?"

 

The one in charge opened her mouth to say something, but she was cut off by a slammed down tray nearby and a flow of angry-sounding Japanese. The tallest of the group blinked in surprise at the new Talon worker and the five girls' attention was immediately drawn away from Lois. The General's daughter sighed, counting down from ten in her head while she tried to hide her annoyance.

 

Just as it looked like a fight would break out from the tallest Japanese girl and the odd new guy, another Japanese woman (this one she recognized from the young woman's monthly trips from Metropolis) who was followed closely by Chloe.

 

"Minna-san!" She cried, sounding out of breath.

 

"Ami-chan," the one who'd been on the phone (when had she hung up?) sighed in relief, pulling the attention from the new guy to the young woman and Chloe. The new guy grumbled to himself and stomped out through the swinging doors leading to the back alley.

 

"What are you all doing here? I didn't think you'd gotten my message," Ami, the breathless young woman, gasped out, blinking at them while trying to get her wind back.

 

"We did," the 'one in charge' said, nodding a little, looking curiously over Ami's shoulder at Lois's cousin. "Who's this?" She asked curiously.

 

"That's Chloe," Lois said, cutting in, trying not to look worried at the look on her little cousin's face. "She's my cousin."

 

The seven girls blinked at her in surprise, as if noticing her for the first time.

 

"I thank you, but it appears that we will not be needing your help after all," the one in charge said, bowing a little before turning to leave, motioning for Ami and possibly Chloe to follow her little group outside.

 

"Hey! Wait a minute!" Lois called, but to no avail. Chloe gave her one last glance over her shoulder, as though apologizing, before following the others outside.

 

Lois sat back down in a huff, trying to quell her own sudden uneasiness.

 

****

 

There hadn't been much else to do; after getting yelled at by the lady who said her name was Mio, Clark had settled in at the table, his head cradled in his arms while he dozed. But the dozing had quickly turned into full, uncomfortable sleep.

 

The dream felt real, pressing all around him. The smell of smoke and scorched earth burned his nostrils as he looked around frantically for the source of the attack. All around him, palace guards were falling in hordes as dark, shapeless monsters attacked, eating up what little light there was. There was no where to go, no where to run, no where to hide. People were dieing with great screams of pain that he would always remember.

 

There were only the three of them of the five that should have been fighting there, standing shoulder to shoulder, an unmovable force. But Endymion had gone to protect the Princess and Zoisite...

 

"We have to *do* something," Jadeite said frantically, fighting off one of the shapeless demons.

 

"We *ARE* doing something," Nephrite snapped back, fear making him shaky but never wavering as he fought.

 

At last, there was an opening in the horde and he took it, praying to Lady Luck that She was on his side. He made it through the opening, luckily, coughing as the acrid smoke burned his throat when he breathed it in. "Zoisite!" He called, grunting as he took down one of the monsters. "Zoisite, damnit, answer me!" He yelled, coughing again as he inhaled more smoke and grunting as his sword met resistance going through one of the monsters.

 

He fought and he fought and it still didn't seem to be good enough. One of the best sword fighters at this end of the galaxy, and he was no match for measly monsters that just wouldn't stop coming.

 

When he finally fell to his knees, breathing hard and bleeding from numerous cuts and scrapes and a nasty wound in his leg, he was angry. Anger colored his world in red, the color of the blood pouring from his wounds. He didn't see his fallen brothers, pieces of pillar and monsters lying atop them, their eyes forever sightless. He didn't see Zoisite, crushed nearby, his hand held outwards as though reaching for something.

 

Leaning on his sword, he threw his head back and screamed, sounding very much like a wounded animal. His scream turned pained as he vowed eternal revenge on the ones who'd brought this upon them all and his soul ripped in half.

 

------------

 

Choking on pain, Clark stumbled up and away from the table, knocking over the chair and sending it clattering to the floor. He clutched at his chest as he went to his knees, screaming in pain as something inside him seemed to 'click' back into place. Something he'd been missing that he hadn't known was gone.

 

The system overload- numerous feelings, memories, sensations, and skills all coming back at once- was too much, even for his Kryptonian body.

 

His scream was cut short as he blacked out, falling to his side where he stayed.

 

****

 

Chloe hung back from the other six girls, frowning as they began speaking fast Japanese. Words like 'Dark Kingdom', 'Zoisite', 'Kunzite' and various names stuck out but other than those few saving graces, she couldn't understand a word they were saying. The longer the conversation went on, the more annoyed she got. Didn't they realize she was standing there? Didn't they know she couldn't speak a word of Japanese? And hadn't their mothers taught them that it was rude to speak a foreign language when a person not speaking the same language was in the vicinity, trying to be included in the conversation?

 

Lips pressed thin, she looked up at the dusty-looking sky, a result of the dry weather they'd been having the past few weeks. There were a few wispy clouds moving slowly as the winds in the upper atmosphere pushed them and as the Earth itself moved. She smiled a little nostalgically, remembering her first summer in this small, quiet-looking town. She didn't realize the conversation had stopped until the girl she'd met at the mansion, Ami, poked her in the side.

 

"Huh?" She blinked at the serious-looking Japanese girl, turning her attention to the others.

 

"I asked if you would be so kind as to not tell anyone we are here," the one she supposed was in charge, whom she vaguely recognized from some TV or magazine add, prompted, eyes shrewd as she eyed Chloe. The blonde's annoyance doubled.

 

"Who the hell would I tell?" she snapped irritably, worry for her best friend making her stomach churn.

 

"Thank you," In Charge told her, bowing a little, dismissing her without saying the words in a very Luthor-like way. It only served to annoy Chloe more; to the breaking point, in fact.

 

"That's it?" She snapped, hands fisting at her sides. All six were looking at her now, all with varying expressions of confusion, annoyance, and suspicion. "You're dismissing me, just like that?" She scoffed, feeling her face redden a little as anger rose in the back of her throat like bile. "I don't fucking think so. That's my best friend that was kidnapped, and I'm not just gonna sit back and do *nothing*," she continued, her voice rising until she was nearly shouting.

 

They all blinked in surprise at the foul language that Chloe had used in her anger, but none of them seemed moved by her little speech.

 

"This is none of your concern," the one who'd been on the phone when she and Ami had found them in the Talon said firmly, her own hands clenching.

 

"Like fucking *hell* it's not my concern!" Chloe snapped, looming over the slightly shorter girl with narrowed eyes, fully ready to go at the Japanese girl should she have to.

 

Unfortunately, it didn't get that far. In fact, Chloe didn't get much farther at all. Something caught her eye at the end of the end of the ally, gold, purple, and red glowing faintly in the sunlight. She blinked at the man, the same one that she'd seen that morning.

 

"You," she whispered, now totally unaware of the other girls. The world seemed to go dark, the only source of light the glowing man standing three yards away.

 

"Yes." He looked worried, lips turning down in a frown, odd blue eyes conveying a sense of urgency. "Kunzite is in pain. The memories of our past are very painful for us all, especially him, and he has just regained them all. Either we or Zoisite is next; it all depends on how quickly you awaken."

 

"We? Awaken?" She felt faint, the odd weight on her chest making it hard to breathe.

 

"Yes. You must *awaken* to yourself." And just like this morning, she was suddenly on the ground, trying to breathe while staring up at six sheet-white faces. She couldn't stop herself from blacking out this time, breath exhaling painfully in a tightly constricted chest.

 

****

 

The six of them had had no choice but to watch over the odd American girl.

 

One minute, she'd been totally aware and ranting, rightfully so as Usagi had pointed out reluctantly. After all, it was her best friend that had been taken with Mamoru. A few of them speculated that she and the missing 'friend' were more than just friends, considering the young woman's vehemence concerning him.

 

The next moment, the young woman had spaced out on a ghost-like apparition of Jadeite, talking to him as though she'd seen him before. She'd collapsed so suddenly, too, that Ami had been extremely worried, especially when the blonde's lips had turned blue.

 

Hiding up in the loft of one of the local farms, they could only hope that they wouldn't be discovered as they tried to make sense of what all had happened in the past 24 hours.

 

"^I'm still so confused^," Makoto moaned in annoyance, letting her head fall against her folded arms, resting on her bent knees. "^I thought Jadeite was dead, killed when the Dark Kingdom caved in^."

 

"Hai," Usagi nodded, frowning herself. The others didn't quite remember everything that had happened before the reset, only a sense of urgency and danger, and then failure. But luckily, they did still have their memories as Senshi, though some of them were rather questionable. "^What bothers me is that he totally ignored us, that he was only talking to this girl^," she continued, motioning to a still unconscious Chloe, who was laid out on the beat-up red couch.

 

"^What I don't get is what he said^," Minako commented, frowning in thought, leaning back more against the outer wall of the barn. "^'Awaken'? Awaken what? And *whom*^?" She glared a little at the unconscious girl.

 

"^He also spoke of Kunzite^," Ami murmured, tapping her chin in thought, looking out through the large bay window and up at the sky that was beginning to show colors of sunset. "^He said something about Kunzite's memories awakening^." It was her turn to frown as she turned her eyes to the others. "^I thought Kunzite and Zoisite were the only two who'd had all their memories^."

 

"^That's what I thought, too^," Rei agreed, glancing around at the others. "^But it would make sense if he lost apart of himself in his journey for revenge against Endymion^."

 

"Eh?" The others asked, eyes widening as they glanced at each other. Obviously, this had never occurred to them.

 

"^Think about it^," Rei urged, "^He was so bent on revenge, he couldn't see straight. I just^..." She broke off, looking confused. "^I.. can't explain it, other than as a feeling^."

 

"^A very good feeling^," Luna commented, nodding to herself and making her indigo hair bob a little. "^It makes sense, now, thinking about it^." She seemed to think over this some more before her cheeks reddened a little. "^Er... It was obvious something was wrong^," she hastily explained at the questioningly raised eyebrows. "^There was a point in time when Kunzite and Zoisite were very close^." She eyed Minako and Rei, the glint in her eye full of meaning and speculation.

 

The other girls all blinked in confusion, brows furrowing as they glanced at each other, checking to make sure that none of them had found the answer, either. But the dark clouds seemed to part in Minako's mind, and her cheeks turned a little pink as she finally got the meaning. Rei soon followed suit, trying to look anywhere but at Minako and Luna, finding one particular aged wooden board very fascinating.

 

Usagi looked between the two blushing girls and the still odd-expressioned Luna, confused, finally speaking the mind of her other two friends. "^'Close'? Close how^?"

 

Luna suddenly looked sad, looking down past her knees to where Artemis was laying, totally silent, listening intently the whole time. She couldn't seem to find the words, but she didn't have to; Minako seemed to get what she was trying to tell the others.

 

"^It was the same then as it is now, wasn't it^?" She asked sadly as she thought of all the newspaper and TV news reports of the Gay bashings that were happening all over the place in America. It was depressing to think that no matter what time period, people's opinions never seemed to change.

 

"Hai," Luna confirmed, mouth turning down in a frown.

 

"^I'm still confused^," Usagi said pitifully, scratching at her head.

 

"^I think what she's trying to say is that Zoisite and Kunzite- they loved each other, right^?" Ami asked, looking to the cat-turned-human for confirmation.

 

"Hai, hai." Luna nodded sharply, eyes still on Artemis. "^It was forbidden because their duty was to the Prince; they were supposed to be above such things as love and physical pleasure^." She blushed a little at the last, but her resolve in the story never wavered. "^But they truly loved each other, perhaps even more so than the Prince and Princess, if only for the fact that they'd been together longer^."

 

Silence reigned over all of them, each of them lost in thought as they turned over this new information. Usagi seemed very sad, now, as she searched through 'dusty' memories of a long-forgotten past. Ami had turned to check on the blonde girl, eyes misted over as she, too, ran through 'dusty' memories, remembering a time that hadn't really happened. Makoto watched Ami, looking a little lost and out of her depth, remembering the Senshi code of 'the Princess comes first' and knowing just how hard it was to hold up to that code. Minako and Rei had finally scooted closer together, silently leaning on each other, understanding just what the two most powerful Shitennou had gone through.

 

All of them were pulled from their thoughts by Ami's sudden gasp, all eyes on the staring and confused young woman that was now wide awake and sitting up on the beaten-up couch.

 

"W-what's going on?" She asked haltingly, lips moving in a familiar way but not forming the normal American English.

 

The staring eyes widened and the turned faces paled as they realized just where they'd heard the particular language coming from the blonde's lips, so familiar and yet so foreign.

 

****

 

The last days of Krypton. He knew it even as he watched the memory play, the occasional tremor beneath his feet the tell-tale sign that things would end soon.

 

"It's very unusual for prominent members of the Ruling Houses to come this far out," the scientist informed him with a little quirk of his lips, glancing past him to his 'escort'.

 

"The Prince thought it best for me to see how things were here," he explained, lips thinning as he once again cursed his Prince and the High Council (consisting of the King of Earth, the Queen of the Moon Kingdom, and various other leaders of various other worlds). Oh, he was here to find out just how much longer Krypton's scientist thought that the planet would hold together, and to offer aid and a place for the Kryptonians to live. But there was another reason he was here, and his hackles rose once again as he thought of the tongue lashing he'd gotten hours ago. He glanced over at the frosty Senshi of Uranus, both of them sharing annoyed glances as they followed the dark haired man through the streets of the capitol city.

 

"And the Senshi?" The scientist mused, glancing over his shoulder with amused blue eyes that looked almost purple under the red light of Krypton's sun.

 

"I am here as an emissary for the Queen and an escort for Shitennou Kunzite," the blonde said crisply, crossing her arms as she followed the two men.

 

"I see," was all the scientist said, amusement and understanding in his voice.

 

Finally, they came to the residential district, following the metallic pathways until finally coming to a relatively large living space. There was a dark haired woman waiting for them, smiling a little as she caught site of her husband.

 

"Welcome home, husband," she said, rather formally, bowing a little. The scientist looked annoyed and he gently put a hand on his wife's shoulder, shaking his head.

 

"Lara, please. We have guests. There's no need for that," he said firmly. She blinked at him, a small gleam entering her eyes.

 

"But Husband, they are from the Silver Millennium. Should I not be formal to such beings?" She asked, rhetorically.

 

Uranus looked angry and she glared at the scientist serving as their guide. "You should bow to no man," she told Lara, crossing her arms over her chest, hands clenching tightly.

 

The woman laughed outright, shaking her head and making her long hair swish against her shoulders. "Please." She waved a hand around, glaring at her husband. "I do it to annoy him; Jor-El knows I'd be more likely to throw his ass across a fithar than actually *bow* to him," she said rather crudely, motioning for her guests to follow her inside.

 

The two aliens gaped after the woman of the house while the dark hair man sighed, very much a man in love. "I love that woman more and more each day," he told them before following her inside.

 

"Well, that was rather informative," Kunzite muttered, eyebrows rising as he glanced at his companion.

 

"Quite," Uranus agreed, still blinking a little in surprise after the woman.

 

Both finally followed the two in, not at all surprised to find the household metallic and almost cold. Both Jor-El and Lara were scientists, if the brief had been correct, and they both strived to keep themselves as clean as possible. Both of them were amused as their guests looked around, taking in their surroundings.

 

The building, as a whole, was made up of circular structures and it showed in the furniture. There was a padded couch-like structure sectioning off a sitting area with a round table in the center with a vase and some flower-like plants. There was a large round table a few feet away under a heavy industrial-looking light. In what normally would have been a corner of the room was a door, probably leading off to the kitchen. There was another door near the couch-like structure, leading off to the lab and probably sleeping quarters. All along the outside wall, about hip height to the domed ceiling was a bank of windows, showing off Krypton's odd landscape and paying homage to the slowly setting red sun.

 

"Welcome to our home," Lara said with pride, moving about with proficiency. "Please, make yourselves at home."

 

"Uh... Thank you," Kunzite answered, blinking at the woman playing hostess as he stayed where he was, still quite unsure.

 

Suddenly, there came a long, angry-sounding cry from the next room over and Lara was through the door beside the couch like a shot. The crying stopped and moments later Lara came back, carrying a tiny little boy, looking down at her child with a pride that only parents could experience.

 

"Would you hold him for a moment?" she asked of Kunzite.

 

"Alright," he answered, looking even more unsure as she handed over the baby while showing him how he liked to be held best. He watched her walk off into the kitchen while Jor-El went to get his notes and things from the lab, leaving Uranus and Kunzite alone in the main room with the little one.

 

Soft cooing and tiny fingers scraping against the metal work on his shoulder pauldrons had him looking down into a baby-chubby face, bright green eyes giggling at him as the baby expressed his pleasure in the new texture of the pauldron. Kunzite had to smile, heart constricting a little when he remembered a conversation he'd had with Zoisite a few months back. Both of them wanted children, but unless they could find a mother to carry and raise the child, knowing that the child wouldn't be just hers but theirs as well, it was impossible. It hurt to think that Zoisite, who loved children and whom he knew would make a wonderful father, was missing out on such a wonderful thing.

 

Not for the first time, he wondered why Zoisite was with him and not some pretty little thing that could produce him children to carry on protecting the royal family after he was gone. His lover and best friend deserved so much more than he could offer as the leader of the Shitennou.

 

"Are you alright?" Uranus asked softly, peering at him closely.

 

"I'm fine, why do you ask?" he answered, blinking at her. She sighed at him, raising one gloved hand to gently wipe at his cheek. He was shocked, and rather annoyed, that her glove came away wet.

 

"My goodness! Are you alright?" Both looked up, surprised to see Lara coming towards them with a worried expression.

 

"I'm... I'm fine," Kunzite told her, blinking at her, too. He looked back down at the child in his arms, smiling a little. "Just... thinking too much, is all."

 

"Well, don't think too hard, then," Lara told him with a wry smile. The smile turned fond and warm as she looked down at her happy child, nestled in a small cradle consisting of his favorite blue blanket, Kunzite's arms, and the Shitennou's white and gold blue-lined cape. "He likes you; I don't think I've ever seen him take to a stranger so quickly." She smiled widly at him and he had to smile a little back. "You must have children of your own."

 

His smile faltered and he had to swallow the lump that had suddenly taken over his throat, constricting his vocal cords. He shook his head mutely, looking back down at the child. The little boy looked concerned, too, looking up at him with shiny green eyes.

 

"Goodness, did I say something wrong?" Lara asked of Uranus, looking concerned again.

 

"No," Uranus answered, understanding in her voice. "He's just thinking of his partner and how much more he deserves."

 

"He? But I thought--" Lara looked confused, breaking off as understanding came over her. "Ah. His partner is male." Then she frowned. "I'm still confused, though."

 

"Earth males can't reproduce like Kryptonian males," Uranus continued to explain, clapping a hand on Kunzite's shoulder. He glanced at her, and smiled a little at her understanding.

 

Besides being there as emissaries for their respective kingdoms, they were there for another reason- to be separated from their partners for a time. It never stopped amazing either of them that no matter how open either culture was, either with what one would call normal relationships or same sex relationships, they were still rather uptight about the whole thing. Especially when it came to the Shitennou and the Senshi, who worked in direct contact with the Prince and Princess. Of course, all twelve of the warriors knew about the growing relationship between the heir to the Moon Kingdom throne and Earth's throne. And they all knew just how risky their relationship was for them- it was forbidden, both by Earth and Silver Millennium law, for the two heirs to have such a relationship.

 

The way the twelve warriors protecting the two saw it, though, was that love was love, no matter the shape or form. It should be let free to grow and it should be nurtured. This came, of course, from having been subjected to a very similar law- neither the Shitennou or the Senshi are to marry until either the Prince or the Princess take their thrones. At such a time, they are aloud to marry one of their respective race. But they were never to fraternize- that is, marry within either the Shitennou or the Senshi. Hence, the relationship between the youngest princess of Neptune and the middle child of the Royal family of Uranus was strictly, STRICTLY forbidden. As was the relationship between the leader of the Shitennou and his lieutenant.

 

"Ah," Lara nodded in understanding, shrewd eyes watching them both. "I am most curious- the previous emissaries who were here were a young man by the name of Jadeite and a young woman from the planet Saturn. Why did they send two others?"

 

Both the Shitennou and Senshi shared yet another glance, weighing how much it was safe to tell her without embarrassing themselves in the process. "Let us just say that something happened and leave it at that," Kunzite offered, shifting the baby in his arms a little. Even with all his work with a sword, the little boy was a little heavier than he was used to (possibly due to the higher gravity of Krypton) and he'd been getting a cramp in his right forearm. The little boy's face scrunched up a little at being shifted, but he settled right back into fingering at Kunzite's strange clothing.

 

"He's got your eyes," he told Lara, smiling down at the baby who cooed and giggled back.

 

"Why, thank you!" the mother grinned, delighted at being paid such a high compliment.

 

"Shitennou Kunzite, are you flirting with my wife and filling her head with silly notions?" Jor-El teased as he finally came back into the room. Kunzite blinked, brows furrowing a little as he took this a little too literally.

 

"Flirting with your wife...?" He seemed a little confused with this notion, and this had Uranus laughing heartily. Jor-El looked even more amused and it took a moment of fighting past his annoyance at being laughed at to realize he was being teased. "Oh! Well, yes, just a little. Your child looks quite a bit like her," he smiled a little, dark eyes once again going to the child.

 

"Oh, dear, Jor-El. I think we may have ourselves a baby 'napper; they're quite taken with each other," Lara mused, watching her baby glow under the attention from the man.

 

"Yes, but I suppose this is a good thing. After all, Kal-El will need a home when he reaches Earth," Jor-El said, all teasing set aside for a sudden serious tone. Both Shitennou and Senshi looked up sharply to see Lara looking suddenly worried.

 

"They are still not listening to you?" Lara whispered, luminous green eyes sad.

 

"No," Jor-El sighed, rubbing at his face. "No, they're not."

 

"What do you mean, not listening to you?" Uranus sounded appalled.

 

"They don't think that the problem is as serious as my predictions are making it," Jor-El said, spite giving his voice an edge.

 

"I'll show them serious," Uranus growled, hands clenching at her sides. "Can't they feel the earth beneath their feet beginning to shake itself apart?!"

 

"I can't make them see reason," Jor-El sighed, running a hand through his short hair. He frowned then, eyes narrowing a little in thought. "I think the super-computer Brainiac has something to do with that."

 

"Jor-El!" Lara cried, sounding absolutely appalled at the very thought. "You were the one who *created* Brainiac!"

 

"I *know*, Lara!" Jor-El yelled back, waving the hand carrying the data tablet around rather violently. Kal-El gave a tiny whimper at the sudden raising of voices and Kunzite tried to sooth him, rocking him a little. "But I'm beginning to think it was a mistake!"

 

"Whoa, hey, calm down," Uranus urged, frowning at them both. "Yelling isn't going to change anything. What's done is done; there's no changing the past." She nodded firmly to herself. "What you need to figure out is what to do in the future. As Pluto always says- the future is now."

 

"There has to be something you can do to convince them," Kunzite urged, brow furrowing in thought. "Maybe get Senshi Mercury and Uranus to do a thorough inspection of the crust and take notes on the tremors, record what *exactly* is going on at your planet's center."

 

"Yes, and it wouldn't take that long to do, either," Uranus agreed, nodding as she thought over what it would take to do what Kunzite said. It wouldn't take much- a simple meditation and earth-melding, while Mercury recorded the information on that little computer of hers.

 

"We can't ask you for more than your help in making sure our son has safe passage, I'm afraid," Jor-El said sadly.

 

"What do you mean?" Kunzite asked, looking down at the baby in question as he dozed.

 

"I predict three days, a week at most, before Krypton shakes itself apart," Jor-El said softly, sadly. "Lara and I..." He glanced at his wife.

 

"We want our son to have a full life, if Jor-El's predictions are correct. We'd rather he be safe than spend time trying to convince the Council to save us all," Lara continued where Jor-El left off, flushing a little at the last statement she'd said. "It's a little selfish, but our son means the universe to us." She reached out and stroked over her baby's cheek, shifting his blankets a little.

 

"We could take him with us," Kunzite offered, glancing at Uranus.

 

Lara shook her head, though. "I would like to spend these last few days with him, if only to see his beautiful face a little while longer."

 

"Then when he arrives on Earth, Zoisite and I will look after him," Kunzite promised, smiling at the scared-looking parents.

 

"You have no idea what that means to us, that you'd do that for us," Lara told him with a sad smile.

 

Kunzite opened his mouth to say something in return when a sharp knock at the front door stopped him. Confused, Lara went to greet the new person. She frowned as she bowed a little, allowing the fuku-clad woman in her home.

 

"Mars, what are you doing here?" Uranus asked, blinking at the long-haired princess of Mars.

 

"I came to get you," she informed them both, eyes sharp and glaring at Kunzite.

 

"What is it? What's happened?" Uranus asked urgently, walking swiftly over to her fellow Senshi.

 

"Come and see for yourself." She glared at Kunzite. Frowning a little to himself, the Shitennou gently handed over the small child to his mother before following Uranus and Mars out of the house. He paused briefly in the doorway.

 

"I promise that your child will be protected on Earth when he comes," the General vowed before swiftly following his two peers.

 

-----------------

 

Clark woke slowly to a pounding headache that increased when he tried to open his eyes. He wasn't quite sure what was going on, but he was aware of someone hovering nearby, worried. He wasn't quite sure if he was floating or what, but he felt weightless while at the same time, as though a great weight was being pressed against his chest.

 

Sadness and anger, more sadness and the sense of being split in two were the only things he could remember. But his head felt full of memories that he felt were his own, but he couldn't ever remember being to any of the places or seeing the sights he saw in his memories.

 

Slowly, his head pounding the entire time and making his very teeth ache, he opened his eyes, squinting against the sudden rush of low light as he stared up the face he saw in quite a few of his memories. He blinked a little in surprise, squinting at him, trying to come up with his name through the rush of blood through his head.

 

"You're awake," the young man breathed in relief, smiling a little.

 

"Endymion," he muttered, throat like sandpaper. The man's smile faded completely and he reeled back like he'd been slapped. Struggling through the pain and fog, Clark shook his head sharply, hoping to right some of the scrambled marbles in his head. "Mamoru-- what--" He looked down at himself, still in the clothing he'd been in earlier (the stuff that wasn't his own) confusion making his stomach churn.

 

"I'm afraid that it appears you know more than I do," the dark-haired Japanese young man informed him, not a little coldly, eyes narrowed shrewdly.

 

Mentally groaning (because to do so aloud would upset his headache too much), Clark let his head fall back against the floor. "I guess so," he grumbled, rubbing a hand over his face.

 

Things had just gotten a whole lot more complicated.

 

****

 

Chloe was pacing and all the others could do was watch her. Once she'd gotten her equilibrium back, she'd demanded an explanation as to why she wasn't speaking English anymore. They'd been forced, one by one, to introduce themselves and explain why they were there in America.

 

"So what you're telling me is that I'm not speaking any language known to Earth, but I am, *in fact*, speaking a long dead language from a time when everything was supposedly peaceful. Except obviously it wasn't, because you're all reincarnations of some kingdom I've never heard of!" The blonde stopped in her last turn, facing the stairs of the barn they were in.

 

"That would be part of it, yes," the one who'd been introduced as Minako said slowly, looking worried.

 

"And you're telling me that this freaking *guy* I keep seeing randomly is some guy from said long-dead kingdom?!" Chloe whirled, eyes annoyed but not disbelieving.

 

"Yes," Ami answered, just as slowly as her friend, glancing at the others.

 

"And on top of it all, my best friend's been kidnapped, my best friend's best friend is acting super weird, random doorways between places are suddenly appearing and, oh yeah! I keep getting told to *awaken* but I can't figure out what the fucking hell he means!!" She ranted, starting up her pacing again, missing the shared glances between the other girls.

 

"What do you mean, your best friend's best friend?" Makoto asked, confused.

 

"Clark's best friend is Lex Luthor," Chloe explained hurriedly, her pacing becoming a little sharp as though she were thinking something over very thoroughly. "I like to think of Clark as my best friend, even though he doesn't share the sentiment. Of course that could have something to do with the fact that--" she actually remembered where she was in time before blurting out personal information about her said best friend. Clark would kill her if his second biggest secret ever got out, especially to a bunch of girls who were practical strangers.

 

Ami's eyebrows raised, though she said nothing, a look of understanding passing over her face.

 

"So, what do we do now? We know that the boys are safe and that someone is posing as Mamoru in Japan. But what about everything else? We still don't know why they were kidnapped or who kidnapped them, let alone *where* they are," Artemis said firmly. The talking and moving stuffed animal had been a shock to Chloe but she could honestly say she'd seen weirder things.

 

"I say we gather more intel, specifically on what's making Lex all weird; I have a feeling it has something to do with the boys' disappearance," Chloe said firmly, already thinking of ways to do just that.

 

"And what kind of intel would you gather, Miss Sullivan? My eating habits are always quite interesting, I've heard," the male voice from the stairs caused everyone to jump about a mile and turn sharply on the bald and well-dressed man standing on the landing of the loft. "Sorry to intrude, but aren't you trespassing on the Kents' property?"

 

Everyone stared at him a moment before Chloe answered him. "No. I had Ami call Lois to let Mrs. Kent know we were up here." She paused, eyes narrowing. "Wait a minute: I'm not speaking English; how the hell can you understand what I'm saying?" She asked shrewdly. Then her eyes widened as she replayed what he'd said a little while ago. "And why aren't *you* speaking English?!"

 

Everyone blinked in surprise, glancing at each other and silently asking how they could have missed that.

 

Lex only shrugged, moving further into the loft to stand at the large window over-looking one of the fields. "I suppose I could ask the last question of you, Chloe." He turned to her, smiling a little and making the blonde gape at him.

 

"Wait a minute..." Rei muttered, eyes narrowing as she listened to the bald man. "His speech pattern..."

 

"I don't *know* why I can't speak English!" Chloe snapped back, glaring and crossing her arms over her chest.  He was unflappable, however, smiling serenely at her in a very un-Lexlike way. "Damnit, I bet you know exactly why, too!" She growled at him before returning to her pacing.

 

"Why are you here, Luthor-san?" Ami finally asked, eyeing him closely. She'd also picked up on the odd way he was talking and acting, though she was having a hard time placing the familiar speech pattern and movements.

 

"To help," was all he said, though he did look like he wanted to say more.

 

"To help with what?" Makoto asked warily, frowning at him in thought.

 

"To help look for Mamoru and Clark, right?" Usagi finally spoke up, eyes taking in more than she would say. Lex looked at her, stared at her for a long while before finally nodding, bowing his head a little.

 

It finally clicked with Rei, and it was easy to picture him all in white and a silver cape with silver-white hair and a single crystal earring. "Zoisite," she breathed, jumping up. Blue eyes, tinted silver, snapped to her and he smiled a little, as though congratulating her. "You're not Lex Luthor any more, you're Zoisite."

 

"That is... partly correct," He told her, moving away from the bay window. "When Beryl brought us back from death, she missed little pieces of our souls, our minds, and our hearts. They were reincarnated, just as you Senshi were, into Chloe Sullivan, Lex Luthor and Clark Kent." Here, he paused. "No, that isn't quite right. Clark, Kal-El, wasn't reincarnated. When Kunzite swore vengeance--" Rei cut him off, eyes wide and sad.

 

"He split himself in two, and half of his being went to Clark." She frowned, then, cocking her head to the side. "Wait, who's Kal-El?"

 

"The Last Son of Krypton," Chloe said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Clark-- isn't... he isn't human. He wasn't born on Earth." Her face was pale when she realized what she'd said, but she couldn't take back the words now and somehow, she felt like it was okay to tell these strange people this; like they should know it already.

 

"Krypton?!" Luna sounded shocked, eyes wide.

 

"I didn't think any of them had survived!" Artemis followed up, the plush blinking up at Chloe almost owlishly, green eyes a little wider than usual.

 

"He's not called the 'last son' for nothing, you know," Chloe quipped weakly, shifting uncomfortably, unable to look Lex in the face.

 

"It's alright, Chloe; I already knew," Lex told her, obviously sensing her unease. She blinked at him, face paling further, hand going to her mouth as her eyes went big. At this, he rolled his eyes, suddenly more like himself than he'd been since Clark disappeared. "He told me himself. I asked, he answered, and life went on," he mused, glancing out the large window and off to the west where the sun was beginning to set.

 

Brilliant splashes of gold and pink bathed them all, signaling the end of yet another day. Luckily, it wasn't as fruitless as the one before and it was looking like things were finally turning around in there favor.

 

"So... What now?" Chloe finally asked, glancing about. "I can't speak English, Clark's still missing, and I have a feeling things are still unfinished between me and that blond guy. Not to sound too much like a Buffy rerun, but where do we go from here?"

 

The girls looked extremely confused, glancing at each other before Luna finally answered, shaking off the odd American-ism.

 

"I suggest we begin our search," she said firmly, grinning brightly.

 

****

 

Clark and Mamoru sat in awkward silence, the former still bent over slightly with his face hidden in his hands while his head pounded almost loud enough for Mamoru to hear. Despite the clothing change, the young man hadn't changed at all and oddly enough, the American reminded him achingly of Usagi.

 

"I'm still so confused and my head feels like it's going to explode," Clark groaned, his voice muffled by his hands.

 

"Perhaps you should have refrained from hitting it against the wall," Mamoru commented, raising an eyebrow at him.

 

"That wasn't the problem. I was more likely to damage the wall than my head; this is all internal," Clark explained, followed by odd mutterings that Mamoru thought best to try not to decipher. "I thought my life was complicated before..."

 

"How so?" The Japanese man couldn't help but ask, his tone speaking his thoughts on how preposterous that sounded. Hell, even the *word* preposterous was sounding preposterous at this point.

 

"I'm an alien from another planet, for the past five years I've been best friends with a bald billionaire who thinks I'm the best thing since sliced bread, I've been attacked by a long-dead witch that took over my ex-girlfriend's body, I've been kidnapped, I've been drugged, I've been thrown into a memory tank, I've lost my memory twice, I've been deprogrammed and reprogrammed, I've died and come back, I've witnessed a second meteor shower, I relived a day over again and now my head is full of memories that aren't mine!" Clark's speech was rushed and hard to understand, but the gist of it was clear.

 

Mamoru couldn't help but stare at the young man in shock and just a little confusion.

 

The silence was thick and heavy and eventually, Clark's fingers parted and a pained green eye peered through. "Well, aren't you going to say anything? Or maybe ask me questions?" The young man asked rather sullenly.

 

So Mamoru asked the only thing he could think of- "Are all Americans as odd as you?"

 

His only answer was a groan of annoyance and a faint chuckle that sounded just a tad hysterical.

 

****

 

Isobel leaned against the cold wall of the large, dark cave that would one day serve as Mio's throne room. Currently, though, the dank underground area was currently serving as a place for the other young woman to pace and fume.

 

"I can't find them!" the dark haired would-be-queen growled, pausing a moment to pound her fist against the dark, cold stone of the cave they were in, her back to the sorceress.

 

"Calm down," the young woman told the other exasperatedly, rolling her eyes. "Getting angry will get you nowhere." She pushed off the wall, her boot heels clicking almost coldly on the stone floor as she approached Mio. "You just have to be patient."

 

"Patience," Mio growled, turning suddenly to glare at the witch she'd asked for help from, "is not one of my virtues." Her voice rose throughout her clipped proclamation to the point where she was yelling at the end, stomping her foot like a child.

 

It earned no sympathy from her 'partner'. "I cannot work like this," Isobel muttered finally, turning and rubbing her temples to regain some semblance of control. If Mio wasn't careful, she was going to find herself stuck in a wall somewhere. "You will be happy to know," she finally said snidely after a long moment of silence, "that I am nearly complete with the renovations. All I need to complete is the foyer and the connection between here and the Princess's home city."

 

Mio blinked, turning sharply to the sorceress to gauge her truthfulness. The dry boredom on the woman's face made her grin widely, shaking herself into some semblance of the future queen that she was going to be. "Aww, Izzy-chan, arigato!"

 

A tight smile was her answer. "Perhaps, now that I am nearly complete, you can show me my incentive for finishing."

 

Mio's eyes darkened, and her grin turned cold; a grin of victory. "I believe this is what you were after?"

 

Isobel's eyes watched Mio's outstretched hand, her eyes widening and a grin breaking out over her face. "Yes, that is exactly it."

 

****

 

"Mou, minna-san, can't we stop?" Usagi asked, unable to keep the whine from her voice as she rubbing her eyes as the map she was studying blurred in front of her eyes.

 

"I suppose it is rather late," Lex murmured, rubbing a hand over his head, looking like he'd rather be curled up asleep somewhere.

 

"Rather late? We passed rather late hours ago," Chloe groaned, flopping back against the beaten up old couch, the map she'd been holding in her hands fluttering to the dusty wooden floor beside her.

 

"I can't believe we didn't find anything," Makoto sighed, taking a sip of the nearly-empty coffee cup beside her hip, grimacing at the cold, bitter brew. "We have all these resources and not one of them seemed to help."

 

"We've got to be missing something," Chloe agreed as she sat up a little from her flopped position, scooping up another map to eye it dubiously. She scowled a little when she realized it was a map that she'd studied and tossed aside many hours ago. "Worse yet, but I don't need to know the language I'm speaking to know that I'm beginning to butcher it to little pieces."

 

"That's it," Rei suddenly said, sitting up from where she'd been dozing on Minako's shoulder. Everyone blinked at her, completely confused. She seemed to shake herself further awake before looking through a stack of maps beside her. Finally, she pulled one that Clark himself had made of the Kawatchee caves, pushing a few others off the make-shift coffee table to spread that one out. "I remember looking at this map earlier," she finally explained, motioning for everyone to come closer. They all gathered around her as she pointed out various areas of the caves. "These areas aren't in the official maps of the caves, right?" She asked of Lex curiously.

 

"That's right. They're the parts of the cave that opened up last year when Clark got sucked into the wall by Jor El." Lex paused a moment, raising an eyebrow at the stares he was getting. "It's a long story," he explained shrewdly, before sighing. "Anyway, after the last meteor shower, I made sure that no one went down there, especially since it seems the wall is permanently open now."

 

"What about this area?" Rei asked, pointing at another area, this one a little ways off the one she'd been pointing to originally.

 

"Hey, I don't recognize that area," Chloe muttered, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.

 

"Maybe that's where they are, then," Ami offered tiredly, shifting her glasses and squinting to get her eyes to focus.

 

"That's what I was thinking," Rei agreed, smiling a little and nodding.

 

"And while it would be a good idea to look for them as soon as possible, I suggest we actually take a break to rest," Lex ordered softly, brow furrowing a little, looking genuinely worried for them all. "We've been at this for hours and I don't know about you, but I've been up a long, long time. Not to mention being kept up by my own piano music the last three nights in a row." The last was said in a dry, ironic tone that made Chloe snort.

 

"You sound like you have multiple personality disorder," she informed him, grinning tiredly at him when he raised his eyebrow at her.

 

"I suppose I should point out that I'm not the only one that statement should be stated to," he told her, raising his other eyebrow, expecting a witty come back.

 

Instead, though, what he got was her face paling and her eyes widening, fear flashing over her face briefly before it shifted into anger. "I'm not crazy," she told him vehemently, gritting her teeth and glaring.

 

Brow furrowing, Lex blinked at her in confusion. "I... never said you were," he told her gently, looking worried now. He hesitated a moment before sighing. "Chloe, are you not--" he broke off, frowning as he thought of how to word it. "Do you not remember?"

 

Taking her own turn to blink, Chloe sighed wearily. "I think we should all just get some sleep," she told him softly, standing and already making her way out of the loft. Everyone stared after her a long moment, before Lex started to stand to go after her. A hand on his arm stopped him, and when he looked down, he was surprised to see Usagi staring up at him with a very serious face.

 

"Let her be," she told him firmly, glancing down the stairs before turning her attention back to him. "Not all of us are comfortable with the past life, and even fewer of us are totally past what happened." She hesitated a moment, looking troubled. "In either past life, before..."

 

"Usagi-chan," Ami softly admonished, scooting around the coffee table to put an arm around her friend. "It's in the past, now. We're all living this one, so let's not dwell on what happened and concentrate on the matter at hand." Taking a deep breath, she gave the other young woman's shoulders a gentle squeeze. "I suggest we all get some sleep; if we continue on much longer like this, we're all bound to say things we don't mean," she warned, standing and drawing Usagi with her.

 

"Where are you all staying?" Lex asked finally fully standing, dusting off his slacks as he went.

 

"At a hotel in Metropolis," Minako told him, gently helping Rei up before giving Luna a hand. The poor girl was half-asleep already, and didn't look like she would be awake much longer.

 

"That's three hours away," Lex said worriedly, brow furrowing. Then he sighed, shrugging to himself. "You all are welcome to stay at the mansion, if you don't mind the ten minute trip."

 

"We'd be very grateful, thank you," Usagi said with a bright, tired grin. The bald man smiled a little, glad he could be of some help as he carefully made his way down the stairs, already pulling out his cell phone.

 

****

 

Isobel walked through the silent halls with a frown, arms crossed over her chest in thought. On a chain, wrapped in cord, was a rather large crystal, triangular in shape, a glyph imprinted on one of its sides glowing faintly in the soft lighting of the 'house'.

 

Mio was beginning to get troublesome. Ordering her around more and more, and while she did have a small right to do so, it was beginning to get excessive. Menial tasks that Mio herself could complete without so much as lifting a finger were suddenly being put before her, keeping her from finishing off the construction of the new areas of the Dark Kingdom. As such, Isobel was beginning to think that Mio was doing it on purpose, to keep her from really completing, and thus keeping her there for longer.

 

Until...

 

Scowling at her own thoughts, she paused in her trek, pounding a fist into one rocky wall, feeling her body shake with her anger. If she didn't finish soon and if Mio had her way, Mio would take her power from her, leaving her nothing more than a simpering lap dog.

 

Footsteps had her head snapping up, and when she saw who it was, she felt a growl well in her throat and lodge there, her lips curling disdainfully at the armor-clad man.

 

"Isobel," he greeted, smirking at her, green eyes taking some satisfaction in her anger, the loss of control.

 

"You. What are you doing outside of the room?" She snapped at him, straightening and letting her hands fall to her sides, clenching into angry, energy-surrounded fists.

 

He smirked at her further, adopting a look that the man whose clothing he wore had used often when he found something eternally amusing. "Mio allowed my free rein of the hallways, so long as I didn't stray too far and so long as I didn't try to escape." He paused, his smirk disappearing in an instant when he saw the stone resting against her collarbone. "Where did you get that?"

 

Snorting, she crossed her arms over her chest, feeling some satisfaction now. "It was a gift for completing my tasks thus far. Soon, I will have all three of them," she smiled to herself, closing her eyes and imagining the power they would grant her.

 

There was a moment of silence, a look of concentration on his face before his face eased and he actually smiled a little, amusement touching his eyes. "It sounds to me that she's rewarding her favorite pet with a treat for being good," he commented to her as he brushed past, blue-lined gold cap fluttering about his feet and trailing a little in the air behind him as he continued on down the dark hallway.

 

Isobel's eyes snapped open, whirling on her heel to stare after him. Brow furrowing and a scowl on her face again, she turned sharply and continued on back into the room she'd been working on earlier.

 

****

 

The rest of the castle was dark, the girls having long since gone to bed. And while his own bed beckoned to him, his pillows calling to his aching, heavy-feeling head, he still had much to do. His conversation with Chloe earlier had prompted him to do a little research, and he'd been sad to find the secret she'd hidden for so long, quite possibly even from Clark. He could now understand her outburst earlier.

 

But while he could understand, he couldn't allow it to continue any further. To save their Master and Clark, they would all need to be at full strength. And to do that...

 

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes, fingers beginning to move over the keys of the piano with practiced ease. The tune was rather melancholy, but uplifting, the notes drifting through the quiet household and seeming to be caught on the wind to be carried through Smallville.

 

****

 

In her cousin's apartment above the Talon, Chloe lay on the couch with her face buried in the borrowed pillow. Since she'd arrived in a frenzy, she had been unable to cease her shaking, and even now, as she tried desperately to sleep, she couldn't seem to get a hold of herself.

 

She'd run from the Kent's barn and to her car, knowing that it was a horrible idea to drive considering how tired she was, but she'd had to get away from there. Away from the six girls, their talking plushie, Lex, and their talk of impossible things. Oh, she knew what they said was more than likely real fact, but her tired mind had come up with excuses for her not to believe, reasons why it was a bad idea to be working with Lex Luthor, especially with the problems he and Clark had been having the past few weeks. She'd gotten lucky when she'd arrived at her cousin's door, finally finding herself able to talk in real English again. Lois had taken her in, given her hot chocolate and then given her a place to sleep, looking worried even as she retreated back to her own bed.

 

Releasing her death grip on the pillow, Chloe turned over sharply, clinging the pillow to her chest and closing her eyes tightly. She didn't want to think about all this, and maybe she was over reacting, but she was more than freaked out. Had gone far past simple fear. This was...this was...

 

Her mind seemed to numb and turn to putty, the soft sound of piano music drifting in through the open window on the soft, summer breeze. Rare that they were cool, unusual that there was *piano* music drifting on it, like leaves in autumn. She breathed in deeply, feeling the music, like it was a living thing, wrap itself around her like a cool, soft blanket of comfort. Vaguely, she could hear Lois shifting in her deep, snoring sleep, the snoring pausing briefly into a soft sigh of comfort.

 

Chloe's tightly clenched eyes eased into her eyelids simply resting over eyes, her shaking ceasing and her body relaxing for the first time in over an hour. Soft words of comfort followed beneath the piano music, familiar and yet not but still warm and giving her a sense of safety that she'd been lacking the entire day since she'd run into Lex's office. Since she'd met Ami and the other Senshi. Since she'd discovered she wasn't quite just herself, but a little more than that. Far more than just an alien's best friend, she was, in a way, an alien herself.

 

"Relax," a different voice whispered to her, the voice of the man she'd seen across the street. The man who'd knocked her unconscious and given her a language she hadn't ever heard of before. The same one who was now gently touching the side of her face, trying to calmly ease her into a different way of seeing things. She opened her eyes slowly, unsurprised to see him standing above her, the soft light coming in through the window from the street lamp seeming to shine through him. "Relax," he said again, and her body eased from around the pillow,  turning over so she could see him more clearly.

 

"Who are you? Why... why me?" she asked of him, feeling almost a sense of desperation in her question, even if she couldn't quite gather the energy to make sound thusly.

 

He frowned a little in thought, looking up at the wall, staring off into space. "I don't know anymore," he told her honestly after a long pause punctuated by the soft piano music. "I don't even know how I got chosen as a Shitennou in the first place..." His voice trailed off, his eyes closing and a small smile on his face as he remembered.

 

Almost against their will, Chloe's eyes closed, too, as she remembered a time before her own, when she was someone far, far different...

 

------------

 

The Earth palace was large, to say the least. The jewel of the entire kingdom, its white domed rooftops and glittering walls glowed beneath the morning sunlight. All around the walled structure, the emerald plains of the middle country rolled out like a soft carpet on which the palace rested, showcasing its splendor, a jewel of unrivaled beauty to be shown off to all who could see it.

 

"This is it," the woman standing beside him said gently, shielding her eyes as she looked up at the great white gates. "We finally made it," she breathed, letting a sigh of thankfulness escape her. They'd traveled far, all the way from the middle of the eastern country. The country of sunshine, as it was called, was one of the larger farming countries.

 

With their mother sick and their farm failing, their father had sent them to the palace to work. There was always a need for aids to the Prince and his three protectors, not to mention all the help that was needed in the kitchen and around the palace. The job was rather crummy, but it paid well and with enough money, they could send medicine to their mother.

 

"Wow," he whispered, eyes wide as he stared up at the large, white-washed wooden gate.

 

"Well, come on, then," his older sister told him, gently tugging on his hand and hefting her rucksack a little higher over her shoulder. To be honest, he worshiped the ground she walked on; with her long, curly golden hair and her sun-kissed skin, she looked like she could very well be from the planet Venus. That, and she was his older sister; she'd once saved him from a group of bullies when he was five who'd been making fun of his interest in acrobatics.

 

The two of them moved through the open door, his sister pausing briefly to converse with one of the guards and hand over the papers given to them at the border. After glancing over them, the young man smiled brightly and handed them back over after making a small note on the bottom of the first page. Her grin wide, she gave a little wave before taking her little brother's hand and turned to make her way through the little town situated behind the main defensive walls, behind which was the secondary walls, which led to the palace proper.

 

It was all very confusing when his father had explained it to him, and even more so now.

 

"Ne, Citrine- why did they put a village in the palace?" He asked of her as they walked through the village square. They earned a good many stares from the villagers and he stared right back at them, curious.

 

"We're not in the palace, silly," she told him, continuing on the tightly packed, clean dirt road. She glanced down at him, smiling gently, blue eyes the color of the afternoon sky over their home twinkling at him like distant, gentle stars. "There, that's the palace," she told him, pointing over one of the tall stone walls to the numerous domes that peered over, leaning down a little so as to better point it out to him.

 

"And we're going there to serve our prince?" he asked, brow furrowing. She laughed, standing straight and ruffling his short, curly blond hair before moving to continue on. But she hadn't made it more than a few steps before there was a small group barring their way, angry faces glaring at them.

 

"Who are you?" the one in the front, a large man with a dirty tunic and trousers that were out at the knee, asked snidely, sneering at them both.

 

"I'm Citrine and this is my little brother Jadeite; we're from the East country," the blonde young woman told the man, her hand tightening around her little brother's. The people's faces twisted on contempt, and they glanced at each other before eyeing them. Their clothing was worn and simple, unlike a few in the crowd's, who wore fine clothing made of fine, rich cloth or of a far richer cut. "We've come looking for work," she explained further, her voice tight, her brilliant eyes narrowing a little.

 

"There isn't any work here for the likes of you," one woman sneered, lips pulled back in an ugly snarl.

 

"Don't talk to my sister that way," Jadeite blurted angrily, glaring, his own hand tightening around his sister's.

 

A few of them chuckled darkly. "And what are you going to do, boy? You don't look like you could protect yourself, much less your sister," a man near the back, who Jadeite couldn't see, asked. The question wasn't mean, and the tone wasn't snide like the other villagers', but it still angered the young teen immensely.

 

"I'll do this!" And without further explanation, he ripped his hand from his sister's and before she could protest or yell, he dove into a roll, right between the first man's legs, his slight body tucked into a small ball that rolled easily behind him. The villagers, startled, stumbled a little back as Jadeite sprung to his feet, twisting and turning to kick the man's feet out from under him.

 

With a yell, the man went tumbling at his sister's feet, face planted in the dusty ground. The others hesitated a moment before moving forward like a wave towards the boy. Hands grasping at him, voices yelling out in fury, he found he'd made a serious misjudgment in tactics- perhaps his worst shortcoming. With a startled yell, he went down under a pile of angry people, feet and hands reaching to put a bruise on him in any way they could. He closed his eyes tightly and curled in a little ball, hoping to lesson the damage done to his insides.

 

And then quite suddenly, they were all gone, all of them staring at a tall, black haired man who stood above him now with one white gloved hand outstretched towards him to help him up. Blinking a little up at the man, he stared at the hand, uncomprehending.

 

"Would you like some help up?" the black haired man finally asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

 

Blinking again, Jadeite took the hand, his cheeks suffusing with a pale pink color beneath the dirt smudged on his face.

 

"Thank you," the boy whispered, head bowed, knowing he was probably in quite a bit of trouble.

 

"We're all young at some point; and at some point, we all do stupid things," the new voice had him looking up. The other teen couldn't be more than three or four years older than him, gentle dark eyes smiling at him widely. He didn't notice that everyone except the tall man had gone to one knee, even his sister.

 

"You aren't much older than I am," Jadeite pointed out in confusion, frowning and cocking his head to the side.

 

The other teen laughed, clapping him on the shoulder. "True, but I learned at a young age that picking fights with people wasn't the best way to get people to like me."

 

"If people don't like you for who you are, then they shouldn't like you at all," Jadeite said firmly, frowning a little at the other teen. This earned him a few raised eyebrows and the two glanced at each other, looking amused.

 

"Jadeite!" Citrine whisper-yelled at him, her voice full of horror as she tugged on his trouser leg, trying to get him to follow her lead.

 

"Citrine?" Confused, he glanced back at her, frowning even more when he saw her bowing low on one knee. "What are you bowing for?" He asked, glancing at the two amused men and then back at his sister.

 

Her cheeks burned brightly, her head bowed low. "Forgive my little brother, please, he doesn't know who you are," she begged, tugging again on her little brother's pants leg.

 

"Who they are?" Jadeite was still confused, glancing between the two again and then down at his sister, worried that she'd lost her mind.

 

The younger man laughed again, a full belly laugh, eyes bright and grin wide. "He's perfect," he told the older man brightly before turning and heading towards the palace, his long white cape rustling a little at the sudden turn.

 

Feeling as though he'd lost the plot of a book he was reading, he could only stare after the young man, who was barely older than he in age, but far older than him in wisdom. Turning to the older of the two, he stared up at him imploringly, begging for answers. "I don't get it."

 

Laughing a little, the man shook his head, the tail on top of his head swishing a little over his shoulders. "Sometimes, neither do I, boy." Then he gently reached down and dragged Citrine to her feet. "C'mon, then. If the Master is happy with you, then I suppose so am I."

 

Still confused, all Jadeite could do is follow behind the man while his sister tried desperately not to die from embarrassment.

 

------------

 

When the memory, dream or whatever it was, was over, Chloe almost didn't want to open her eyes. She could feel the heat coming off her cheeks in waves, not to mention the embarrassment of the apparition standing above her. Finally, though, she decided that it would probably be best if she wanted to get any answers out of him.

 

"You're... Jadeite, aren't you?" She asked him softly, blinking a little when she realized he wasn't standing above her any longer. Blinking a little more, she sat up, looking frantically around, almost afraid that he'd left. She was surprised to see him sitting by her feet at the end of the couch, staring up at the ceiling as though it held the answers to the universe. Probably also trying to get the couch to swallow him, if his glowing cheeks were anything to go by.

 

"Yes. I am," he told her finally, rolling his head to the side to look her in the eye. "What happened next?" he asked her, urged her, and Chloe frowned, leaning back against the arm of the couch, her head against the back, staring at him in thought.

 

Then it hit her, clear as day. "Kunzite, afterwards, wouldn't let me... us... you, let you live it down." She stuttered over the words, her mind screaming at her to stop this nonsense, to wake up from this dream. But it wasn't a dream; the teeth bighting into the inside of her cheek were very, very real.

 

"You had it right the first and second time," he told her raising his eyebrows at her.

 

"Why me?" She asked again, desperate for an answer, any answer.

 

"Why are any of us given the power that we are given?" he retorted, sitting so his elbows were leaning on his knees. "Why did Endymion choose me that day when there were so many others that were far better suited to the job of his protector?"

 

"Because you treated him like a human being," Chloe said softly with a resigned sigh. She cracked an eye open after a long moment of silence, groaning quietly in annoyance. "We'll talk about this whole boy-is-now-a-girl thing later," she finally told him reluctantly. Which meant she would be confronting this later. Which meant thinking about it, which meant acknowledging this, whatever it was.

 

Feeling a headache beginning to pound behind her eyes, she scooted down a little, laying her head back on her pillow.

 

"Tomorrow," Jadeite told her softly, smiling a little at her before disappearing. She felt a great sense of peace come over her in that moment, like a great storm had just passed, leaving behind it an entirely new world.

 

Whether it was good or bad remained to be seen.

 

****

 

Morning came far too soon for anyone's liking, especially to the bald billionaire who'd spent a good many of the late morning hours at his piano. The group gathered in the foyer, still looking tired but not nearly so close to passing out as they'd been last night. Yawning widely numerous times, they all tried to shake themselves awake while they waited for the last person of their group.

 

Checking his watch for the millionth time, Lex sighed. "Are you sure she was getting ready and hadn't fallen back asleep?" he asked of the indigo haired young girl standing beside him, looking half asleep on her feet.

 

"As sure as I can be," Luna muttered back, rubbing at her face and shaking herself again.

 

"Gomen ne, minna-san." Everyone looked up at the top of the stairs where a rather rumpled-looking Usagi stood, leaning heavily on the banister as she carefully trekked down the stairs. "Mou, did we really have to wake up so early?" She asked when she'd finally joined the girls and Lex.

 

"I'm afraid so," Lex sighed softly, closing his eyes a little in relief before shaking himself more awake. "We'll stop by the Talon and pick up some breakfast and some coffee before we head back over to the Kent's to pick up that map," he told them, nodding a little to himself as though confirming mentally that he'd gotten everything said. He really hated being this tired.

 

"Good idea," Minako agreed, taking charge of the Senshi immediately. "Ami-chan, Mako-chan, you'll ride with Zoisite-" Here Lex cut her off with a roll of his eyes.

 

"Just call me Lex. Please; it's less confusing in the long run," he told her tiredly with a sigh.

 

She looked at him sharply. "Are you or are you not Zoisite, Kunzite's second in command and Endymion's decoy?" She asked him coolly, dark eyes glaring at him a little.

 

Taken aback, he blinked at her, brow furrowed. "Yes and no. I am no more or less Zoisite than you are Venus, Aino Minako," he told her, crossing his arms over his chest.

 

Sniffing a little, she flipped her hair over one shoulder, dark eyes shrewd. "Either you are or you aren't."

 

"Minako-chan," Usagi said softly, looking worried and upset. "What's gotten into you this morning?" Minako scowled, turning away from everyone, shoulders stiff and not saying a word.

 

"She's afraid," Lex finally said for her with a snort. "None of you have your powers any longer and she's afraid that by trusting the Shitennou with your safety and the safety of her friends that we may not all come back."

 

"Minako-chan," Rei snapped finally, grabbing her girlfriend by the arm and turning her around. "Enough of this. We'll think of something," she told the other young woman, shaking her a little. Minako looked furious, jerking herself out of Rei's grasp.

 

"You didn't have to watch from afar as your world was destroyed last time," she snapped, her voice shaking with fear. "I know that the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou has been shattered but we don't know that it can't be put back together. If we go and we find them dead, what will happen then?!" she yelled, withdrawing herself from the group.

 

"And you didn't have to watch as your best friend destroyed herself and the world," Rei snapped back, stomping over and slapping the idol across the face. Everyone looked surprised, blinking at the two. "You didn't have to deal with the aftermath of your death or the destruction of Endymion by Usagi's hand. You may have watched, but you weren't actually *there*!"

 

"Ladies, please," Lex tried, hoping to calm everyone down. He wasn't sure where this outburst was coming from, but he did understand the fear all too well.

 

"Stay out of this," Minako snapped at him, holding her cheek and staring at Rei. "You think I didn't still feel everything you went through? That I wasn't there in spirit? That I didn't see how you failed to prevent the past life from happening again?!"

 

"You have no right-"

 

"ENOUGH!" It wasn't the sound of Lex's voice that startled them, rather the very large hole he'd put in the entryway, green energy crackling over his outstretched hand while his entire body shook.

 

"Lex-san," Usagi whispered in shock, staring at the hole he'd created. Slowly, everyone turned their attention from the hole in the doorway to the man who'd created it, unsurprised to find him shifting uncomfortably.

 

Feeling his ears warm with color, he raised his hand to hide a cough of embarrassment. "Ah, shall we be going?" he asked, stuffing his hands in his pockets and quickly moving to go through the large hole he'd made.

 

"I'd hate to piss him off," Makoto mused to Ami as they followed him out.

 

"Hai," Usagi and Luna whispered, the latter clutching Artemis to her chest as they followed after.

 

Without another word, Rei and Minako scrambled to follow, both of them looking embarrassed and not a little chastised.

 

****

 

Chloe sat quietly with Lois, watching as people moved slowly about the Talon. It was still early yet and only the farmers were up and about, coming in to get their morning coffee before heading out to get supplies or whatever else they'd come into town for. She watched them all, feeling an odd sense of protectiveness over these simple people, and an understanding that went deeper than just knowing what they did. As though she'd done it in some past life herself.

 

Smiling a little at the irony of that last thought, she took a sip of her warm coffee, delighting in the feeling of the bitter liquid as it trailed down her throat to settle in her stomach amongst the fruit loops and milk she'd had for breakfast.

 

"It's amazing how one little thing can change your perspective on everyone and everything," a voice beside her said, startling her a little and making her nearly spilling her coffee. For a moment, Chloe thought it had been Lois who had said the words, but after glancing at her cousin and seeing she was far too engrossed in her paperwork to even really notice that she was there, she sighed a little, leaning back in her chair and sliding down a little.

 

"Can't I enjoy my morning coffee in peace?" she muttered as she took another sip.

 

The apparition of Jadeite chuckled, shifting and making the beading hanging from one shoulder jingle a little. "Of course not," he told her, sounding very young and very brat-ish. Chloe couldn't help the grin that spread over her face, echoing the delight that Jadeite seemed to get from acting like everyone's little brother- annoying but too cute to really hate. Then suddenly, the mood shifted and Chloe could tell it was time to get serious. "It's time. Zoisite-sama and the Senshi are on the move, on their way here and then to where Master and Kunzite are being held."

 

"But there's still someone missing," she muttered to herself, putting her cup down a little louder than she'd intended.

 

"What are you muttering about, Chloe?" Lois asked in annoyance, looking up from her papers to glare at her little cousin. The blonde blinked in surprise, blushing a little and shifting.

 

"It's nothing," she said hesitantly, staring down into her cup, trying to remember the name and face of the last of Endymion's guardians. Jadeite had taken a great amount of joy in poking fun at him, always starting prank wars that usually ended up in one of the two older Shitennou bringing down some form of punishment.

 

Lois all but threw down her pen in annoyance, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms over her chest. "Don't give me that! It's sure as hell *something* or else you wouldn't have come running to me at 3'o clock in the morning!" She snapped, looking seriously unhappy.

 

Sighing, Chloe felt at a loss as to how to explain everything without actually explaining everything. Because she was pretty sure that if she were to explain everything, Lois would not only not believe her, but it would also put her in a great deal of danger.

 

A thought struck her, then, and she eyed Lois with a curious frown, squinting at her and cocking her head to the side. But it wasn't there, though what *it* was, she wasn't sure. All that she knew was that Lois wasn't the person she was trying to remember, not even in the slightest, though their personalities were quite similar. Sighing a little dejectedly, Chloe leaned back in her own chair again, flicking her fingers in annoyance at the small red straw in her coffee cup.

 

"Well?! Aren't you going to answer me?" Lois demanded, glaring balefully at the blonde, fully expecting an answer.

 

Chloe snorted in annoyance, feeling more like her old self then, fully intending to tell Lois off only to freeze as she caught sight of the young man she'd seen yesterday when she'd fallowed Ami into the Talon after rushing from Lex's mansion. Hair sticking out and odd angles, dark eyes shrewd and suspicious of everyone. And on his left cheek was a small mole, one that she (as Jadeite) had teased him about mercilessly. Standing suddenly, her chair toppling to the floor with a loud clatter, she startled both the young man and Lois.

 

"Nephrite!" She proclaimed proudly, grinning brightly at the young man. His face blanched in annoyance and he scowled at her, glaring warningly.

 

"What does a mineral have to do with anything?" Lois asked, eyeing her cousin as though she'd grown another head.

 

"It has everything to do with anything," Chloe told the older woman smartly, realizing only belatedly how unhelpful that sounded. "That's not important," she hurriedly added, standing her chair up and moving around the table to stop the young man from going behind the counter at the front of the Talon. "What is important is that my personal favorite mineral is Jadeite," she informed her cousin and the young man, hoping against hope that he'd get it.

 

Unfortunately, it didn't look like she was going to be all that lucky today. "What the hell is your problem?" he asked, scowling at her, attempting to brush past her.

 

"Wait a minute!" Chloe grumbled, stepping in front of him again. "You're awful dense, you know that?" she griped at him, scowling a little.

 

"Yeah, but he's not the one bothering innocent cafe workers with crazy ramblings about minerals," Lois informed Chloe, moving the young man's rescue. Finally, Chloe got desperate.

 

"Master's in trouble," she rushed out, slapping Lois's hand away. The young man stared at her with a deep frown on his face, obviously trying to discern if what she was saying really meant anything to him. "We don't have much time but Zoisite and the Senshi are on their way here, probably to get a pick-me-up before going to save him and Kunzite," she continued, making sure her voice was softer now. Lois still looked at her as though she'd completely lost her mind.

 

But the young man's face cleared, a scowl on his face, though there was a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "Master never could do anything with Kunzite without getting into trouble."

 

"Yeah; after all, look how I joined you all," Chloe answered back with a bright grin. "Where would they be without us?"

 

The young man snorted, hesitating a moment before sticking out his hand. "Akai."

 

"Chloe," she introduced back, shaking his hand firmly before motioning over his shoulder. "Let's go wait outside for Lex and the girls; they'll probably be here soon."

 

Nodding, he turned, heading back the way he came, ignoring the yells of the morning manager when she asked what he thought he was doing. Chloe moved to follow him, only to be stopped by Lois.

 

"Chloe, what the hell is going on?" The older woman asked, her voice hissing and her hand squeezing almost painfully around Chloe's upper arm. At this, the blonde hesitated, looking guilty now. To be honest, she hadn't thought at all of Lois and even though Jadeite's Master was way more important than some senator's secretary, Lois was still her cousin.

 

"I'm sorry, Lois," she told the other woman, surprising her with a hug. Then she moved away, her face solemn. "But I have to do this or I'm going to go crazier than I already probably sound." She hesitated again, sighing a little. "If... If I, for some reason, don't come back, tell my dad I went down fighting for the Earth, okay?" She asked of her cousin, pausing to kiss her on the cheek before rushing out after Akai.

 

Lois made to follow her, only to come face to face with Lex and Miss In Control from yesterday. "Leave her, Lois. I'll protect her as much as I can," the bald man promised.

 

"Will you please tell me what's going on?" Lois asked through grit teeth, glaring at the Japanese girl over Lex's shoulder.

 

"We're going to rescue Clark and Mamoru," Lex told her, turning and gently pushing the girl toward the door.

 

Lois could only stare after the two had disappeared out the door, the little bell above jingling, hoping that she wouldn't have to make that call to her uncle.

 

****

 

It was obvious from the start that neither of the women knew just how powerful he was. He'd figured out early on, shortly after getting over his headache, that he could still access his abilities as a Kryptonian, though he wasn't sure for how much longer he would be able to; he'd been out of the rays of the yellow sun for quite some time now (at least two or three days, maybe more) and he could feel his powers slowly beginning to leave him. However, he was still quite a bit faster and still quite a bit stronger than Kunzite alone had been.

 

And Kunzite hadn't been the leader of the Shitennou for nothing.

 

Still, it was obvious that both of the women holding him and Mamoru captive were seriously underestimating him. After all, he was pretty sure Mio wouldn't have given him free reign of her new little 'Dark Kingdom' if she knew just how far he could go without her realizing it. Not to mention the added bonuses of his x-ray vision and enhanced hearing. And while he was pretty sure he could take Mio in her present state, he wasn't so sure if he'd be able to take both Mio and Isobel. Which presented a great deal of problems, since he would need to help Mamoru out; the other young man's wounded shoulder wasn't looking much better than it had the first time he'd spotted it in their original holding cell. In fact, there had been a few times that he'd worried about Mamoru going into shock.

 

Moving through the dark caves that served as hallways in this place, he scanned the upper floors, ignoring the ache in his eyes from squinting for far too long, mapping out a way out of here. There were a good dozen or so caves that had no real purpose, other than to throw an over-curious explorer off, but he would be able to safely guide himself and Mamoru through the maze without too many troubles. The biggest problem would be avoiding Mio and Isobel.

 

Returning to the place he'd started from, he glanced around to double check that neither woman was coming up the corridor and upon hearing neither footsteps or seeing them, he entered the room quietly, opening and closing the door softly. It took a moment but he found Mamoru waiting for him patiently, fingers tracing random, bored patterns on the table top. The Japanese native blinked a little, glancing up when he heard Clark's footsteps coming closer.

 

"Clark-san," he greeted, standing, flinching a little and clutching his injured arm. "Did you find what you were looking for?" the pale and drawn-faced young man asked, ignoring the worry on the other's face.

 

"Mamoru," Clark hesitated, unable to hide his worry. Finally, he let the other side of him come to the fore. The other side that had served for far longer under Mamoru's leadership than he himself had. "Master, you need to take it easy; you're injured and over-doing it will only do you further harm."

 

The dark haired man's face blanched in annoyance. "I wish you would explain that," he muttered darkly, glaring a little. Clark sighed in response, shaking his head.

 

"I will once we're out of here and once you've been treated, but not before. I don't know how much longer I'll have access to my abilities granted to me by the yellow sun of our solar system," he told Mamoru, frowning deeply as he moved forward to gently put his arm around Mamoru's shoulders and then under his knees, making the other man yell in surprise and throw his good arm around Clark's neck.

 

"Oi! What the hell are you doing?!" he yelled, clearly startled.

 

"Getting you out of here," Clark grunted, gritting his teeth and swiftly moving out of the room. He paused a moment to shut the door behind himself and glance about to make sure they wouldn't be caught straight away. Luckily, neither Isobel or Mio were around, so he slipped into a fast jog (well, a fast jog for him anyway; it was more like a Cheetah's sprint).

 

 

There were a great many factors that had him screeching to a halt a few moments later. They included the fact that his powers had suddenly decided to quit on him and the fact that Mamoru had been holding his breath.

 

But none of the excuses compared to the angry face of Kuroki Mio glaring at him at the end of the long hallway he'd been running down, arms crossed and foot tapping.

 

"Mou, Kunzite-kun. You've been a naughty boy," she told him coldly, none of the usual amusement in her voice as she raised her hand to attack. Breath catching in his throat, he turned quickly to shield Mamoru. The impact of the energy attack had him stumbling forward a few steps back the way he'd come, dropping to one knee and gritting his teeth in pain. Setting Mamoru down, he stood slowly, drawing his sword, growling as he turned on Mio. He felt his facial muscles shift oddly and the sudden pull on his forehead and temples was the only real sign that he'd changed much at all.

 

Mio's surprised face didn't deter him from attacking the shadow of the Queen who'd been the destruction of them all.

 

****

 

After a brief, tense round of introductions, the group that was now two stronger had moved on from the Talon and on to the Kent's barn, where'd they'd left the map the night before. The Senshi and Akai all waited outside while Lex and Chloe ran up the loft stairs, fully intending to grab the map and just be on their way.

 

They weren't expecting to find a rather angry, teary-eyed senator in the place they'd spent most of the night searching for her sun.

 

"Lex Luthor. I should have known," the woman said sharply, her voice thick as she sniffed a little, wiping at her eyes and nose as she turned fully to them, glaring.

 

"Mrs. Kent," Lex started, brow furrowing, looking startled to see her and confused about what she was talking about, only to be stopped as she picked up the very map he and Chloe had come to get.

 

"What did you give him this time, Lex? More money? Another car? What did you do to buy my little boy?" She yelled, shaking the paper in Lex's face, ignoring Chloe for the moment.

 

The bald man looked stricken, though he tried desperately to hide it. But Chloe saw it and it pissed her off.

 

"Enough," she told the red haired woman, stomping forward and snatching the map from her hand. She checked it over to make sure that it hadn't been damaged at all before turning to leave.

 

"You, too, Chloe?" Mrs. Kent asked bitterly, stopping the blonde in her tracks.

 

"Mrs. Kent, what you don't understand is that I would follow Lex to hell and back," the blonde explained slowly, turning just as slowly, her face stony. Her hair seemed curlier, her eyes a deeper blue, and her skin more sun-kissed than it had previously been, startling both the man beside her and the older woman standing near her.

 

"So, it worked," Lex murmured, blinking and smiling a little in relief.

 

"What have you done to her?" His moment of relief was broken by the harsh words and he turned sharply, eyes narrowing.

 

"Mrs. Kent--" Chloe started hesitantly, recognizing on a level she couldn't explain the look in Lex's eyes. The anger that she'd seen once before, though not in this life time.

 

"Did you know that Kal El was supposed to come to Earth far before you were born, Martha?" Lex asked coolly, his eyes far, far bluer than they had been moments ago. Taken aback, the woman flushed, eyes narrowing, opening her mouth and preparing to deny anything he said. But he cut her off, face cold. "Krypton was shaking apart. The sun was old and it was dieing and Queen Serenity would do nothing to help dissuade Krypton's people from killing themselves." He snorted, turning and going to the bay window overlooking the driveway, gazing down upon the Senshi who stood nervously below, Akai standing nearest to the large barn doors.

 

"Every month or so, two representatives of the Silver Millennium would go to make a survey, offer aid and support. Only one scientist ever saw fit to take up the offer." He turned back to Martha, his face unreadable as he continued with the odd story. "Jor El, scientist who created Brainiac, the super computer who stored and kept all of Krypton's knowledge, and the head of the great House of El." His face softened, his eyes becoming distant. "In the final days of the Silver Millennium, Kunzite, the leader of Earth's Prince's Shitennou, was sent along with Outer Senshi, Princess Sailor Uranus. Kunzite promised that he and his partner would take care of Kal El, unknowing of the turmoil he would return to. And yet, Kal El only arrived in 1989, well after the Silver Millennium had been well and truly destroyed and completely forgotten."

 

Chloe hesitated, unwilling to break the memory that Lex was obviously lost in. But they didn't have time for this; Clark, Kal El, Kunzite- whatever you wanted to call him, he was somewhere in the Kawatchee caves, being held captive by who knows what. Add into that their Prince, and it was a recipe for disaster and the need for urgency.

 

"Zoisite," She snapped, finally making her decision. The sound of his past self's name seemed to startled Lex, and his brow furrowed as he looked in her direction.

 

"Chloe?" He blinked, frowning, confused. "Was... Was I saying something?" He asked softly, looking briefly worried.

 

"You were telling Mrs. Kent about the last days of Krypton and about where Clark was originally supposed to end up," she told him wryly, rolling up the map in her hands before turning to the silent older woman. She was unsurprised to see her staring at Lex, confused and afraid. "This is way bigger than you could imagine, Mrs. Kent," Chloe said softly. "Clark wasn't the only one kidnapped; a young man by the name of Mamoru Chiba was also taken. If we don't hurry, it could mean the end of everything. Nothing would be able to stop the Princess if she lost her Prince again." Her voice was grave, her hands wanting desperately to clench nervously around the map. But she refrained from strangling the large piece of paper, deciding instead to level a hard gaze at the shaken woman.

 

"Chloe--" the red head hesitated, looking worried. "He's not my son anymore, is he?" she asked in a shaking voice, tears standing out in her aged blue eyes.

 

"That depends on how much of him you can still accept after all this is over," Chloe told her softly, coming forward to gently grab Lex's coat sleeve to drag him out of the loft, out of the barn, and to where everything would change. "If you don't hear from us in twenty four hours, assume the worst and start praying," Chloe called back over her shoulder as she disappeared down the stairs.

 

Martha went to the bay window Lex had been standing at moments before, looking down on the group of children as they gathered around the two who emerged from the barn, chattering anxiously, their young faces serious. Her stomach nearly dropped out when she realized that if what Chloe had said is correct, the entire world rested on all their young shoulders.

 

She decided that praying was perhaps the best suggestion she'd heard in a great long while.

 

****

 

The three Shitennou stood at the front of the group, Lex in the middle and holding the map.

 

"We're so having a really long chat when this is all over," Chloe muttered to him as she looked over the map.

 

"How so?" Lex asked, not even glancing at her.

 

"Well, considering Jadeite got stuck as a *girl* in this life, I'm not surprised he's having problems," Akai commented snidely, smirking a little as he looked over Lex's shoulder.

 

"WHAT?!" Chloe screeched, moving around Lex to tackle the dark haired man without further thought. A few of the Senshi sighed in annoyance while Usagi giggled in amusement.

 

Sighing, Lex rolled the map up and handed it off to Minako before diving in and pulling the two apart. Both of them were now dusty, and Chloe was scowling at the taller man with all she had. Akai simply smirked at her as he dusted himself off before turning to Lex.

 

"Since Kunzite isn't around, you're acting leader," he told him, crossing his arms over his chest, obviously waiting for orders.

 

"We'll have to see when we get there," Lex told him with a sigh, motioning for them to head inside the cave.

 

"I don't suppose anyone thought to bring flashlights," Usagi lamented, sticking close to Chloe as they trekked inside the musty cave.

 

"Damn," Lex cursed, knowing now what that nagging voice in the back of his mind had been trying to tell him.

 

"We'll think of something," Makoto assured, standing on Usagi's right, keeping a watchful eye out for anything that remotely resembled anything dangerous. Even as the words left her mouth, Akai held up his right hand, stopping and closing his eyes a moment before a ball of red energy appeared in his palm, bathing them all in an eerie red light.

 

Blinking in surprise, Chloe mimicked him, nearly cheering when she created a similar ball, her own a deep blue. The girl that had been walking close to her jumped a little when the  blue light suddenly flooded their side of the cave, but quickly settled, a wide grin on her face.

 

"Sugoi!" Usagi cheered, clapping her hands enthusiastically. Chloe blushed a little, coughing into her free hand before scrambling to move further into the cave.

 

"I wish we could do something like that," Luna muttered, pouting a little as she followed behind the three Shitennou, walking beside Usagi.

 

It was a tight fit as they moved first through the main part of the cave and then into the area that had only become known after Clark had returned over a year ago after spending months trapped inside the wall. The tension became thick in the air as they all paused a moment to stare at the odd pedestal in the center of the cave they'd come into. In the shadows at the other end of the cave was another doorway leading further in, a slight chill coming in from that way and making not a few of them shiver at the implications.

 

"This is your last chance to turn back," Lex told them all, turning, the red and blue light from Akai and Chloe's light balls casting odd shadows over his face. His blue eyes glittered seriously at them, beckoning them to choose wisely.

 

But they'd already made their decision, long before they'd even come into the cave.

 

"So long as we still breathe, we're not leaving Usagi's side," Makoto vowed, earning nods from Ami, Minako and Rei.

 

"We've come this far with the girls, we may as well go the rest of the way," Luna spoke for both herself and Artemis, grinning down at the white plushie she held. The stuffed cat beamed back up, eyes turning into little upside-down v's of happiness.

 

"I'm not leaving here without Mamoru," Usagi added, lips thinning firmly, nodding a little as though to reconfirm her decision.

 

"I don't know you all that well," Akai commented, making everyone turn to him in surprise. "Hell, I don't know any of you at all..." he shook himself, letting his chin rise in defiance. "But I remember our Master," at this he motioned to himself, Chloe and Lex before continuing, "and I remember Kunzite. As long as either are in danger, you won't catch me running away."

 

"So, it's decided then," Chloe commented, grinning a little.

 

"Mmm," Lex agreed before turning and walking without another word around the pedestal and into the shadowed cave-mouth, pausing to motion for the others to follow. Glancing about at each other, all nodding encouragingly, they all quickly followed.

 

****

 

Kunzite rolled to a stop at the base of one cave wall, every cell in his body screaming out in agony as his sword skittered away, out of reach. He wasn't sure quite how long they'd been at this, but his Kryptonian abilities had given out long ago, leaving him with only what few skills he could dredge up from his memories. Mio, on the other hand, seemed to be drawing power from some outside source, feeding her abilities until they were almost as powerful as Beryl's own had been. It was rather frightening to think that the shadow was turning into the original.

 

"Is that all?" Mio asked, lips turning down in a pout as she stood over him. "Mou, how disappointing." Her voice was a high-pitched whine, grating on his ears and making him cringe into the cold stone wall. "I was so hoping you'd put up a better fight." Her voice turned into a low purr as she leaned forward, hand extended and crackling with purple-black energy.

 

A pang of regret washed over him, regret and sadness, as he looked past Mio into the shadows where he'd left Mamoru earlier. Once again, he'd failed his Prince, his Master. His friend. He wasn't sure if the world was going to end again as a result, he hoped not, but he wasn't sure if there would be anything left of the Mamoru he'd come to know in the past few days once Mio was done with him. Feeling like a coward, he couldn't help but close his eyes to await his fate.

 

But the blow never came. And Mio's angry, annoyed screech had him opening his eyes in time to see Mamoru, bedecked in Endymion's armor, attacking the shadow with a look of anger twisting his face.

 

"Get up, Kunzite," Mamoru ordered, grunting as he blocked one of Mio's attacks, sending it down one of the dead-end caves. The leader of the Shitennou could only stare in shock, blinking in surprise as the anger turned into a feral, taunting grin. "Or do you intend to let me have all the fun?" The man taunted when he'd gotten no reply from the King.

 

Grinning a little tiredly, Kunzite scrambled to his feet, scooping up his sword and hurrying quickly to his Master's side.

 

"I apologize for allowing you to think that I would allow any such thing," he taunted back, getting into a battle-ready stance as Mio, screeching in rage, summoned a small horde of weak youma to cover her escape.

 

As one, the two rushed the oncoming monsters, fully intending to go after her.

 

****

 

The nine of them stood sullenly silent, turning slowly around, faces full of annoyance and disbelief as they stared down the six different paths. None of them had ever expected to come to such a crossroad; it wasn't even on Clark's map.

 

"What do we do now?" Ami whispered worriedly, glancing down each path, trying desperately to figure out what to recommend doing.

 

There was a long moment of unsure silence, most of them glancing to others in the group for guidance, only to find none. None of them had a clue as to what to do. Finally, though, Usagi took a step forward, something... something almost in her heart tugging her in one direction. Whether it was the direction Mamoru was in or not remained to be seen, though.

 

"We split up," Usagi's soft voice suddenly cut through the tense silence. Everyone turned to her, blinking in surprise.

 

"Is that a good idea?" Chloe asked worriedly, looking at each person and then at each path branching off from the room they'd come in. "There are seven separate paths, including the one we just came down. But there are only nine of us; if we split up, we'll be uneven and even in pairs of two, we won't be able to cover all the paths."

 

 

"So, each of us," Usagi explained, motioning to herself and the other Senshi, "will go down one path and you three," she motioned to the three Shitennou, "will go down the last one."

 

"Hey, hold up!" Makoto yelled, sounding a little panicked. "Usagi-" said girl cut the strongest of her Senshi off, her face set stubbornly.

 

"Trust me, Mako-chan. Please," the pigtailed girl begged softly, eyes imploring her friend to follow her words.

 

"I think she's right," Rei finally spoke up for the first time since coming into the caves, taking a step towards one of the pathways. "I feel..." She hesitated, closing her eyes and concentrating on the feeling. "I feel something calling me here," she finally said, turning to the others.

 

Minako looked about as happy as Makoto, but she took a step toward the door closest to the path they'd come from on the right, Rei standing to her right. "I think we should trust our instincts," the leader of the four Inner Court Senshi said by way of advice to her princess. "However..." She turned to the girl in question, face stern. "Take Luna and Artemis with you, Usagi. We don't know what these paths will lead us to. At least, with them, you will have some semblance of protection from any monsters you may encounter."

 

"Understood," Usagi whispered, already moving to go down the path to the left of the one Rei stood before. Luna, carrying Artemis, shot a glance at Minako before going to stand beside her friend, awaiting to go deeper into the cave system.

 

Following the others' leads, the two men and Chloe went to stand before the path to the left of the one they'd come down while Ami went to Usagi's left and Makoto went to the remaining pathway. They all turned briefly to glance at each other, and then, as one, they all moved down their paths, disappearing from view.

 

****

 

Ami rubbed her arms as she looked around herself, looked around the dark, cold, underground cave she'd wandered into. It felt like she'd been searching on her own for hours now, when it probably hadn't been more than a few minutes. But without one of the others to talk to, or to listen to, the silence made it feel like hours. Her eyes darted around, looking from the dusty ground she walked upon to the walls. They were odd, seeming to shimmer and give off the only light to shine this far underground. The light itself was a silvery blue color, casting odd shadows over the cave she'd walked into. A light that, oddly enough, gave off an unnatural chill. A chill that had her pausing to glance about further, wondering what she was doing down here, freezing her odds and ends off.

 

The young woman understood that, this far underground, it was bound to be rather cold. But this was... this was... Completely unnatural. Weren't lights supposed to give off heat, not ice-cold chill? It was as if there was an entity living within those walls, trying desperately to bar her passage through on her search for the two missing young men.

 

It was the last thought, the reminder, finally, of why she was down there that decided her next action. Hugging herself tightly and shivering just a little, she moved forward with a stronger set resolve.

 

"You should turn back," a cool voice told her, whispered to her. She wasn't sure if it was in her mind of if she had really heard it with her own two ears. Either way, she ignored it resolutely, lips thinning in determination as she moved further into the cold cave.

 

"Why are you trying so hard? Mamoru is really *Usagi's* responsibility, and the American boy is your employer's. So why go through all this trouble?" The voice had a good point.

 

But she had a better one. "I'm helping them because they need it. I'm helping them when they so obviously can't help themselves," she explained firmly to the persistent voice. "Thus is the way of the Senshi."

 

"No, Mercury; the way of the Senshi is to protect the Princess. Or had you forgotten?" The persistent voice gained an owner, the figure stepping out of the shadows and into the faint, silvery-blue light, short skirt shifting against her thighs as she struck a brief pose.

 

Ami first froze, then gasped in surprise with her eyes going wide, first at the voice's words and then at the woman who'd appeared before her.

 

It was... Sailor Mercury?

 

"But..." Ami tried to gather her suddenly scattered thoughts, surprise still keeping her frozen. "How? Who... are you?" she tried to sound authoritative, but her voice shook and broke over her uncertain words.

 

"I am you, Mizuno Ami. Senshi of Water and Wisdom, Sailor Mercury," the woman proclaimed, bringing the previously unnoticed sword into a fight-ready position. "And in the name of our father planet and the Silver Millennium, I will punish you." A pause, the blue haired woman's lips twisting coldly upwards. "Prepare to fight."

 

It was by pure instinct that Ami slipped into a fighting pose.

 

~~~~

 

"Why?" Rei asked of the long haired apparition, hands clenching into white-knuckled fists, the odd red light in the wall reflecting in her angry, dark eyes. "Why do we have to fight?"

 

"Don't you get it?" Mars scoffed, wrinkling her nose as though she'd smelled something vile. "You fight me as you have fought the past. You've become too soft, too pitiful, to be allowed to mimic me any longer."

 

~~~~

 

"Mimic you?" Makoto scoffed, scowling in annoyance. The light in the walls seemed to shift with her mood, green-blue energy crackling and becoming brighter. "Shouldn't this conversation be going the other way around?!"

 

"You mimicked me in your pitiful attempts to prevent the past life from happening. Alone, indeed," the green and pink clad woman laughed, the tone mocking. "Your precious friends won't be coming to help you this time."

 

~~~~

 

"There's nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Not this time. No escape by death, no way to push this off on someone else," the blonde Venus taunted, spinning the dual blades in her hands as she approached, the golden light in the cave wall catching on her hair and tiara and blades. "And your precious Rei isn't here to save you now," she added snidely as an after-thought, continuing forward.

 

Minako felt the sting of the other's words far more than she would have liked to admit. Blinking back tears of anger and shame, tears she hadn't thought herself capable of any longer, she took the initiative and dove at the fuku-clad imposter.

 

The blonde woman smirked as she easily side-stepped Minako's attack, letting the young woman sail past her.

 

This was going to be very interesting, indeed.

 

****

 

Usagi's footsteps were slow and careful, being mindful of Luna and Artemis behind her as she felt along the wall, looking for any sort of break that signaled another entrance to another cave. The chill was beginning to get to her, though; it had sunk into her bones, fatiguing her and seeming to sap her energy completely.

 

Shaking a little from the amount of energy it took to move through complete darkness, she took a moment to pause, leaning heavily against the cave wall she'd been feeling along. Letting her head bow, she breathed in deep, coughing a little on the musty cool smell of the dark and the things that grew there.

 

"Luna..." she hesitated as she felt the plushie-turned-girl pause behind her, hand on her lower back. "Luna, I don't know how much farther I can go like this," she whispered, hating herself for feeling weak but feeling as though there was nothing she could do about it.

 

"I'm sure it's not much farther," Luna urged, her own voice betraying how unlikely she thought this.

 

Sighing, Usagi nodded, lips thinning as she stood straight once more to continue on. "It can't be too much farther, can it," she muttered, mostly to herself as she began again, hand feeling against the wall.

 

It really wasn't too much farther before the wall suddenly disappeared from beneath her hand, leaving her groping at air. Panic welled up in her throat, almost choking her, when she realized that Luna was no longer behind her.

 

"Luna?" She called, turning slowly around. "Artemis? Anyone?" Her ears strained for an answer, but there was none. Not even the faint sound of dripping water, the sound that had been her constant companion since she'd entered the caves, reached her.

 

"You should fear nothing; fear is what destroyed the past, twice over," a voice suddenly told her, echoing around her, echoing through her, making her freeze.

 

"Who... Who's there?" Usagi called, eyes wide in the complete darkness.

 

And suddenly, the complete darkness was no longer dark at all; soft white light seemed to glow around her. Beneath her feet and in the walls of the large circular cave she'd wandered into, it started soft and slowly rose in brightness, allowing her eyes time to get used to it before becoming a soft glow. Oddly enough, she recognized this room; remembered it from when she'd been trapped in her own mind when the Princess had taken over her, before...

 

And there, sitting on her white chair, softly playing her harp, was the Princess herself, eyes closed and a small, amused smile on her lips. Her hand stayed a moment, face turning towards the newcomer to whom she'd spoken a moment ago, bright blue eyes opening to look at the girl she'd been reborn as.

 

"You've grown up," Serenity commented softly, fingers playing softly over the invisible threads of her tiny harp. Its music filled the chamber, melancholy as ever, but some how different than before. The music drifted over Usagi's senses, easing her, calming the fear that had gripped her moments before.

 

"A little," the odango-haired girl mused, coming forward to take the other chair situated a few feet across from the harp-playing princess.

 

"You should fear nothing; fear is what destroyed the planet, twice over," the princess repeated, the hand gripping the harp curling tighter around the ivory and Usagi could imagine her knuckles, white beneath the white satin gloves.

 

"Yes," the young woman agreed softly, her hands clenching in her skirt. "What have you done with Luna and Artemis?" she asked, voice strained, trying to sound even and only coming out even more shaken.

 

"They are of no importance," the Princess commented, turning back to her harp, closing her eyes and leaning her cheek against it. "Stay awhile, listen to my music."

 

"Where are my friends?" Usagi tried again, annoyed.

 

"You have no patience. A princess must always have patience," Serenity told her, unable to keep the disapproval from her voice.

 

"But..." The young woman hesitated, looking down at the hands clenched in her lap, thinking hard. Was she really a princess anymore? She wasn't even a Senshi any longer! Not since the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou had been shattered. She didn't even know where its pieces had gone to, where in the earth they'd been embedded to finally lay in eternal rest. And perhaps that was it; perhaps the part of her that had once been Serenity had been shattered with that crystal, being sent to the far reaches of the earth and the galaxy at large. But somehow, she knew, that wasn't right; that wasn't quite correct. She wasn't really Serenity any longer, they'd completely separated when she'd finally come back to herself after destroying the world for the second time. But there was still a part of her that would *always* be Serenity. That little part that loved Mamoru for more than just himself.

 

Smiling a little to herself, she finally looked up at Serenity once more, unsurprised to find the other woman having looked away from her, concentrating on her soft harp music. "I'm not a Princess anymore. Not the kind that you mean, anyway," Usagi told the other woman, smiling a little and leaning back. Her hand unwittingly went into her shirt to pull out the watch that Mamoru had re-bought her, looking down at its shining, white face. "I'm different now." She looked up at the blonde critically, face serious when she met those blue eyes that stared at her unblinkingly. "*You're* different now."

 

The Princess blinked in surprised, hand faltering on her harp, mouth opening as though to refute Usagi's words, only to close and turn up in amusement. "Perhaps you are correct."

 

The darker haired girl took up her thought before the Princess could continue. "And fear isn't a bad thing; it means we're still learning. That we're still alive enough to feel it." She hesitated, looking down once again at her hands folded neatly in her lap. "Fear can destroy, especially if it is the fear born of not understanding something, or someone." She looked up now, getting to her feet, grateful for having been given the chance to rest. "But with fear comes hope and courage."

 

"Perhaps," the Princess amended, eyes suddenly holding respect. "You are much stronger than I, Tsukino Usagi. Even though we destroyed the world previously, you came out of it that much better." She paused, standing herself, crystal heels of her boots clicking a little on the floor of the cave. "Now I would merge with you once more so that we may face our enemies together and protect this world that is so cherished by our Prince."

 

Usagi felt the slightest prick of fear, memories of the past life and the pain that she'd been through to get this far flashing before her eyes. She closed them against the onslaught, hands clenching a little. But amongst the fear and the pain, there were little rays of happiness. Of hope. Her courage- her friends and family, all of them shining beacons, shining like the sunrise after a long, painful night. Opening her eyes, she nodded, opening her arms to accept the Princess within her once more.

 

The white light around her grew brighter and through the blinding light, she could see in the air before her the beautiful shining light of the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou, cracked in places but whole once again. The light eventually became too much and she had to close her tearing eyes, against the blinding light that shone even through her eyelids and the burning pain in her heart.

 

Distantly, she could hear a scream; she didn't realize it was her own.

 

****

 

The three of them froze as a scream seemed to shake the very earth itself.

 

"That sounded like-" Chloe hesitated, a lump in her throat, fear making her freeze even more.

 

"There's nothing we can do," Akai whispered, voice pained, swallowing loudly in the darkness that surrounded them.

 

"We have a duty to the Prince," Lex agreed, voice rough with regret. Grudgingly, the two of them started down the way they'd been going. Both of them paused when they realized that Chloe hadn't followed. "Chloe?"

 

"They're just... They're only a year younger than me," the blonde whispered, sounding near tears. "I can't... they're only children." Her voice broke over the last, cracking loudly, her entire body shaking as she looked down the way they'd come. At the entrance to the tunnel, a bright white light flooded the chamber, seeming to push back the darkness and flooding the cave with a soft white glow. She almost wanted to go back, almost wanted to run and make sure that everyone was alright. She supposed it had something to do with the fact that, as she'd stated, the girls were all only a year younger than she. It made her feel far more responsible than she suspected either Akai or Lex felt.

 

She was pulled from her thoughts by the sound of footsteps coming towards the three of them, coming from the way they'd been heading in. She turned sharply, smudging dirt on her cheeks as she wiped at them furiously, trying to eliminate any trace of tears.

 

The first one to become visible was Zoisite; the white of his uniform and the crystals on his shoulder guard seeming to glow in the white-green light that was suddenly emanating from the floor of the cave. The green piping on his jacket and the beads on his right sleeve glittered faintly, like his intense silver-blue eyes, pinning the three of them where they stood and holding them there, captive and just a little afraid. As an after thought and to get it out of his way, the white-haired Shitennou flipped his long, silver cape back over his shoulder, making the nasty-looking curved sword in his hand.

 

The next one to become visible was Nephrite; flaming red hair echoed the suddenly glowing wall to his right. The feathers on his shoulder guard seemed to dance in the shadows given off by the sudden flooding of light, seemed to dance like flames leaping from his body while his cape was a sheet of it down his back. The gold flecks that patterned his coat caught in the red light, seeming to glitter as he walked slowly forward. His dark blue eyes were serious, holding no malice or anger, but neither were they soft and caring. A hardened warrior stood before the three, broadsword being held loosely, almost like a warning.

 

The last to come into view was Jadeite, almost seeming to melt from the shadows as the wall to his right began to glow a deep, resonating blue. Curly blonde hair bounced a little as he walked, his black military boots thudding on the dusty, glowing floor of the cave. The bright purple beads on the right sleeve of his jacket and the purple piping on the front of his jacket seemed to only make the blue of his uniform seem darker, more sinister, almost black. Blue eyes, lighter than Nephrite's but far darker than Zoisite's, glittered at them under his messy blonde bangs, glittered like the crystal-bladed daggers he held in his hands.

 

"The Senshi fight for the right to use their powers once more," Nephrite started, coming to a stop a few feet away from Akai.

 

"They fight their fears and the darker parts of their minds to become stronger and more able to protect their newly-awakened princess," Zoisite continued the explanation, stopping beside Nephrite.

 

"So it's our turn, right?" Chloe asked before Jadeite could take up the train of thought. All three blinked at her before the two older Shitennou glanced at their younger companion. The young King of the Eastern Kingdom flushed in embarrassment, but nodded anyway. Biting her bottom lip, Chloe hesitantly slipped into a semi-passable fighting stance: standing at an angle, feet shoulder width apart and hands brought up in a ready position. The three men glanced at each other before moving off toward their opponents.

 

Chloe, Lex and Akai split up, moving off so as not to involve the others in their fight. All three of them understood what this was about, even as walls suddenly went up between the three fighting pairs, splitting them off from each other.

 

Finally, Jadeite spoke. "You're afraid of yourself," he informed the blonde as they circled each other.

 

"Yes," the young woman agreed softly, hands balling tighter, knuckles turning as white as Jadeite's gloves. "I'm afraid of what I might become," she added on the thought, letting out a yell of surprise when Jadeite suddenly rushed her. One of the daggers cut through her jacket and nicked the skin of her arm, making her hiss in surprise, fear entering her eyes.

 

"This is real, Chloe," Jadeite said softly, face serious, pausing a moment to let her look over her wound. "This is war."

 

Some how, that only made her more afraid.

 

****

 

Her shirt was cut in numerous places, stained with blood in others and her skirt was torn to the point of indecency. She ached in numerous places, bruises standing out on her skin under dirt and grime from the cave floor and walls that she'd hit numerous times.

 

//I can't win// her mind whispered to her in despair as she picked herself up yet again, slipping into a painful stance to try once again. //I can't win, but I have to try.//

 

"You can't win," the blue-clad Mercury informed her, echoing her thoughts. "I don't even know why you're trying; you should just lay down and die."

 

"I can't," Ami whispered, trying to breathe carefully around bruised ribs. Her breathing hitched a little every time she exhaled, little sounds of pain escaping past her tightly clenched jaw. "I can't let Usagi-chan down," she wheezed desperately.

 

Pity filled the blue-haired Senshi's face as she threw Ami down yet again, dark blue eyes looking down upon her human self with an odd look in them. "Except there is no longer an Usagi-chan to let down," Mercury told her, sadness and regret in her voice.

 

Ami's breath froze in her throat, eyes widening and her mouth falling open. Memories, from this life and the previous, filled her mind, flashing over her like small little whips, burning her and scratching her. Her whole body began shaking as she came upon her final moments before... before...

 

"Usagi...chan..." she whispered, blinking rapidly, unknowing of the tears falling like rain from her eyes. "Usagi-chan..." Her voice was a little stronger, her hands clenching in the dirt as she slowly and painfully levered herself up. "Usagi-chan..." Her voice shook with her shoulders before she threw her head back and screamed. "USAGI-CHAN!" When her voice gave out, her head fell forward, silent sobs shaking her body.

 

Mercury watched her with an unreadable expression on her face, eyes like glass chips in a porcelain face. "You failed to protect your Princess," she informed Ami almost scornfully, scowling at the top of her bowed head. "What have you to say for yourself?"

 

Ami stilled, her head slowly rising to meet Mercury's eyes for the first time since the battle started. The blue haired Senshi blinked, sucking in a hissing breath of surprise at the fire in the young woman's eyes. "I will never forgive you," was Ami's low, dangerous reply as she suddenly flew at her other self, springing forward on her hands to kick the Senshi in the stomach.

 

~~~~

 

Rei and Mars paused as white light flooded a few feet into the cave, briefly blinding them both and making them stumble away from the standstill they'd fought themselves into. Rei had been rather surprised at how weak Mars's attacks were when going against her, and she'd used this to her advantage. Of course, there had actually been a few times when she'd fallen right into a few attacks she probably could have avoided, but she was fairly confident that she was fairing well.

 

Or, she hoped.

 

"I suppose that was the Princess," Mars sighed a little, lips thinning a little as she turned back to her opponent.

 

"Mmm," Rei agreed, throwing a punch at the Senshi, only to be surprised to find herself kissing dirt moments later.

 

"Which means I can stop playing around with you and get down to business," Mars continued, grinding the heel of one red pump into Rei's back, making her yell in pain. "I've gone easy on you until now, Hino Rei. Don't expect any more favors from me."

 

This only served to anger the young woman. "What?! You've been holding back this entire time?!" Rei grunted, rolling out from under Mars's foot and too her feet. "Dishonorable," she spat when Mars said nothing.

 

The long haired Senshi scowled darkly at her, throwing a fire ball in her direction from the tips of the short swords in her hands. "How dare you talk to me of dishonor!" She snapped, kicking Rei in the side of the face, sending her to the ground. Coughing painfully, she tried to get up, only to find herself being kicked back down. "Although, I'm sure you know everything about it, don't you?"

 

"What?" Rei asked, confusion marring her dirty face as she finally stood back up. The two of them circled each other, the Senshi of Fire and Passion crouching low and moving like a cat on the prowl.

 

"I'm sure Luna told you of the rules placed on us Senshi and the Shitennou," the woman told her scornfully, dashing forward to slice at Rei's upper body. She managed to dodge the first one, but the second caught her across the abdomen, cutting easily through her sakura-printed top and through the skin below.

 

Crying out in pain, Rei fell to her knees, clutching at the bleeding wound. Mars leaned forward, her mouth beside Rei's ear as she whispered, "For a Senshi to fraternize with another Senshi can be punishable by death." Rei's eyes widened as Mars moved back readying another blow. The shorter haired young woman barely blocked it, her face drawn and lined in pain.

 

She'd thought the battle had been going well, that she'd been winning. But now she found out that Mars had been holding back. On top of it all, Mars seemed to have some kind of emotional vendetta against her. Scowling, her teeth nearly grinding in frustration, Rei sent Mars stumbling back a little as she struggled to her feet.

 

"The rules of the past no longer govern us as the Senshi," She told Mars softly, feeling almost sorry for her that she would think that such things still mattered.

 

"Tell that to Venus; I'm sure she's taking out her own frustrations on your partner's hide. She's probably long dead by now," Mars taunted, grinning ferally at Rei with a small amount of satisfaction on her face. Rei froze, eyes widening, memories of Minako's death flashing before her eyes. Horrible sights of a disfigured, cut-up face, eyes staring up at her, seeing nothing, though they were widened in horror and fear. Rei had to shake herself, anger flashing over her face.

 

"I don't believe you," she growled angrily, tears choking her voice. "I don't believe you!!" She rushed forward, intent on pounding Mars into oblivion. "I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!!" She screamed as Mars laughed, bloodying her fists against the crossed, blocking blades.

 

~~~~

 

Ami's scream had Makoto's head jerking up, her lips pressing into a thin line as she glared at the imposter who stood before her.

 

"I suppose Mercury told Mizuno Ami that Usagi-chan no longer exists," the Senshi of Courage and Lightning mused heartlessly, cart wheeling forward to kick the dark haired young woman in the stomach. "Although, considering the scream, I think that she finally gave up."

 

"You're wrong," Makoto whispered, stumbling and spitting to the side, trying to remove the coppery taste of blood. Her tongue ran over where she'd bitten painfully into her cheek when Jupiter kicked her in the stomach, pulling her fist back and sending an angry punch in Jupiter's direction, only to stumble past the Senshi tiredly as the green-clad woman easily stepped aside.

 

"Am I, though?" Jupiter taunted, twirling her weapon in a dizzying pattern that Makoto's eyes had trouble following. "Can you be so sure that Ami hasn't fallen beneath Mercury's blade?"

 

The stronger Senshi's words made her freeze. Because Makoto wasn't sure, couldn't be sure until she defeated Jupiter and found the others, found Ami. Found her best friend, found the one person she found herself turning to time and time again, despite the fact that an ocean now separated them most of the time. She hadn't been as brave as Rei, hadn't been able to confess feelings she hated having for her fellow Senshi. She'd played it safe, and she did like Motoki, even if she did regret never taking the chance. She hated feeling so torn between two people, between her duty and what she had hoped would be a normal life.

 

And now... And now Ami could be... Closing her eyes tightly, she half-expected Jupiter to attack her in her frozen state, while the rest of her searched for the familiar feeling. The feeling she got when Ami was in trouble, or hurt, or distressed. But it wasn't there; instead, she felt a great amount of anger, both her own and echoed from some place to the right of the cave she was in. It could have been any of them, but her gut told her...

 

"You're lying," Makoto finally proclaimed, eyes snapping open and her arm coming up to block a punch. Her bones jarred and her muscles protested the abuse, but she felt... stronger now. "I'd know if Ami was gone. That's the one thing I can guarantee." She grinned wolfishly and kicked out, surprising Jupiter with her suddenly renewed strength. "Besides," she added, grunting a little as she blocked another attack, "I was young last time; I'm not quite as dense as I used to be."

 

Jupiter was unable to hide a small smile of pride as Makoto attacked once more, the force behind her punches slowly growing in strength.

 

~~~~

 

Rei's scream froze Minako in her tracks, making her turn toward the light-flooded entrance of the cave she was in.

 

"Rei-chan," she whispered, desperately wanting to go to her lover, to make sure she was okay. Her was halted in her throat by the cold, amber-and-gold chain that had been hanging around Venus's hips. She couldn't look to see where the daggers had gone to, and right now she didn't much care. "Rei-chan," she gasped.

 

"So, even though you have lost, your only thought is for your lover," Venus growled in her ear. "What a disgrace; your duty is to the Princess, first and only. And yet you insist on holding other interests."

 

"You are the disgrace," Minako choked out, fingers digging at the Love-me-chain about her throat. "You are the Senshi of Love and Beauty, but you are cold and ugly."

 

Venus froze, the chain going lax around Minako's throat, allowing her to suck in a much-needed breath of air. Jabbing her elbow into Venus's solar plexus, she winded the blonde woman before stumbling forward to lean against the glowing cave wall. There was anger on the orange-clad Senshi's face as she seemed to snap back to herself, using her metal chain like a whip.

 

"You only see the past," Minako continued scornfully, letting out a small gasp of pain as the chain hit her in the shoulder.

 

"And you seem to forget it exists," Venus snapped, slashing out with the chain once more. It caught Minako in the cheek, making her scream in pain, her face jerking and her head banging into the cave wall. Going to her knees, clutching her burning, stinging cheek, Minako grit her teeth and glared up through her bangs at Venus. "You are pitiful, Aino Minako. I don't even know how you were once a Senshi, let alone the leader," the blonde growled, scorn clear in her voice and eyes.

 

The orange-clad woman walked around the fallen one, lashing out every once in a while with her chain, feet and hands. "You seem to have forgotten someone," Venus finally taunted to the curled up young woman who lay in the dirt, trying desperately not to cry for her mother like a little girl. "You are weak; how do you expect to protect your precious Rei when you can barely protect yourself?"

 

The sound of Rei's name seemed to bring Minako back from her pain-induced stillness, making her still for a different reason. Because Venus was right; how could she protect Rei, as well as her three other friends, if she couldn't even protect herself? How could she ever to have hoped to save Mamoru for Usagi if she couldn't even take a little pain, couldn't even seem to harm someone who was supposed to be herself?

 

Her mind had been going around in circles before, seeming to continue on one train of thought, until it suddenly went silent. Venus was her. She was Venus. Whatever Venus said came from apart of Minako that had been thinking the same thing, long buried and repressed and desperately forgotten. But it was there, words that spurred on her worst nightmares.

 

"Of course," Minako whispered to herself, feeling an odd sense of calm befall her. "Of course," she repeated as she painstakingly got slowly to her feet. Venus froze behind her, watching her closely, probably trying to gauge what she would do next. Minako suddenly turned, grabbing Venus's wrist tightly, looking the blonde in the eye. "I hate you, you know," she told the blonde, her voice pained as she spoke the truth for the first time. "Even though you gave me a purpose, I hated you so much. You kept me from joining them, kept me from going to their sides when they needed me most. You were the false hope I gave them before I left them to die." She grabbed Venus's other wrist when the blonde tried to attack her with the chain. "But you're me. You're who I was; you're the power I need to protect my friends," Minako finally admitted, releasing a shocked and silent Venus. "I need you, no matter how much I hate you."

 

There was a long moment of silence as the two stared at each other, each trying to gauge the other, until Venus suddenly smiled, lips twisting in a pained, sad smile.

 

"Good." Minako could only utter a gasp, eyes wide as she stared first at the blonde and then at the dagger in her belly. She swallowed, shaking hands going to it, grasping it by the handle, removing it, crying out as she did so. There was no blood and, surprisingly, there was no pain. Only purpose.

 

"Repeat after me," Venus instructed softly, raising the remaining dagger high. Hesitantly, Minako followed suit, gasping when the dagger disappeared from her hand. She knew she didn't have time to marvel at her new bracelet, she could do that later, and so, for now...

 

"Venus--"

 

~~~~

 

Ami stared down at the bracelet on her wrist, familiar but so different. The silver star charms had been replaced by blue glass ones and the largest of the beads, the one with the little silver crystal in its center, had changed to the blue glass with a silver star in its middle. After a moment of hesitation, she raised her hand to match Mercury's.

 

"Mercury--"

 

~~~~

 

Rei and Mars glared at each other as the former brought her hand across the red glass, the red light from the cave wall seeming to intensify.

 

"Mars--"

 

~~~~

 

Makoto brought her hand down, activating the little green star, dirt-smudged face mirroring Jupiter's in its seriousness.

 

"Jupiter--"

 

~~~~

 

"--STAR POWER, MAKE UP!"

 

****

 

"Kuso," Mamoru cursed as Kunzite joined him on the ground, gripping his sword arm, bright red blood staining his white glove from the cut beneath it.

 

While the battle had seemed to turn their favor when Mamoru had joined the fight, it had seemed to go down hill from there. Because he was injured, there was very little that he'd been able to actually do, other than keep the weak youma off of Kunzite's back as they chased after Mio. They'd finally cornered her in what would have been her throne room, only to find themselves at an even greater disadvantage.

 

At least they knew where Mio's power had been coming from. And thank goodness Clark had been fighting Mio as Kunzite; otherwise...

 

The green light from the glowing Kryptonite outlined Mio's delighted smile, giving her an eerie backlight as she approached them, purple-black energy crackling over her hand.

 

"You will watch as I destroy your Shitennou again, Endymion, and then you will be mine," she vowed, sounding very much like Beryl in that single moment.

 

"I don't think so." All three of them blinked in surprise as a ball of green energy hit Mio square in the chest, making her scream as she stumbled to the side, clutching where she'd been hit. Silver boots tapped an almost angry staccato as Zoisite emerged from the only exit and entrance to the 'throne room', curved sword glinting in the green light coming from the glowing Kryptonite. "Master, Kunzite; are you alright?" the white haired man asked, turning his attention briefly on them.

 

"We will be," Mamoru promised, hooking an arm under Kunzite's and dragging them both to their feet. Both of them stumbled a little before the taller man finally managed to get his feet back under him, letting Mamoru lean tiredly on his shoulder.

 

"You will regret this!" Mio screeched, disappearing, making all three of them groan in annoyance.

 

"Why won't she just quit while she's ahead?" Kunzite grumbled, cringing as his blood-stained glove stained Mamoru's white armor.

 

"It is not in the way of a villain to 'quit while they're ahead'," Zoisite informed him, coming forward to help on Mamoru's other side.

 

"True," Kunzite grinned brightly, the expression almost looking unnatural on his face. Both of the other two stared at him until he blinked, looking confused. "What?" He asked, sounding distinctly offended.

 

"Clark, your grin on Kunzite's face is extremely frightening," Zoisite told him, raising a silver eyebrow in his direction.

 

Kunzite had to stop, taken aback a moment by Zoisite's words, before frowning at him. Then he blinked, shaking his head rather sharply, as though clearing it before gently dragging them both out of the cave. "I don't suppose you'll explain that," he muttered at his white-haired second in command.

 

"Perhaps later," the other man shrugged, hoisting Mamoru higher over his shoulder.

 

"Where are the other two?" Kunzite asked after a long moment as the three of them began the slow trek out of the caves, hoping that they wouldn't run into Isobel. He really didn't want to deal with her right now.

 

"They're checking on the Princess and her Senshi; apparently, their run in with their darker selves was much more traumatic than our own," the slightly shorter man grunted, glancing worriedly at Mamoru.

 

"Than our own?" Kunzite parroted, brow furrowing. Then he sighed. "I suppose I'm lucky then; I didn't have a run in with the original Kunzite," he told the other man, taking a moment of his own to frown at Mamoru. "Oi, Mamoru; you okay?" When the older man didn't answer, he sighed again. "We need to get him out of here and to a real hospital and soon; his shoulder is injured and I haven't been able to change the dressing on it."

 

Zoisite glanced worriedly at the now unconscious Mamoru, lips turning down in a frown. "There's nothing we can do until we can at least get him to Ami."

 

Kunzite's brow furrowed in confusion. "Ami?" He frowned a moment before his face cleared and he blinked. "Oh! Lex!" He grinned a little, not as brightly as before as he was mindful of what the other man had said earlier. Then he blushed a little, realizing how long it had taken him to realize who Zoisite's civilian form was.

 

If the white haired King had had a hand free, he would have promptly slapped his forehead. As it was, he groaned softly in annoyance, shaking his head in disbelief. Clark could be dense at times, but he'd obviously underestimated just *how* dense the dark haired man was.

 

"Clark--" He started, only to break off as he and Mamoru were shoved into the wall, Kunzite shielding them both from a burst of purple-black energy. The taller man grunted, face twisting in pain as his back was struck before he turned, throwing his cape back over his shoulder and drawing his sword.

 

His lips pealed back in a snarl as he faced Isobel's angry face. "You," he growled, raising his sword and charging the blade before slashing through the air, sending the magics at her. She easily brushed them aside before shooting her own at him.

 

"You fool," she scoffed, making a slicing motion in the air and sending him stumbling. "First you go against Mio and then you attempt to harm this body? Are suicidal? Would you really kill the woman you love?"

 

There was a long moment of silence as Kunzite straightened, dark eyes cold. Then, finally, he answered, "Mio is behind all of this." He motioned around him, at the dark, cold cave and then at his stunned second and unconscious prince. "She has caused a great many people I care very deeply about pain, both in this life and the past. As for you..." he looked her dead in the eye, no emotion showing on his face. "I haven't truly loved Lana since the day I learned of my true destiny. I've stopped deluding myself; that tactic won't work on me anymore."

 

Her face betrayed her shock at the truth of his words, the truth she found showing plainly on his face as he attacked her. She let out a primal scream of anger, furious that she could no longer manipulate him in such a fashion. She stumbled a little as he broke through the shield she'd erected around herself, barely being able to dodge his next attack. She threw an attack at him, only to miss wildly and have it go past him and towards his Prince and the white haired King who was trying desperately to protect him. She smiled sadistically at the panic she saw flash over the dark haired Shitennou's face as he dove between the white-haired man and the attack, throwing it into the wall, using his cape to shield both the white-clad man and their prince.

 

"I see," she mused softly to herself, nearly laughing at her own stupidity. "You will know the pain of loosing the one thing you hold dearest to your heart." She disappeared from his sight, teleporting away with a high-pitched, grating laugh.

 

Kunzite blinked, shaking dust and debris from his back, shoulders and hair. He frowned as he stood, staring at the spot she'd been standing in moments before.

 

"Clark," Zoisite called, more of Lex shining through him then as he stood and came to the taller man's side. "You can't possibly be thinking of actually..." he hesitated, looking worried.

 

Looking worried himself, the taller of the two turned, lips thin. "I don't know," he answered honestly. "After all that she's done..." He sighed, shaking his head. "I can't answer that until we figure out where she went and what she's after."

 

"You'd actually..." A dark, angry frown settled over the shorter man's face, pale blue eyes narrowed. "I know you don't love her, but Lana's still one of your friends. You'd actually kill her to get to Isobel?"

 

Feeling his patience thin, Kunzite turned away, shoulders stiff beneath the shoulder guards and cape. "I don't know. If I have to, I will."

 

"You'd kill an innocent?!" The disgust was clear in the shorter man's voice as it rose in pitch and volume, anger making him shake a little.

 

"Is she?" Clark snapped, turning back and surprising the white-clad man when his face came into view. Green eyes were narrowed angrily, lips pressed angrily as he shook his bangs from his face. "Is she as innocent as you think she is?!"

 

Brows furrowing, Zoisite frowned at the taller man. "I know that--" Clark cut him off.

 

"No, you *don't* know," the dark haired teen growled, looming over the white-clad man. It took everything for Zoisite to hold the angry green eyes currently drilling holes into him, everything not to shake and bow his head in submission. It was the last that gave him the anger, the strength, to glare up at Clark. It was the anger in the other man's eyes that had the taller blinking, suddenly looking sad, almost like pity but not quite. "I'll try my best to save her," he promised softly, turning sharply away and heading down the cave, down the way they were going originally.

 

"Clark..." Zoisite murmured, feeling an odd sort of sadness fall over him, feeling almost like his heart had been torn in two. It was obvious there was some sort of misunderstanding, more than likely having to do with his relationship with Lana, and for now there was nothing he could really do; he had to get Mamoru out of here if any of them were to survive.

 

He turned to go to his Prince's side, only to gasp, eyes widening in shock and panic.

 

A cruel smile spread over Isobel's face, dark eyes glittering dangerously, flashing with purple energy as she knocked the white-haired man unconscious before taking him, and the unconscious Japanese man, and disappearing.

 

****

 

The five newly transformed Senshi raced down the dark cave, the two in the back pausing every once in a while to shoot off their attacks as they fled behind Jadeite and Nephrite.

 

"I can't believe this," Mars cursed, glancing over her shoulder at the horde of Youma chasing after them. "This is all *your* fault," she accused, returning her attention to the two ahead of she and Sailor Moon.

 

"How is this *our* fault?!" Jadeite snapped back over his shoulder, scowling at the long, dark haired Senshi.

 

"Well, you did lead them in our direction," Mercury hesitantly agreed with her fellow Senshi, flinching a little as Jupiter's thunder cracked loudly in her ears.

 

"Okay, yes, we did, but you could have just stood by and let them chase us rather than getting involved," Jadeite shot back, tone reasonable as he picked up his pace a little.

 

None of them could fault his reasoning; they really hadn't had to follow the two fleeing Shitennou. But they all knew that if they hadn't, they'd all feel guilty about it later.

 

"I just hope Zoisite found Kunzite and Mamoru alright," Venus murmured to herself, looking worried for the three as she threw a Crescent Beam at the Youma chasing them. It went right through the two front-most, and sent the third stumbling, causing a chain reaction and tripping more than a few of them, giving the fleeing guardians a larger lead.

 

"You're not the only one," Akai, as Nephrite, muttered as they burst into the main cave, hesitant to actually admit that he was worried. He and Zoisite had gotten into an argument once their battle with their other selves had finished, an argument of who would go after Kunzite and their Prince and who would go and make sure the Senshi had faired alright against their darker halves. It had finally ended in Zoisite entirely blowing him off, ordering him point blank over one shoulder to take Jadeite and go to the Princess. Jadeite hadn't exactly been all smiles about the order either, and he could hear the girl-turned-man grumbling under his breath as they ran along.

 

Finally, though, they burst out into the afternoon sunlight, all of them basking in the warm feeling of the golden rays shining on them for the first time in hours. The group continued for a few feet before fanning out, three on each side of Sailor Moon with Nephrite and Jadeite on either end, and turning as one to fire off their attacks at the oncoming youma.

 

The seven attacks combined into a single white mass of energy, hurtling toward the monsters that had come from the cave and those who waited to follow. In one brilliant flash of light that threw even the attack's owners off their feet. When the light had cleared, the area was silent and there was nothing that they could see in the cave. The group slowly picked themselves up, hopeful but not quite ready to believe it was all over.

 

"Was that it?" Jadeite asked cautiously, sounding a little breathless as he helped Venus to her feet.

 

"I think so," Jupiter answered hesitantly, picking both Nephrite and Mercury up by their collars and setting them on their feet. They both let out yelps of surprise as they stumbled and steadied themselves, taking a moment to glance about themselves.

 

"We can hope so, anyway," Luna mused, popping out from the back of Sailor Moon's collar, an oddly disgruntled look on her face.

 

"Wait!" Mars called, hold up a hand for silence, a look of panic on her face. Everyone froze, watching the Senshi of Fire closely as she closed her eyes, turning slowly in a circle before freezing herself, eyes snapping open as she stared at a black and red clad figure slowly coming towards them.

 

"Sailor Senshi," the woman coming toward them called, a shrill laugh echoing over the distance separating her and them.

 

"Lana..." Jadeite whispered, looking upset before schooling his features and stepping up beside Venus, drawing his daggers, ready to defend himself and the others should he need to.

 

"I believe you were looking for this," the woman called as she came to a stop, waving her hand.

 

Everyone blinked as Mamoru appeared, his hands grasping air, missing his shirt and his pants partially open. He scowled when he realized whatever had been happening wasn't any longer, his barefoot kicking at the black haired, white armored figure that had appeared beside him on the ground.

 

Ignoring the obvious imposter, Sailor Moon made to go forward, only to be stopped by Mercury and Mars. "Endymion!" She yelled, looking panicked, struggling in her friends' grasps.

 

The woman threw her head back and laughed as another white-clad figure appeared beside her, going to his knees, obviously in pain.

 

"Zoisite!" Jadeite's face twisted in anger, matching his fellow Shitennou's at the other end of the line. "What have you done with them?!" He yelled, hands clenching almost painfully around the daggers in his hands, knuckles white beneath the white gloves.

 

"Nothing," the woman mused, crossing her arms over her chest. "Though, you should ask your leader why he attacked them."

 

"What?" Venus asked sharply, already unwinding her chain from around her hips.

 

"Didn't you know?" the woman asked, attempting to look innocent and failing miserably. "The leader of your precious Prince's guardians has double-crossed you." A slow, evil grin spread over her face. "I think it may have had something to do with the blow jobs that Mio gave him."

 

Jadeite's face twisted in disgust before he let a loud guffaw escape him, amused and relieved. "You must have picked up an imposter, there, Lana; you know Clark's more likely to cut himself open for Lionel Luthor than to let a girl go down on him."

 

The other girls looked at him as though he'd lost his mind, but 'Lana's scream of rage had them returning to the matter at hand. The group barely had time to scatter out of the way of the wildly shot out purple ball of energy.

 

"I think you pissed her off," Venus quipped to the other blonde as they both skidded to a stop a few feet from Mars and Moon.

 

"What gave you that idea?" Jadeite quipped back, flashing a brief little grin before hand-springing forward toward the woman. He closed the distance quickly, and with a last spring forward, he planted his boot soles firmly in the center of her chest. She let out a grunt as she was thrown back, going rolling a few feet from where she'd been thrown. Jadeite stumbled a little as he landed on his feet, grinning enthusiastically. "And to think I actually turned down those gymnastic lessons when I was eight." He turned then to Zoisite, who had stumbled over to their fallen prince.

 

The imposter was nowhere to be seen.

 

"Is he..." Nephrite hesitated as he came to a skidding stop, having run from a good many feet away where he'd pulled Jupiter and Mercury when they'd all scattered. The two youngest Shitennou held their breaths as Zoisite removed one glove, carefully pressing his fingers to Mamoru's jugular.

 

"He's got a pulse, but it's faint. We need to finish this battle and get him to a medical center," the white haired man finally said, letting out a sigh of relief. The other two glanced at each other before nodding, putting themselves between their higher-ranked brother protector. Nephrite drew his sword and Jadeite readied his daggers, both of them pausing when they realized they couldn't find 'Lana'.

 

"Where the hell did she go?" Jadeite muttered, frowning severely as he looked about.

 

"Behind you!!" Mercury screamed, making to run forward, only to be stopped by Jupiter. Jadeite turned sharply, barely putting his daggers up in time to block the attack. As it was, he was pushed back a few feet, his daggers crossed in front of him, the purple-black energy crackling and little tendrils lashing out at him as the energy attack rammed into the daggers. Gritting his teeth, he finally came to a stop, letting out a yell as he shot the energy off to the side.

 

"Mercury Aqua Mist!" Mercury yelled, sending the water attack at the sorceress's unprotected back.

 

The woman screamed, more in anger than in pain, stumbling forward a few steps before turning towards Mercury, fully intent on going after the blue-clad Senshi.

 

"ISOBEL!" The woman froze at the angry yell, everyone turning to Kunzite as he walked from the cave, sword drawn. "Your fight is with me, witch; leave them be!" He commanded, walking past Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars slowly, with purpose. Both girls stared after him as he went past, Moon being unable to hide her shock at his sudden appearance.

 

"Kunzite," the woman in question spat, raising one hand to the crystal hanging against her collarbone. "You will pay for this," she growled, raising her other hand slowly, energy beginning to gather around her hand.

 

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," he advised, pausing, crossing his arms over his chest and letting his sword hang from one hand. "Do you really want to draw energy from an unknown, outside source like that?" She froze, staring wide eyed at him, mouth open as though to refute what he was saying but really unable to do so. After a long moment, she closed her mouth with a click, face twisting in bitter hatred. "What, no come back?" He asked after she didn't say anything, raising his eyebrows at her expectantly. "No yells of things like 'you'll pay', or the fan favorite of 'speak not of what you know nothing of'?"

 

"Jeeze, Kunzite, when the hell did you turn into a bitch?" Jadeite muttered, eyeing him appreciatively.

 

"He's always been a bitch. He's just more-so now, especially with Endymion and the girls in danger," Nephrite muttered back, nodding a little to the man in question.

 

Suddenly, Isobel's mouth twisted, a dark, sadistic smile spreading over her face. "I never repaid your kindness from earlier, Kunzite. Allow me to do so now." Jadeite saw what she was doing before she actually did it, the part of him that was still Chloe Sullivan screaming in his mind, reminding him of the last conversation that Lana and Chloe had had. The conversation about what had happened after Clark's father had died, about what Clark had been going to tell her that horrible day back in January. To say it had ended well would have been like saying that Beryl had invited the Shitennou over for tea and crumpets instead of capturing them and using them to destroy the Princess.

 

A lump in his throat, he immediately stepped between Zoisite, Endymion and Isobel. But even with his timely move, he still hadn't been quite fast enough and the oddly colored blue and purple ball half hit him in the shoulder, pushing him back as the rest of it hit its intended target, stunning the blond and knocking the white-haired Shitennou unconscious.

 

 

Groaning in pain, blood rushing in his ears, he slowly sat up, clutching his shoulder. The feel of bloody, burned cloth beneath his hand had him looking down in surprise to find that 'he' was no longer a 'he', but had returned to being Chloe. Panicked, she looked up to find Nephrite trying desperately to hold Kunzite back. Stumbling to her feet, she latched onto his other arm, digging her feet in the ground.

 

The dark haired young woman fell to her knees, laughing maniacally. "I took them from you, Clark. I took them from you and there's *nothing* you can do about it. When they lay their little heads down to sleep tonight, they will awaken in the morning with no memory of what transpired over the past few weeks concerning the Senshi and the Shitennou."

 

The black haired man froze a moment before renewing his struggles, though they were much more subdued than before. It tore at Chloe that Clark would have to once again watch as his friends were hurt because of him. But there was one thing she could do, that she could insure, at least, if nothing else.

 

"SAILOR MOON! HEAL HER! NOW!" She screamed, muttering at Kunzite to stop and think a moment.

 

The other blonde in question blinked a moment before nodding in understanding.

 

"Moon Healing Escalation!" Her healing incantation was spoken in a subdued tone, face sad as she did what Chloe had asked.

 

Isobel let out a scream, purple energy flashing in her eyes before she slumped the rest of the way to the ground, unconscious now.

 

There was a long, long moment of utter silence as Kunzite's head bowed, his face shifting once more into Chloe's best friend's. He wouldn't meet her eyes when she and Nephrite let him go.

 

****

 

The group gathered in the Kent's barn loft was subdued, the Senshi glancing worriedly every once in a while to the remaining three Shitennou still gathered there. Mamoru was only half conscious where he sat on the old, beaten up couch, hissing every once in a while as Ami cleaned and redressed the wound on his shoulder. Usagi sat quietly beside him, holding his hand tightly, watching closely and listening as Ami told her of what would need to be done. Luna and Artemis sat in the young woman's lap, asleep after the long, hard day.

 

"What will happen to Lang-san?" Usagi finally asked of Chloe, looking at the blonde where she leaned heavily against the wall beside the large bay window.

 

"She'll probably have as much of a memory as Lex and I in the morning," the blonde shrugged, not turning to the younger girl, her voice emotionless and flat.

 

"Is there anyway to know for sure if what Isobel said will really happen?" Rei asked softly, tucking Minako further under her arm, holding her close.

 

"Unfortunately, there really isn't. But..." Lex hesitated a moment, sighing and running a hand over his bald head, looking tired. "Knowing our luck, Smallville's luck, we'll probably end up waking up in the morning missing our other selves and once again returning to who we were before all this started."

 

"Kunzite and I will still be here to keep an eye on things after you all are gone," Akai reassured them, looking worried.

 

"Clark, Akai-san. His name is Clark," Ami corrected as she cleaned up the mess of bandages and cleaning things.

 

There was a long pause of heavy silence that was only broken by the sound of Ami finishing up her cleaning. She excused herself a moment to throw them away, only to return and find that nothing had changed.

 

"You can't let this get you down, Chloe-san, Lex-san; cherish the few hours you have left as you are now," Ami advised, sitting on one arm, leaning a little on Usagi's shoulder.

 

"This sucks," Chloe finally burst out, sounding near tears as she plopped down in the spot she'd been standing in. "I don't even have time to deal with the fact that I turned into a fucking guy this afternoon, complete with all the bits and pieces. And now..." She sniffed angrily, wiping furiously at her cheeks. "And I won't even remember you all in the morning."

 

"That's not entirely true." Everyone turned in surprise, blinking as Clark finally rejoined them. "There's this... feeling you'll get when everyone's around, like you know them, even if you can't remember them."

 

"Is that how turning into Kunzite is for you?" Makoto asked curiously.

 

"A little, yeah," he admitted nervously, coming fully into the loft. "I was just a baby when Kunzite and Sailor Uranus came to Krypton. I don't remember exactly what happened, not through my own memories. And I don't remember my birth parents, but I remember what it felt like to be with them. It's not the same as when I'm with mom or with..." He stopped, swallowing thickly and having to shake himself.

 

Something he said suddenly struck Minako, making her frown. "Wait a moment... Sailor... Uranus?"

 

Everyone looked at her in confusion and then at Clark. But, surprisingly, it wasn't Clark who answered, it was Chloe. "Yeah, I was wondering about that, too. I remember there being more of you."

 

"Eh?" Usagi's eyes widened and she turned her attention to the plushies in her lap, gently shaking Luna. Luna sighed, giving up the pretense of sleep and stretching a little. "Ne, Luna, you never said there were more Senshi!"

 

"I didn't because you shouldn't worry about them," Luna informed her Princess firmly, hopping over to the make shift coffee table. "You are the Princess of the Moon, protected by the Inner Planetary court. The one that Clark-kun mentioned, Sailor Uranus, is of the Outer Planetary court. While your primary job as the Inner Senshi, as you were referred to in the Silver Millennium, was to protect the Princess, theirs was to protect the entirety of the Milky Way galaxy from outside forces."

 

"What happened to them after the fall of the Silver Millennium?" Lex asked curiously, standing a little straighter.

 

"I imagine that Sailor Pluto is still protecting the Gates of Time. As for the other three..." Luna trailed off, uncertain.

 

"You mean you don't know?" Makoto asked curiously, raising her eyebrows at the plushie.

 

"It's possible they've been reborn like the rest of us, isn't it?" Ami asked curiously, cocking her head to the side.

 

"It is entirely possible," Luna agreed, looking thoughtful. "Perhaps that is something we should do."

 

"In the mean time, you'll want to keep an eye out- Mio escaped and Isobel's likely to pop up again when she becomes strong enough," Clark advised.

 

"Mio-chan?" Usagi sounded shocked, blinking at the taller young man owlishly.

 

"Mmm," Akai nodded, scowling a little as he remembered her. "Beryl's shadow."

 

"I thought she died when Metallia..." Makoto hesitated, glancing first at Minako and Rei and then at Mamoru hesitantly.

 

"It looks like she may have just been injured," Clark quickly answered, flinching when he remembered Kunzite's part in that whole mess.

 

"So she's been biding her time for the last four years, gathering her energy, only to attack now," Chloe surmised, frowning a little. Then she let out a laugh, grinning in amusement. "And I thought the Wall of Weird people were bad."

 

"Hey, I'm on that Wall of Weird of yours," Lex pointed out, pretending to sound hurt, only to grin and pull her under his arm to noogie her. It was very un-Lex-like but he didn't much care, especially when the others all laughed.

 

Footsteps on the stairs had them all quieting as Martha Kent poked her head up. "Dinner's ready," she informed them, her tired face looking happier than it had in months.

 

"Thanks, mom," Clark told her, giving his adopted mother the biggest, brightest grin he could muster.

 

As soon as the red head disappeared, Makoto covered her eyes, groping in the air in front of her. "I'm blind!"

 

Everyone laughed again, the laughing becoming even louder when Clark pouted at the boyish girl.

 

****

 

The three of them had gathered once more in the loft; the other girls were still inside with Martha, and all of them were keen on pestering Akai and Mamoru, the only two who could properly communicate without having to switch into the odd, nameless language that they all seemed to favor in each other's company. Mamoru had gently suggested, while helping Clark, Akai and Lex clear up the dinner dishes, that the three of them take a while to talk now while they still could. After all, they'd all had a long day, and were all tired. And when Lex and Chloe went to sleep tonight...

 

"What are we going to do?" Chloe finally asked in the thick silence that had been hanging over them since they'd come out.

 

"I'm not sure," Clark admitted, sighing a little and leaning against the wall beside the loft's glass-less window. "I really don't know."

 

"I suppose trying to write things down or sending ourselves e-mails about this whole thing won't help, either," Lex sighed, leaning his head on the worn wood he was leaning against.

 

"We all know how well that worked for Gwen Cooper," Chloe quipped, cringing a little at the incredulous looks she was shot. "Okay, so I have a not-so-secret thing for the Doctor Who spin off." She pouted at them both, making them chuckle and shake their heads.

 

Clark hesitated a moment in the silence that followed, looking troubled. "To be honest..." Both of them looked at him expectantly, and he couldn't hide his guilt from them as he continued, "I'm sort of glad you'll be forgetting all of this."

 

"What's that supposed to mean?" Chloe asked, not unkindly, frowning at him.

 

"It means that Kunzite survived far longer than either Zoisite and Jadeite and, as such, remembers more," Lex answered for Clark softly, worry on his face.

 

Chloe's frown deepened, her brow furrowing. "But would you still rather not be..." she hesitated, searching for the right word. "Whole, I guess," she finally supplied, still not quite sure if that was the right word.

 

"Just because you're loosing your memory doesn't mean that you'll be loosing that feeling," Clark said softly, sighing heavily. The silence seemed even heavier when the sound of laughter came to them from the house.

 

"Isn't this what Beryl did to Kunzite?" Lex suddenly asked, raising his eyebrows.

 

Clark blinked a moment, thought about it, and then nodded slowly. "Sort of, yeah." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "What Beryl did to Kunzite was a little different though; not only did she take all of his memory, but she sealed his powers. He would never have been able to remember anything if Venus hadn't..." His face twisted, looking briefly as though he was going to zip inside and strangle the laughing girl. Then he sighed, releasing at least a little of the tension that had gathered. "He wouldn't have returned if Venus hadn't killed Zoisite."

 

"Ah, but she didn't kill him," Lex corrected, looking briefly amused. "Although, she did have a pretty good reason; Zoisite's a bit of a peeping tom."

 

Chloe let out a loud laugh, clapping her hand over her mouth when she received a nasty look in return from the other two. "Sorry," she muttered, looking entirely unapologetic.

 

"Sure," Clark mused, rolling his eyes a little. Then he frowned. "I want to apologize to both of you."

 

"Huh? What for?" Chloe's laughter had faded to be replaced by confusion and a look that made Clark want to make sure that he hadn't grown another appendage.

 

"For all the crap you two went through in the Dark Kingdom," Clark explained hesitantly, sighing heavily. "If that damn woman hadn't--"

 

"Clark, it's in the past. A past that has long since been forgotten, and forgiven," Lex cut him off, reaching forward to put a hand on Clark's shoulder.

 

Sensing that the atmosphere had changed drastically, Chloe stood from her perch on the trunk-turned-coffee table, dusting her jeans off as she did so to get their attention. "This is my cue to go back inside and call Akai funny names." She hesitated a moment, glancing at the two who were staring at her with mixed expressions of gratitude and dread. "Just don't kill each other, ne?" She gave a little wave as she hopped down the stairs, disappearing from sight.

 

The silence that followed Chloe's departure was thick and uncomfortable, even more so than earlier.

 

"So, why did she leave?" Clark finally asked nervously, not quite ready to really be having this conversation. Whatever this conversation was going to be.

 

Lex let out a long, deep sigh, turning away from the taller young man and to the window, leaning against it as he stared down on the Kent's land. "I think you know," he commented tensely, not looking at Clark as he spoke.

 

Clark let out a sigh of his own, rubbing at his face. "This is all so screwed up," he commented, laughing softly, mirthlessly. "I've had feelings for you forever, and then it turns out that the feelings might not be my own." He turned so he was leaning fully back against the wall, arms crossed over his chest.

 

"I feel kind of bad for Usagi and Mamoru," Lex agreed, hands clenching around the wood beneath them. "They're probably always wondering if their feelings are their own, or if they're a by-product of the past life. Whether they're actually in love, or if they just think so because the prince and princess were."

 

"I suppose the only way to tell for sure is to think back on it all," Clark said calmly, trying to keep a straight face. Because this was a serious conversation, not an amusing one, though he was having to try desperately to keep so.

 

"There is always another way, you know," Lex informed Clark, making him jerk back a little in surprise when he suddenly found Lex standing in front of him, a look in his eyes that Clark wasn't quite sure he liked.

 

"How?" He asked softly, voice choked.

 

Lex didn't answer verbally, simply fisting his hands in the front of Clark's shirt, pulling him down. The taller of the two let out a noise of surprise, flailing almost violently when his lips were smashed rather forcefully against the shorter man's. Once he found his balance again, and once the surprise had faded, he found himself gently returning the forceful kiss, putting his hands on Lex's shoulders in a vain attempt to keep them both from toppling over backwards. His eyes slid closed as he tested the warm feeling that had settled in his chest.

 

Chloe had asked earlier if he would rather them loose their memory rather than feel 'whole'. It was odd, in a way; Kunzite hadn't been reborn in him, just granted Clark his power and memories. Why him was an interesting question, though one likely to go unanswered. And while Kunzite's memories struck Clark, the memory of the first time Kunzite and Zoisite had kissed in particular, the feelings were all his own.

 

"Hey, Smallville, I came to pick up Chlo-WHOA!" Both of them jerked back in surprise, turning to find Lois hiding her face and turned away from them. "Okay, I totally just did *not* see that!"

 

"What, two guys confessing their undying love beneath the light of the stars and the full moon? I think you just so totally did," Chloe's head popped up from the stairs, a dirty grin on her face.

 

"Chloe," Lex started, ears pink and voice terse.

 

"Yes, Lex-kun?" Chloe asked, fluttering her eyelashes, crossing her arms on the loft floor, leaning her head on them.

 

"I think it might be best for your health if you shut up now," Clark finished, glaring, annoyed. Then he paused, blinking. "Did you just call him 'Lex-kun'?"

 

"According to Usagi, it's a term of endearment," Chloe explained, sniffing a little as she came the rest of the way up the stairs. "Before I leave, Minako says she wants us all to take a picture; everyone's going to be staying at a hotel in Metropolis and they need to leave soon if they want to get at least six hours of sleep before going back to Japan."

 

Clark felt a pang of sadness, gently squeezing Lex's shoulder as he nodded. "Yeah, okay." He gently pushed Lex in Chloe's direction, telling them both softly he'd be there shortly. When he was sure they'd both gone back in the house, he turned to Lois. "Lois, you can't tell anybody about that," he said softly, sadly. "At least, not for a long time."

 

"Who the hell would believe me?" Lois asked incredulously, shaking her head.

 

"No, Lois, I mean you can't discuss this with Chloe or Lex or anyone, *ever*, okay?" He asked tensely, moving forward to grab her by the shoulders and shake her a little. "You have to promise me, okay?"

 

"Okay, fine, jeeze!" Lois yelled in annoyance, bringing her arms up to break the hold that Clark had on her shoulders. "Go take your picture so I can take my cousin home already!" She ordered, frowning at him.

 

Smiling a little, feeling sad all over again, Clark did as he was told, descending the stairs.

 

****

 

Midnight. The witching hour, the official end of one day and the beginning of the next. The literal middle of the night. All of these were punctuated by the chiming of his watch, informing him of the time just as he'd set it to do. He hesitated a moment before finally turning it off, the LED screen briefly glowing at him before everything was dark again.

 

Everyone had left hours ago; after the pictures had been taken (his mother hadn't really understood, but she'd done as Minako had asked through Mamoru and had taken multiple shots), Chloe had been the first to leave, looking annoyed when Lois dragged her way. Then the other girls and Mamoru had gone, all leaving to sleep before five of them took a plain back to Japan. Finally, just after, Lex and Akai had gone, the former taking the latter home. Even his mother had long since gone to bed, the emotional and physical drain of the day having tired her more than anything he'd seen. He had promised he would talk to her in the morning, though how much he was going to tell her remained to be seen.

 

Both Lex and Chloe had given him a call before they'd gone to bed, telling him not to worry about them. But he did, probably more than he would like to admit. Because Chloe would return tomorrow to Metropolis, to her dorm with Lana, and he wasn't quite sure how he felt about that. A few weeks ago, and he probably would have been slightly envious of Chloe, but now... Now that Isobel was once again a threat... He still wasn't quite sure how the hell Isobel had reappeared. As far as he knew, her spirit had been exorcised when Lana had accidentally killed Jason’s mother. And then, of course, there was the friendship that Lana had with Lex. He hated admitting that he was jealous of Lana, hating her just a little for how close she'd gotten to him.

 

He still had no idea what he was going to tell Lex. Though, he supposes, he'll probably see in the morning when he went to visit him. Maybe finally mend the rift that had grown between them because of Lana.

 

Sighing, he let his attention go outside, up into the night sky. He'd never be able to look at the moon the same way ever again. Because it always came back to that shining, almost pregnant-looking disc hanging in the sky amongst the stars, unblocked by clouds or smog. It seemed to glow brighter than usual, though it was probably the way his perceptions had changed.

 

The moon. From which the Earth's civilization had been created. From which Princess Serenity had come, bringing with her destruction and pain. The same one that he'd stood under, almost five years ago now, and come to terms with his existence. The Earth's single Moon that had birthed forth his new existence as Kunzite and had given him new friends. The very disc that he wished to some day touch with his own hands and remember, both in its hour of glowing beauty and its eternity of cold, harsh ugliness.

 

Heaviness entered his limbs, heaviness that he hadn't felt in a long while, that tiredness that came after doing too much. He tried desperately to continue his searching of the sky, the very one that he'd looked up into to find his home, only to find it right in front of his eyes. But he was too tired, and slowly, his eyes slid closed, a light breeze seeming to carry him off into a familiar dream...

 

-------------------

 

It was this dream again. And yet, even as it materialized before his eyes, he could feel a profound difference.

 

He was standing on the very edge of the world, it seemed, soft green grass beneath his bare feet as he over-looked an endless desert. But the beige sand was slowly being replaced by the same grass beneath his feet, little flowers beginning to peak up amongst the shifting sands. A few feet away from where he stood, two figures ran amongst the patches of grass and flowers, laughing and smiling, no longer looking so mournful.

 

The lady's gown had been replaced by a soft pink skirt and fashionable tee. Her hair was pulled into two buns from which her hair spilled in pigtails, making her look even younger as she was chased and chased through the blooming desert. The dream seemed to pause briefly, his eyes honing in on the locket hanging from its gold chain about her neck, bouncing as she ran. Then it began to move again, leaving the young woman to squeal as she was grabbed around the waist.

 

The lord's armor was replaced by a soft grey shirt and worn black jeans. His bright, mischievous grin seemed to light up the landscape far more than even the bright sun did and even from this distance, he could tell that his Prince's eyes were sparkling with true happiness. Sparkling with happiness that hadn't been there in this dream before.

 

The two of them paused a moment, looking up, the lady's face lighting up even more when she saw him, waving enthusiastically. The lord's face split in a grin, too, as he nodded, and then returned to chasing his lady. He couldn't help but grin as he stood back and watched, the happiness coming from them infectious. Even though they'd acknowledged him, though, it felt like they didn't really notice him there. This made his grin even wider, amusement unhidden.

 

Though, he did have to wonder why he was here. After all, he knew for a fact Earth was fine. And perhaps the newly grown grass and the millions of tiny flowers that littered the otherwise beige landscape signified the regrowth and rebirth of the world. But he didn't need to be here for that; the lord and lady, his prince and princess, could watch over the growing new world on their own.

 

"But you're wrong, Kunzite. They need you now more than ever." Blinking in surprise, he turned for the first time in this dream. There, standing with a small smile on his face was Zoisite, silver cape blowing a little in the light breeze coming out of the west.

 

"Why?" He couldn't help but ask, turning back to the happy couple, watching them.

 

"Because something is coming, something that far exceeds anything Beryl could have done," Zoisite told him, coming to stand beside him.

 

"I don't suppose you'll tell me what's coming, will you?" He asked, raising his eyebrows a little, though he didn't turn to him.

 

"No. But we will all be needed when it arrives." As the white-clad man said this, the lady's four friends appeared, immediately joining in on the fun. Quickly behind them was Akai, trying desperately to save their prince from the five girls. Standing off to the side, looking confused, were Chloe and Lex. They glanced at each other and then at him. He waved a little at them, before turning his attention to the four shadowy figures standing just out of sight, watching over but not joining in.

 

"Are they--" Zoisite cut him off, nodding. He nodded, himself, taking a deep breath.

 

"Go on, then," Jadeite's voice suddenly told him, sounding amused as he gave his leader a shove towards the playing group. "Save our Prince from the ungentle hands of those Moon women. Perhaps you can salvage a little bit of his pride," the blond told him when he glanced back over his shoulder.

 

"Aren't you coming?" He asked, feeling reluctant to leave them by themselves.

 

"Not yet; we'll join you again when it's time," Zoisite told him softly, eyes softer than a moment before. He paused before nodding, turning, and joining in the fun.

 

-------------------

 

In his sleep, Clark smiled a little, completely clueless to the figure watching him as he slept.