The golden glow faded to reveal Sailor Moon standing by angrily as her eyes readjusted to the darkness. She looked around noticing that only she and three of her senshi remained. Endymion had gotten away and taken Venus with him. Venus was a smart girl and no doubt would be able to take care of herself, but Sailor Moon didn’t want to risk it all the same. Somehow she would track down their location and she wouldn’t be returning alone. “I’m going to bring an end to this cat and mouse game Endy!” she shouted into the night, her words echoing back to her.
Mercury typed furiously into her mini-computer. “I can’t find any trace of them.”
“They couldn’t have just vanished,” Rei said, ready to call upon her attack.
“Nephrite,” Sailor Moon turned to face him, “where would they have gone?”
“I don’t know,” he answered indifferently.
“Tell me the truth! Where are they?!” she shouted at him.
“He is telling the truth,” Sailor Jupiter took a step ahead of him.
“We’ll find out soon enough. Let’s go.” She waved her hand causing a rift to form in front of her that shaped into a portal. Mercury followed by Mars entered first then Nephrite. As Jupiter moved to pass through, Sailor Moon placed her hand on her arm. “I hope you did your job correctly. I’d really hate to find out that your hold on him is anything less than absolute.”
“Trust me,” Jupiter said with tinge of resentment in her voice. “I promised you that I would deliver him and I did. I didn’t fail you like Venus.”
“I’m not so sure that she did.” She released the other woman’s arm and they both walked into the portal, the opening sealing shut behind them.
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“We are safe,” Endymion said, dropping to his knees and clutching at his chest. Using his Golden Crystal to such an extent tended to leave him with a feeling of weakness. “This is Elysion.”
“Our old kingdom,” Jadeite mused. “I had forgotten about this place until this moment.” His eyes were wide as he looked around taking in the lush fields that surrounded them.
Kai was also stunned for a moment by the change in scenery. As Jadeite spoke though, his attention was brought back to the blonde who hung limply in his arms. He reached over and pulled her from the other man holding her body against his chest. She was still breathing and he was thankful to know that she was merely unconscious. He laid her down and knelt by her still form, gently rubbing his fingertips on the side of her face. Kai’s eyes narrowed as he stared at the man in front of him.
“She was powering up to attack Endymion, so I knocked her out with the hilt of my sword. She’ll be fine.”
Kai lunged from his crouched position and grabbed Jadeite by the collar of his shirt. Jadeite froze trying not to flinch from intimidation of the larger man. “If you touch her again I assure you the same won’t be said for you,” he growled.
“Kunzite! Jadeite!” Endymion yelled. “We can’t fight among ourselves.” Kai continued to hold onto to Jadeite with a snarl on his face. “Kunzite enough!”
He angrily released the man in front of him pushing Jadeite back a few steps. Soft moans sounded from Minako and he returned to kneel by her side. She had lost her transformation when they appeared in Elision as did he, although he failed to notice that he had briefly transformed in the first place. His hands moved to cup her face, gently stroking her checks with his thumbs when her eyes started to flutter. As her eyes flew open she jumped to a sitting position trying to ready herself for an attack. Kunzite pulled her against his chest and she instantly relaxed despite the stares she received from Endymion and his two generals.
“I told you they were going to come after me,” she said softly. “You can’t trust them.”
“I’m not going to let them near you,” he murmured into her hair. His eyes were drawn to the side of her head where some blood had dried and tangled her blonde locks. As gently as possible he moved her hair aside to get a closer look at her injury and she flinched almost completely unnoticeable to everyone but him. Somehow he could always tell what she was thinking despite her appearance. “Can you stand?”
“I think so,” she replied.
He lifted her to her feet and she leaned against him somewhat unsteadily. “So now what?” Kai asked looking at Endymion.
“We talk,” was his firm reply.
“There is nothing to talk about.”
“I don’t remember you being nearly so stubborn in our previous lives.”
“You weren’t on our side of the line when it came to training,” Zoicite snorted.
“He never budged or gave in on anything,” Jadeite added.
“That’s what made him our fearless leader though,” Zoicite almost sounded sad by his reminiscing.
“I’m no one’s leader,” Kai stated. “I never asked for any part of this.”
“None of us did, Kai, but your former self would have wanted to be reawakened,” Endymion remarked.
“And what about my current self? Do I not exist? Do I not get a say in any of this?”
“You should meet Elios,” Endymion said looking off to the building in the distance. “He can help you.” His eyes moved to meet Mina’s, “both of you.”
“There’s nothing wrong with me,” she spat stepping away from Kai. “I’m returning to my Princess now. Are you coming with me, Kai?” His eyes darted from her to Endymion and back. She tried to call on her transformation but found herself unable to do so. Frustrated she tried once again without any further success. It seemed that her powers were somehow being blocked by this place. “What have you done to me? Why can’t I use my powers?”
“This place is protected by the Golden Crystal. Your dark energy is useless here.”
“You can’t do this to me!” she shouted in frustration. “Release me.”
“No, Mina, I can’t do that. Whether or not you know it you need our help.”
“In a minute you’re going to need the help of your Shitennou.” She approached him and Jadeite took a step towards Endymion, ready to protect him from whatever this girl might try to do. Kai glared at him and Endymion waved his hand at Jadeite signaling for him to stand back.
“I want you to trust me, Mina.”
“You kidnapped me and now you want me to trust you?” she moved to hit his chest but his reflexes where quicker than hers in her human form and he grabbed her arm, holding her back from him.
“Let her go, Mamoru,” Kai warned.
“No,” he replied, his eyes glued to Mina’s. “I’m not going to hurt her. As we walk I’ll explain everything to you. Truthfully this time.”
“I don’t want to be involved in any of this,” Kai voice became firm. “Let her go and return us to where we were.” He took a step closer to Endymion.
“I am giving you an order, Kunzite. You will stand down and listen to everything I have to say.” Kai opened his mouth to respond but something in the tone of the other man’s voice made him stop and listen. “Everything will make sense when I’m done.”
Endymion turned on his heel and started heading towards the building on the horizon with Mina’s arm still tightly in his grasp. Kai followed after him carefully eying the way he held her to make sure that he kept his word. Zoicite and Jadeite looked at each other for a moment silently exchanging the same thought about the state of their leader before following as well. True to his word, Endymion started telling the story of what happened after the fall of the Silver Millennium based on the knowledge he was able to obtain.
“We were reborn here to live our normal lives, which many of us were able to do for quite some time. Queen Selenity sent all of us into this time so that we could have another chance at life. But when the Dark Kingdom started to rise again, some of us were awakened to do battle. I thought I was the first, but it turns out I wasn’t – Mina was the first before all of us.”
“This is nonsense!” she shouted. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Mina here,” he continued as though she had never spoken,” was a local celebrity where she came from in England. Perhaps you’ve heard of her alter ego – Sailor V.”
“Sailor V?” Kai wondered out loud. “You’re her?”
“I’m not her,” Mina protested.
“You were,” Endymion replied still dragging her along side of him as if this were a normal occurrence.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Kai asked her.
She looked back at him with sad eyes as she continued to keep up with Endymion’s quick pace. “I’m not her,” she repeated sadly.
“She fought the Dark Kingdom for quite some time before her Princess came back for her. Do you even know what they did to you, Mina? Do you know what happened to you for all those years?”
“I wasn’t gone, I’ve always been here.”
“You were 13 when you first became Sailor V – you’re 20 now. What happened to you for the past 6 years that no one has seen or heard from you as your alter ego? Why are you just reappearing now?” He was met with silence from her. “Beryl brainwashed her into believing she was an agent of the Dark Kingdom, the same agency she had dedicated her life to fighting.”
“Don’t believe him, Kai, this is nonsense.”
“Shut up, Minako!” he glared back at her. “It’s time you faced up to the truth.” His eyes moved forward again and he continued his story. “The next time she was seen she had become this Sailor Venus who was sent to find the Silver Crystal. She is far more dangerous than she appears. Once Beryl realized that my Shitennou had been reborn to this lifetime she sent out the Sailor Senshi to find all of you knowing that I couldn’t defeat the Dark Kingdom on my own. Sailor Jupiter was able to convert Nephrite, the only one that I was unable to find on time. Mercury had been starting to work on Zoicite, but I was able to save him by cleansing him of the dark energy he had been infused with. Jadeite here had somehow awakened himself and was prepared to fight off Mars when she came for him.”
“He wasn’t so tough when I came for him – isn’t that right, Jadeite?” she sneered at him.
Endymion jerked her arm and she stumbled forward. Kai moved to reach for her but stopped when Endymion’s eyes met his. “I thought that you were their intended target, Kai, but I was wrong. You would have been next though. The first night that you met Mina was a trap, it wasn’t a coincidence or a chance meeting - she was after you. Perhaps she hasn’t properly explained the nature of her powers. Mina’s element is Venus. She has the power to seduce you with a single look or even a passing glance. You can’t trust your judgment around her; she’s been known to affect people just by being in their presence.”
“Don’t believe him, Kai,” she cried out to him. “We were in love before all of this.”
“Leave him be, Mina,” Endymion ordered. “You are free to leave at anytime, Kai, all you have to do is transform.”
“I can’t,” Kai stated blandly.
“I saw you transform back at the Tokyo Tower when you touched her. Although I’m afraid that you might have been under her influence at the time.”
“What difference does it make?”
“I’m not going to lose you too. I need all four of you at my side to defeat Beryl. If Mina here would cooperate with us I’m sure we could learn so much more.” He looked to Mina being dragged by his side and she refused to meet his eyes. “I see you have nothing left to say.”
“If you let go of me I’ll cooperate,” she said softly.
“I know better than to fall for anything you say.”
“Endymion, please,” her voice took on a velvety tone and her gaze softened, “let go of my arm. I’m not going to try and escape. You’ve won this round and I submit to you.”
“Your powers nor your words have any effect on me.”
Her lips pulled into a straight line and her eyes narrowed. “Damn you!” she screamed trying to twist herself out of his grip. “My Princess will come for me and there will be hell to pay for this!”
“I’d be more than happy to take care of her,” Jadeite mumbled to Zoicite.
“That won’t be necessary,” Endymion replied and Jadeite jumped at realizing his Prince had heard him. “We’re here.”
A smile formed on his face as his eyes took in the details of the foundation. Mina’s eyes followed to see that the building they were headed towards was actually a temple that sat on a hilltop surrounded by lush gardens. The temple was made of white stone; the front entrance was surrounded by tall, intricately carved pillars and seemed to glow amongst the multitude of colors flourishing in the garden. Her eyes opened wide in recognition and she stopped walking despite the urging she received from Endymion to move forward.
“Let’s go, Mina,” his voice was firm.
“I know this place. Serenity used to visit you here and I would come to retrieve her.” She took a step forward to move in front of Endymion and turned to point towards the edge of the garden where trees from the nearby forest sparsely lined the grounds. “That’s where we met, when he teased me for my Princesses curiosity.” A sad smile formed on her face.
Kai stepped forward and reached for her hand. As their bodies connected his mind was suddenly overwhelmed by the memory she was experiencing.
“Princess!” Venus chided.
One of Endymion’s Shitennou stepped in front of her and spoke with a teasing smile, “It must be hard having a bundle of curiosity for a Princess.”
Her eyes met his and she was once again taken aback by how handsome he was. Kunzite, first in command of the Earth army, was the only man she had ever shied away from. She looked away trying to hide her furious blushing. How did this man have such an effect on her?
He remembered this moment, the moment where he spoke to the blonde goddess. She had seemed so serious and he only meant to tease her to make her smile, but somehow he managed to embarrass her to the point where it had taken weeks for her to speak to him again. That was their second meeting. Their first meeting had been private and no one, not even their lieges, knew that they had agreed to convene to discuss this burgeoning romance. Somehow they had started to argue over who was better suited to protect the royal couple should they decide to purse things any further. He had been pig headed having never before met a female soldier and insisted that a woman could never do a man’s job. In the middle of his sentence she reached for him and kissed him passionately effectively silencing his protests. As his arms moved to wrap around her he could feel her lips form a smile against his own and he realized too late that she had him. She withdrew his sword from its sheath and brandished it against his throat. The first time he met her she kissed him passionately, much like she had the first time they met in this lifetime.
Her eyes looked to him knowingly that he had shared in her memory and he pulled her against him tangling his fingers in her hair. Endymion held firm on her arm not trusting her enough to release her. Something had happened between the two and he could ill afford to take any chances.
“You saw it too,” her voice came out softly as she leaned against him.
“I remember that moment Minako,” he said gruffly. “You were determined to protect your Princess at any cost. Much like the same vow I made to my Prince.” Her eyes darkened at his further remembrance. “He’s right, Minako, you are on the wrong side.”
“I’m on your side, Kai, just like I’ve always been.”
“Not always. I am one of Endymion’s Shitennou – not a General of the Dark Kingdom.” His eyes closed and for a moment he was encompassed in a silver light before emerging in his Golden Kingdom uniform. “I want to help you, Minako.”
“This can’t be, you wore my uniform before - how can you wear this one now?”
“Don’t listen to her, Kunzite, she’s trying to trick you,” Jadeite said to Kai, unaware of the situation around him reaching a boiling point.
“I will not warn you again,” Kai said.
“Stand down, Kunzite,” Jadeite ordered.
“I do not take orders from you!” He lunged at Jadeite causing Jadeite to jump away with the sword still waving precariously in Venus’s face. Kai’s fingers reached out to touch her hand and he was surrounded by a silver light. When the light faded he had transformed into his uniform.
His body was encased in the grey uniform of the Dark Kingdom, a cape billowing out behind him. Venus’s lips curled into a smile as she took in his image, the dark depths of his eyes telling her that he had not yet realized the change that had taken place. Dark spots invaded her vision as a sharp pain impacted against her skull causing her body to become limp. Her vision faded out to darkness as a bright golden light started to encompass them.
“You are connected,” a new voice joined the conversation. All eyes turned to see a young man emerging from the temple.
“Elios,” Endymion murmured.
“In the Silver Millennium you bonded your souls and it seems that the bond has held. There are equal parts of light and dark in both of you which causes the other one to follow. Under her you will fall to the Dark Kingdom, but with your strength, Kunzite, you can save her from the Dark curse.”
“There is not a curse placed on me,” she pulled back from Kunzite and attempted to jerk her arm from Endymion’s grasp. When he wouldn’t let go she moved into an attack stance and before he could react brought her leg up as if to deliver a roundhouse kick to his face but instead stopped short and drove her knee into his chest. The impact knocked the wind out of him and his grasp loosened just enough for her to finish pulling free. Jadeite unsheathed his sword and Zoicite formed an ice dagger in his hand ready to throw it at her should she make another attempt to attack.
Elios held up his hand and motioned for everyone to stop. Kunzite approached her from behind and pulled on her arm, causing her to spin and face him. She tensed to attack but he held her firmly in place with both hands. As their eyes met he understood the bond that Elios spoke of, it was the part of him that made him blindly trust her from their first meeting. Cautiously his fingers brushed against her forehead and her topaz stone appeared. The normally brilliant golden color appeared murky as if it was mingled with a darker stone and his mind absently wondered if it was a piece of a beryl stone that caused the discoloration. He focused his energy on her gemstone and her eyes widened in acknowledgement of what he was about to do. It was the look in his eyes and the shared memory of their first meeting that haunted her, holding her in place. The stone started to glow a more brilliant yellow and in a flash of gold her clothing transformed into her Sailor V fuku.
“What did you do to me?” she asked astonished, removing her mask in disbelief.
“I took enough of the darkness from you that you would be able to see who you really are. Endymion and Elios will help you with the rest.”
“No they won’t.” Her voice was definitive and her mouth pulled into a wanton smile. “You made yourself more susceptible to the Dark Kingdom and for that I thank you. But more importantly you gave me an outlet to my powers.” A golden glow began to envelop her and as she started to fade Kunzite grabbed onto her tightly, both of them disappearing from view leaving only a slight golden haze lingering in the air.
“Where did they go?” Zoicite asked, the ice dagger in his hand dispersing back into the air.
“Back to the surface,” Endymion replied angrily. “We almost had her.”
“Then we need to bring them both back,” Jadeite growled. “She and I have a score to settle of which I would be more than happy to oblige her.”
“No, we need to do this without further violence. The more we engage her, the less Kunzite trusts us. I have a feeling that once she reemerges Serenity will be there to reclaim her. We need to be careful not to fall into a trap.”
“Be careful, Endymion,” Elios warned. “They are both unstable with the Dark energy coursing through them.”
“We will, Elios. I want you to be ready for our return. We need to cleanse them both.”
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Kunzite and Venus appeared in the park near his apartment, the rising sun starting to appear on the horizon casting ominous shadows among the trees. “Will you return to the Dark Kingdom with me willingly now? I can only assume that you have chosen me over your Prince since you followed me.”
“I’m trying to save you, Minako.”
“You’ve only made yourself more susceptible to Beryl’s influence. The Dark energy that courses through me cannot be drained.”
“There must be a limit to it if you’re standing here dressed in your old fuku.”
“He’s right, my V-Chan,” a woman’s voice echoed from the air around them. Both sets of eyes looked around for the source of the voice. Out of thin air Sailor Moon appeared before them, her dark clothing making her look like little more than a shadow on the landscape. “It looks like all of my concerns about your loyalty have been justified.”
“I’m loyal to you, my Princess,” Venus said urgently.
Sailor Moon sighed in response. “That’s the problem, V-Chan. You’re still loyal to your long dead Princess and not to me. But that was to be suspected all along.” Venus opened her mouth to protest but was silenced by Sailor Moon’s raised hand. “You’ve done what I wanted and you brought Kunzite to me, at least this hasn’t been a total wasted effort.”
“No, Princess, you won’t have either of us,” Kunzite spoke up. “We will not fight in this war.”
“You still resist my Queen?” Sailor Moon mused.
“With my last dying breath I will resist her and I won’t let you reclaim Minako in her name.”
“Is that so?” She reached her arm out and a blast of Dark energy erupted from her fingertips heading towards them. He pushed Minako away from him causing her to stumble in an effort to reclaim her balance. With his palms facing out in front of him a shield formed deflecting her attack. A silver glow then formed in his hand and blast of energy shaped like a boomerang shot out at her in retaliation, knocking her back from the impact.
“Love me chain!” Venus yelled out, the golden chain around her waist expanding to fly out towards Kunzite. He reached his hand out and caught the chain causing it to uselessly wrap around his hand. Her lips formed into a frown and he yanked back on the chain trying to pull her off balance.
“She has forsaken you and yet you still fight for her?” he exclaimed.
“She’s my Princess.”
“She’s going to be rid of you once she has me. Is this who you want to fight for?”
“I will redeem myself to her! Crescent Beam!” The attack flew full speed at him and knocked him back a few steps, his hand releasing her chain from his grasp.
“Minako,” he exhaled, placing his hand over the singed portion of his uniform. Cautiously he allowed his eyes to dart over his side to evaluate the extent of his burned skin before quickly returning his gaze to her.
“We can be on the same side, my love. You don’t have to resist me anymore.”
“I will remain loyal to my Prince,” he growled.
“Not. For. Long.” She enunciated each word. “Love and Beauty Shock!” In one fluid motion she brought her arm against her body bringing her fingers to rest on her lips as if placing a delicate kiss on her finger tips then threw her arm forward releasing the deadly blast, the attack barreling down on him and throwing him off his feet to land on the ground. His body landed with a sickening cracking sound as his head hit a sharp rock followed by his body bouncing once off the ground before sliding to a final stop. His eyes remained closed but a pained expression was plastered on his face.
“V-Chan!” Sailor Moon yelled.
“He will give in!” She prepared to launch another one of her attacks but was thrown back by a blast of Dark energy from Sailor Moon.
“If you kill him he will be useless to us and this all would have been for naught!” She waved her hand and a portal appeared in front of Kunzite’s still form. Nephrite and Jupiter stepped out from the portal and looked at the man lying at their feet. “Bring him with us.”
“You’re a fool for resisting,” Nephrite mumbled kicking Kunzite’s stomach area. The prone man grunted in response as his body moved from the impact but he did not regain consciousness.
“Nephrite,” Jupiter chided. “There was no need for that.”
“I’m just taking a moment to even out the score,” he smiled cruelly. He crouched down and grabbed the other man under one arm while Jupiter grabbed him under the other. They dragged him into the portal closing the entryway behind them.
“You’ve done well, V-Chan,” Sailor Moon smiled.
“I promised I wouldn’t fail you,” Venus smiled proudly.
“It’s a shame that your victory ended up costing you so much.”
“What does that mean?” her voice was alarmed.
“You can’t come back with me.”
“But I did as I was asked.”
“I can’t trust your loyalty, Minako.” The other blonde flinched at the use of her name. “You’ve always been straddling the fine line of loyalty to my cause and Endymion’s, but it seems as though you have decided to fight on his side in the end.”
“No, that’s not true! I fought against him.”
“It’s too late. I doubt that you have enough power in you to open a portal back to return to the Dark Kingdom anyhow.”
“Please don’t leave me like this,” her eyes filled with tears.
“Redeem yourself and I will allow you your rank back.”
“How will I do that?”
“Bring me Endymion.” She jumped up in the air and was swallowed by a flash of darkness.
Minako dropped to her knees like a puppet with the strings cut, tears falling silently down her cheeks. A draft of cold air settled over her and shivered involuntarily, slowly wrapping her arms around herself. This betrayal caused all of her defenses to fall leaving her to feel helpless in its wake. She was chosen to serve the Princess and without that duty she no longer had the validation she needed. Her life was forfeit without this sacred duty. Cold hands landed on her arms and a warm breath was felt over her shoulder. “Have you come to finish the job?” she asked miserably.
“I warned you to be careful of him and his trickery. He has hurt you again and stolen your Princess. It seems to me as if she wants to claim him for her own,” a masculine voice mused in her ear. “Perhaps he will become her consort.”
“Isn’t that what you wanted, Danburite?”
“I wanted him to suffer for what he did to you, but yet somehow it has happened the other way around. What will you do to him to repay him for his treachery?”
“His treachery?”
“He caused your Princess to turn against you. He allowed you to fall in love with him again. He has left you for her. Great power calls to great power, it is inevitable that they will find themselves together.” Danburite smiled as his words took meaning. “Kill him.”
“I can’t,” she wrapped her arms tighter around herself.
“You and I can lead the army of the Dark Kingdom together, we don’t need them. Show your Princess your true power and reclaim your rightful place among their ranks. You are the true leader of the Sailor Senshi, they are yours to command.”
“I am their true leader….” She repeated softly.
“My love for you will give you the strength you need to avenge yourself. Find Endymion and turn him over to Beryl – she will reward you and give you what you most desire – revenge.”
“Revenge…..”
“We will deal with Kunzite together when the time comes, and when we are done, I will take my place at your side where you will lead us to victory.”
“Victory….” Her tears had since subsided and her face took on a stoic appearance.
“Be strong my Love, I will come back for you soon.” His lips brushed her cheek softly as he faded out, the cool air dissipating in his wake.
Time stopped for Mina as her mind replayed the events from earlier – Kunzite’s touch and the power he welded over her, Sailor Moon’s cruel words as she was shunned from her ranks, Danburite’s promises of redemption. How long she stayed in her frozen position kneeling on the ground she didn’t know, but it was long enough that the sun was closer to rising and soon people would enter the park out for their morning runs and pleasant strolls. She somehow wondered if anyone would notice her blanketed in her own sorrow. Three shadows converged over her silently all waiting for her to make the first move. Several more moments passed before anyone dared to breathe.
“He’s gone, she’s taken him.” Her words resounded with a finality that echoed in the stillness surrounding them.
Endymion was the first to speak. “And what of you?”
“My Princess does not love me. Kunzite has made her believe that I am a traitor to her cause. She had stolen him from me.” Danburite’s words echoed in her mind. “Perhaps he will become her consort.”
“What are you talking about?” He did not bother to hide his anger or jealousy at her words.
“Great power calls to great power, it is inevitable that they will find themselves together.”
Jadeite and Zoicite awkwardly exchanged glances as Endymion kneeled down in front of Sailor V. He grasped tightly onto her small frame and lifted her eye level with him. “Tell me what happened,” he growled.
The events played through her mind and she smiled to herself. “Sailor Moon appeared before us and she attacked him,” her eyes filled with tears. “I tried to stop her, but I wasn’t strong enough and she attacked me too. You have to help me get him back, he’s all that I have.”
“I will have to cleanse you with the Golden Crystal if I am to trust you.”
“Do what you must, but please help me,” she collapsed into his arms, her fingers curling tightly the black fabric of his uniform.
Jadeite snorted at her words and received a disapproving look from Endymion in the process. “How can you trust her?”
“We don’t have any other choice.”
Zoicite looked around nervously, “perhaps we should leave before we are seen by anyone.”
“Agreed.” The same golden light from earlier erupted from Endymion and enveloped all of them. When the light faded the spot previously occupied by them was empty. A tall shadow passed over the area before fading as well.
“I want you to surrender your soul to me, Kunzite,” Sailor Moon whispered over his prone form. “You gave it to me twice before. Perhaps you don’t remember but I do. It is my legacy to defeat the Moon Kingdom and take this planet and Endymion for my own.” His face contorted in pain as the Dark energy flowed out of the black crystal being suspended over his body. “Don’t fight me you’ll only make this worse. Eventually the pain and darkness will overwhelm your mind and you will have no choice in the matter anyway. Is it the girl that you hold on to? Would it change things if I brought her back? She is loyal to me and only me despite my earlier words. Oh Minako, you are always going to be the troublesome one aren’t you?” His eyes clenched and his fist closed into tight balls as the last syllable of Minako’s name was said aloud. “Oh it is her isn’t it? I will bargain with you then, Kunzite. Join me along side of your fellow General and my other Senshi. You will lead my armies to victory as you did before and in return I will promise not to kill your little Goddess. I’m sure that you are well aware that I weld the power and the will to do so.” His fists began to uncurl and the blonde above him sneered in satisfaction. A single tear rolled from the corner of his eye unseen by his spectator.
“You shouldn’t be here,” Sailor Venus said to the slowly approaching figure.
“I’m surprised that you heard me,” Kunzite mused.
“Despite what you think about women as protectors I am a Senshi and I am always on watch. Nothing gets by me.” He stood next to her on the balcony overlooking the gardens. Her eyes scanned the gardens for any possible threats to her Princess who was strolling on the grounds below her leisurely arm-in-arm with Endymion. “I thought it was the blonde’s turn to play babysitter to your Prince.”
“Jadeite’s yes, it was. However I asked that he let me take over his patrol for the weekend.”
“What you mean is you pulled rank to get your pass here.”
“I asked nicely if it makes any difference.”
“You knew that it was my watch as well.”
“I did, that’s what made this exchange all the more important. I want to apologize to you, Princess, I only meant my comment in jest, I never meant to embarrass you as I did.”
“It is already forgotten, Kunzite.”
“Then why have you refused to speak with me for so long? Have I done something else to anger you?”
“I am only concerned for the welfare of my Princess, there is no time for my own selfish desires.”
“Surely your Princess would be sad to hear you say that.”
“Then maybe you will be so kind as to not repeat my words to her.” Several moments of silence passed between them and Venus fought the urge to fidget. Having him this close to her always made her uneasy. He was handsome beyond her imagination and had the most addicting scent to him that it took all she had not to melt under the constant watch of his cool gaze. He would never understand how she felt nor would he return her feelings – according to everyone who knew him it was not his way. How had she found herself in this unrequited love? They didn’t even know each other yet somehow her instincts told her that she would be with him. Maybe if she were closer in his age he would give her more credit to her abilities. As it was he was only 6 years older, but right now it seemed as though it were 60. He stood tall and exuded confidence with every breath – why would he be concerned with a girl such as herself?
“I could be so kind if I choose,” his body faced hers and he gently placed his hand on her chin turning her face to meet his. “Or I could offer my silence in exchange for your forgiveness.”
She could feel her heart beating against her chest and wondered if he could hear it as well. Why did he have to stand so close that their bodies were practically touching? ‘I could kiss him,’ she thought to herself. ‘I could lean forward over the small distance and bring our lips together. But would he laugh at me? Would he think me to be the weaker sex?’
Their eyes continued to meet, neither blinking nor deferring their eyes elsewhere. Venus brought her hand to rest on top of Kunzite’s and leaned forward to kiss him. His free hand moved to cover the hilt of his sword while pulling back from her. She frowned as she noticed the new placement of his hand. “Do you mean to attack me?”
A small smile crossed his face and her heart fluttered in response. “The last time you kissed me I found my own sword at my neck. I’ve learned that you can be a dangerous woman, Minako.”
“Why would you call me that?”
“Isn’t that your name?”
“Here I am known as Venus.”
“But I prefer Minako, it is such a beautiful name for such a beautiful Goddess.” His hand skimmed the side of her face, carefully brushing away some stray hair that had been displaced by a passing breeze. She looked peaceful standing on the balcony with the breeze ruffling the skirt of her fuku.
“You’re too kind,” she replied softly.
“I speak the truth.”
“Is that why you traded shifts? To come to the Moon and whisper these words to me?”
“I told you, Minako, I came to see you.”
“And what would you want with me?”
“To do exactly what you have just done.” He leaned forward to kiss her again, his fingers tangling in her hair.
She pulled back from him. “We can’t do this, not here. Look for me tonight, I will meet you in my private gardens.” Slowly she turned away from him and her long hair trailed through his fingers as the distance between them increased.
Minako’s eyes fluttered as the bright light began to invade her vision. She looked around, taking in her surroundings and trying to reorient herself. A white, down mattress lay underneath her while a pale cotton sheet covered her. How much time had passed since Endymion had cleansed her? Nothing felt any different, her thoughts didn’t seem any different. There was still a lingering loyalty to her Princess and a void in her heart where Kunzite had until recently been. Which man had she fallen in love with? Was it Kunzite her lover of the past or was it Kai, the simple college guy whose life she had thrown into chaos? Either incarnation called to her equally, both pulling at her to save him. Mamoru had promised to help her rescue him and now would be the time where he would prove it to her. She sat up in bed and looked over her clothing noticing that she was still in her Sailor V fuku. It had been a long time since she had last donned this uniform but something felt different about it – it was almost as if she still wore the wrong uniform. But how could that be? The white one belonged to the Dark Kingdom and the only other one she had worn was this one. Hopefully the answers would be more forth coming in the immediate future. She needed to move quickly if she hoped to save her lover from himself.
Soft voices from the hallway carried over to her ears and she prepared herself as the voices came closer. Slowly the door to her room opened and Endymion walked in with Jadeite flanking him. “You’re awake,” he said with a smile.
“We have to save Kunzite, you promised me,” her voice came out firmer than she had intended.
“I gave you my word that we would do everything in our power to help him and we will, but first things first. We have to bide our time and wait until we can draw him out. As we are now we’re nowhere near ready to storm their base.”
“You expect me to sit here and wait?”
“Of course not. There would be no way to draw him out from here. I want you to go home to your apartment and wait to hear from me.”
“I can’t stand by and do nothing.”
“Trust me, Mina, I know what I’m doing.” He smiled reassuringly at her although she did not feel comforted by his confidence.
“I will give you some time, but if you do nothing after that I will go after him on my own.”
“That is precisely why Jadeite will accompany you.”
“Me?” Jadeite asked astonished.
“You can’t be serious?” her tone was deadpanned.
“I am, Mina. Now please, cooperate with me and go along with this. We don’t have much time.”
“Very well. If Jadeite would like to accompany me I wish to go now.” She held out her hand for Jadeite to take and with serious hesitation and a reprimanding glare from Endymion he accepted it. Taking a breath she drew on her powers and once again transported from this place.
When Jadeite’s vision cleared he found himself standing in a living room that was most definitely masculine in design. He looked around for any signs of where he stood and found that there were very few personal effects spread across the room. “This isn’t your apartment, it’s his.”
“I didn’t want to go home,” her voice was saddened as she looked around the room, noticing that it was left in the same disarray. The blanket they shared still lay discarded on the couch and his report was strewn across the coffee table. He would never get to finish it now and it was her fault. This life would no longer have any meaning to him nor would his identity. She walked over to the couch and kneeled down on the floor, clutching the blanket in her hand. His scent still lingered in the fabric and for a moment she could feel his arms around her, leaving her with a warm feeling that Danburite could never give her. “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry?” He raised his eyebrows and his lips curled in amusement.
“For attacking you. I didn’t want to do it – well that’s not true, at that moment I wanted to bring you back to the Dark Kingdom as my own – but I didn’t mean to hurt you so severely. She never let me fight before. I always was forced to watch from the shadows while she sent out one of the other Senshi or a youma. I think I now know why. Despite my resolve my powers were too untamed and my desires too wild. He was the only thing I could focus on, the only part of my life that left me feeling in control.”
“He had that effect on people.”
“I guess you would know better than I would. You fought alongside of him.”
“At times I also resented him.”
She turned her head to look back at him. “You don’t trust me do you?”
“I haven’t been given a reason to. For all I know your Princess will show up in the next 5 minutes and you will jump at the opportunity to serve her again.”
“Then you can rest assured she will not be coming for me.”
“How can you be so sure?”
Her head turned back to look at her lap no longer wanting to meet his gaze. “Because she does not trust me. It seems that you both have something in common.” She sighed in resignation. “But that wouldn’t do to serve your cause now would it?”
“How’s that?”
“Endymion is hoping that someone will come for me – I am merely bait for him to spring his trap. Despite my current state I am not so naïve to miss this. I’m assuming your role is to make sure that I’m not taken in the process.”
“That about sums it up,” Jadeite replied, stepping into the living room for the first time. He felt strange standing in someone else’s home, yet at the same time it all felt familiar like he was back in the Palace. Kunzite’s quarters had been very similar to those of his current residence. He only had what he needed but somehow managed to make the room comfortable despite its sparseness. A millennium had changed the man that he once looked up to from someone who was completely unwavering in his loyalty to the Prince to a man who had made a life for himself outside of his duties. As Joel he never had the opportunity to just be, his wealthy family had pushed him from one top boarding school to the next until he was of age and decided to take a break from his schooling. Once he had broken free he started tapping into his trust fund and traveling the world. There was something that he had been looking for that would offer the fullness in his life that he so desired, but no matter where he went it was always out of his reach. It was only a matter of time before he drowned himself in the high life and booze among the other trust fund babies becoming yet another socialite for the tabloids to spin tails around. Yet something stopped him from becoming this man. Something in his mind snapped one day and he was flooded with the memories of a lifetime that he had no recollection of being a part of. He had been a soldier in his incarnations, sometimes fighting on either side yet his heart still clung fiercely to his one loyalty. It had been too much for him and he would have gone mad if not for the tall woman with the dark hair who had found him. Her face bore some familiarity yet he couldn’t place her or remember her name – which she had somehow managed to withhold. She helped him to determine his true identity and his true mission. With his resolve firmly set he returned to his home in Tokyo to find his Prince that he was sworn to protect.
Perhaps it was in this lifetime that he would fulfill his potential and make up for his sins. If only he understood the extent of what those sins were. There were parts of his memory that he was still unable to access and when he prompted the dark haired woman for answers she smiled and told him that his self-discovery would come at the time it was needed. ‘To hell with her and that answer!’ he thought to himself. How would he fulfill his duties as protector to the Prince if he couldn’t learn from his past mistakes?
His eyes slowly drifted back to the blonde kneeling quietly on the floor. She seemed resigned to her fate despite what plans were held in store for her. He vaguely remembered flashes of her from the Silver Millennium and in almost everyone she was standing near his commander. From the moment they met he knew that there was something more to their connection despite their words. His memories stopped at that point leaving him unable to remember how they were finally outed. Funny, for some reason he recalled that being an important moment but he didn’t know why. Her body was completely still as if she had become a living statue. Despite their prior battle he felt badly for her – maybe they both shared in a loss that bonded them. She was willing to kill him at that moment, her powers showing their full potential when her memories were on the verge of being triggered by a name she could not remember - Kunzite. Yet somehow he wasn’t ready to forgive her completely. Trust was an issue with her even though he knew that she had been brainwashed for a time. How could someone fight so fiercely against the Dark Kingdom then suddenly turn ally to the Golden Kingdom?
“Tell me, Joel,” her voice broke him from his reverie, “why did you refuse to tell me about Kunzite when we fought? You knew of our affair but you tried to hide that from me.”
“I wanted to protect him from you. I didn’t know if you had found him yet and using your past relationship against him would have turned the cards in your favor.”
“Our past is what made him a target for me. Our past is what made him weak against my influence. Our past, however, was not strong enough to keep him with me.”
“You are the one who sent him into Beryl’s open arms.”
“I should be there with him, not here by myself, not him there with her.”
“Why do you assume that he will accept this ‘her’ as his lover?”
“Because that is the way that it is meant to be. I wasn’t strong enough to hold on to him.”
“Who is she?”
“My Princess.”
“The Moon Princess? She was in love with Endymion.”
“She loves no one now. I thought she once loved me but I was wrong.”
“Do you regret being cleansed by the Golden Crystal?” His eyes watched her carefully looking for any changes in her face or body.
“No. I don’t want to fight for the Dark Kingdom, I want to rescue my Princess so that I may continue to serve her. Like you I am sworn to a life of servitude and without it I feel empty.” She paused as if considering her next words. “There is a history in this battle that I don’t think either of us ultimately realizes. I have bits and pieces of memories but not enough to understand it all. Before Kai I had no recollection of those days, but after him I started to remember things. I wonder if we had enough time together that I might have been able to remember more.”
“I have a feeling over the next few days a lot of things will start to make more sense.”
“Until then,” she continued, “we wait.” Her eyes darted over to the sliding glass doors noting that the sun was beginning to set. It would only be a matter of time before they made the first move using darkness as their cover.
Kunzite walked into the Princess of Venus’s private gardens to find the blonde beauty sitting wistfully on the edge of the heart shaped fountain. She always appeared to be deep in thought when he would approach her, but he knew that she was always alert despite her appearance. Her fuku was a reminder to him that this delicate girl was anything but, always trying to prove the strength of the soldier within her. Once she had shown him that she had no qualms or fears when it came to protecting her Princess and it was enough to make him wonder what type of a sparring partner she would make. The gentleman in him would force him to hold back, but the soldier in him would compel him to fight despite her gender – which part of him, he wondered, would dominate in the competition?
No words needed to be said, without any type of visual confirmation he knew that she was aware of him standing there. It didn’t matter how quiet he stepped or whether he stood upwind of her, she always knew it was him. When she was ready she would speak to him, until then he would have to wait. Patience had always been his strong suite, unless it involved her. Although after several moments passed he found himself itching to initiate the conversation with her. She was mysterious and he was drawn to her in these moments of silence.
“I’m surprised that you would ask to meet me somewhere so private, Princess.” His voice came across low and deep, rumbling slightly in her ears.
“You don’t need to address me so formally.”
“Then shall I call you Sailor Venus?”
“No….” her voice drifted off and hers eyes still never turned to meet his. “I like when you call me Minako. It reminds me that every once in a while I am still human despite all of my titles and powers.”
“Then Minako it is.” Her eyes closed tightly the moment he said her name. “Is something wrong?” The concern in his voice only made her want to pull back further. What was she thinking asking him to meet her like this? What would the others say if they found them here? Was it worth the risk to her reputation for him? Of course. He was worth the sacrifice no matter how great the cost.
“What are we doing?”
“At this moment we are attempting to hold a conversation, although I fear that we are not succeeding.”
She gracefully rose from her seated position and he watched as she straightened out her long form, her hair falling softly down her back. How did one woman manage to be so beautiful with such a simple movement?
“I fear that you are correct. Perhaps I was wrong to ask you to meet me like this. It isn’t proper for us to be off on our own when we have our lieges to protect.”
He closed the last bit of distance between them and placed his hand on her cheek. The action making her want to swoon as her heart started beating firmly against her chest again.
“I don’t care about appearances, Minako. As I said earlier, I came here to the Moon to see you.”
“And now that you have apologized what is left to discuss?”
“Us.” He said simply and confidently.
“Us.” She repeated, images of kissing him again floating through her mind. “And what of us?”
“I’m not sure. It seems like you are trying to avoid me yet your actions speak differently. I watch you, Minako, I see the way your eyes look over to me but turn away as I’m about to meet yours.”
“I’m curious about the Prince’s protectors.”
“No, you’re not. You’re curious about me.”
“Then I will stop.”
“I’m not asking you too.” His lips formed into a soft smile.
“And what is it that you are asking of me? To admit to feelings that I shouldn’t have? Will you laugh at my words?”
“I would hope that someone who kisses so passionately would also speak no less so.” She struggled to not blush at his words but despite her best efforts her checks still turned a soft pink. “I wouldn’t expect you to blush so easily,” he teased her, making her even more resolved to stop blushing.
“Because my element is Venus? You would believe me to be some seductress? Isn’t that a bit stereo typical even for you?”
She moved to step back but was halted when his arm reached around her waist, his hand resting on the small of her back. He didn’t hold her or stop her from moving any further away, he didn’t have to. “I learned some time ago to never make assumptions about anything when it comes to you.”
Her heart was beating faster by the second and she was sure that he could hear each echoing beat as it sounded against her chest. The throbbing echoed in her ears along with the baritone of his voice and the scent of him filled her nostrils, his warmth spreading over her skin. Within moments of coming in contact with him he managed to have this effect on her every time. How could this be?
“Can I kiss you, Minako?” His voice was deep and the depths of his eyes seemed endless. Words failed her and she merely nodded her head. Time stopped as she anticipated his kiss, his lips ever so slowly moving towards her own.
“Do you remember how that night ended, my sweet Minako?” his voice was barely above a whisper as he leaned over her sleeping form. “We stayed there the whole night. You fell asleep in my arms and we stayed that way until the sun started to rise. It seems that we have a pattern to our relationship. Something’s never change despite the lifetime we live in.”
“I missed you,” she whispered in her sleep.
“I’m here for you now my love.”
“You returned to me.”
“I’m here to finish what I started,” he stroked her face softly with the back of his hand. Slowly his other hand brushed against her chest, slowly crawling up to her neck. She could feel a slight pressure as his hand rested against her throat which only grew tighter as his fingers began to push down harder. A feeling of dizziness and panic spread over her as she gasped for air with no success. She opened her mouth to scream but no sound came out. ‘This must be a dream,’ she thought to herself. ‘Why can’t I open my eyes?! Why can’t I see his face?!’ Her fingers scratched mercilessly against her tormenter desperate for air now, a burning sensation spreading over her chest.
She could faintly hear a banging noise in the background and the sound of someone calling her name. It couldn’t end like this – she couldn’t die without first fulfilling her mission, but she couldn’t break free and the last bit of air was being withdrawn from her lungs. As the darkness overtook her she could feel her strength waning, she could no longer fight against his painful choke hold nor could she shake off the hand resting on her cheek.
A loud bang startled her and she could feel her lungs filling again as she desperately gasped for air, breathing in all the oxygen she could. Soft hands pulled at her own restraining her from her movements. Her eyes flew open and she was met with a pair of dark blue eyes. “He’s gone Minako,” the voice said to her. She could barely hear him over the throbbing sound in her ears, it sounded as if she were underwater and the voice was travelling down to her from the surface. “You’re safe now.” The words started to gain clarity as the roaring subsided. Her eyes darted around the room adjusting to the darkness to find Joel sitting on the bed holding her hands, concern apparent in his eyes.
“Wha….ha…p..n…d…?” she gasped to get out.
“Someone was standing near your bedside.”
“K..nz..te,” she exhaled taking another deep breath. “It was….Kunzite.”
“Perhaps, but something seemed not quite right. Something in his stance makes me think it wasn’t him.”
“He spoke to me before he attacked me,” her voice came out throaty. “It was him.”
Joel reached for the neckline of her shirt and pulled down on the pale fabric exposing her skin. She reached to stop him, unsure of his intentions but stopped when she realized he was trying to help her. “I don’t know what you think happened Mina, but it looks like you scratched yourself pretty badly.”
“His hands were on my throat and he was choking me, I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t wake up, I couldn’t fight him.”
“Come into the bathroom with me, I want to get you cleaned up.” He helped her to sit up in bed and steadied her as she gingerly tried to get her footing. With her weight being supported mostly on his shoulders they made the short walk into the bathroom. He turned on the light and lifted her up, sitting her gently on the countertop while helping her to steady herself. Cautiously he started lifting her shirt, to which her angry glance effectively stopped him. “I’m trying to help you, please trust me.” Her eyes continued to watch him closely as she helped him to remove her shirt. He grabbed a washcloth from the countertop and ran it under the warm water. All around her neck her skin was raw and bleeding from her nails scratching at her invisible tormentor. He gently blotted her skin with the cloth clearing away the evidence of the assault.
“Why are you being so nice to me?” she asked quietly.
“Endymion told me to protect you. I couldn’t very well go back to him and say that I was too busy watching Leno to be guarding you.”
“That’s not the only reason is it,” she placed her hand on top of his holding the washcloth. “You wouldn’t be doing this for me if that was all.”
His hand clenched under her touch and she could feel a trickle of excess water squeeze from the wash cloth and down her chest. “Kunzite would have wanted you to be taken care of. I would have expected the same from him if our roles were reversed.”
“I thought you said that you resented him.”
“Not all of the time. We were friends, brothers even. Although when it came to politics we didn’t always agree. Perhaps I was too rash.”
“Thank you.” She pulled his hand away and gently tugged the cloth from his hand, dropping it into the sink. “I promise you I won’t make you regret your kindness.” She slid off the counter and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging his body to hers. “I’m ok now.” Slowly she unraveled her arms from around him and slid around his body to walk out the door. He let out a breath that he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. The soft click of the bedroom door closing drifted to his ear and he turned to shut off the light and resume his spot on the couch. He wondered who the man in the room was. Mina believed it was Kunzite and it looked enough like him, but something still seemed off. If he wanted to kill her he was deadly enough to do so – this was a scare tactic. That hardly seemed like it was worth the effort or that there would be a higher cause for this. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea letting her out of his sights for the night, at least not until he figured out what was going on.
He walked over to the bedroom and knocked on the door waiting for her response. Upon receiving none he knocked again, this time louder hoping that she had simply fallen asleep and not heard him. After another moment he started to get the feeling that something was wrong and shoved the door open to find the bedroom empty. A cool breeze blew into the room from the balcony door that had been left open. The sheer curtains fluttered softly as the moonlight shone through them. She was gone, her silhouette barely visible on a neighboring rooftop as she bounded away. He ran to the window, transforming into his Shitennou uniform midstep and out the door leaping up on the balcony railing and on to the fire escape of the building across the way. He moved with such urgency that he didn’t allow himself the time to realize how deadly and impossible the jump should have been even in his transformed persona. She was moving rapidly across the city in her Sailor V guise and he could hardly keep up with her inhuman speed. The scenery sped past him but he took no notice in his surroundings. He did however notice that she made sure to stay in the moonlight and that her route was extremely indirect and had him zig-zagging in nonsensical directions. Did she notice he was following her and was trying to lose him in the city? It didn’t seem possible since he was so far behind.
Suddenly she dropped down onto the streets in a dark alley, emerging in a silky black top and red leather pants. She walked into a crowd and would have disappeared had people not instinctively parted to admire her as she passed. Even in her human form she was still an impressive sight to behold.
“I’ve never seen you at such a loss dealing with a woman before,” Jadeite said to Kunzite as they followed after Serenity and Endymion, keeping a safe distance behind. The couple was so enthralled with each other that they wouldn’t have noticed the two Shitennou even if they were standing in front of them.
“She’s not just another woman. None of the Princess’s Senshi are.”
Jadeite laughed thinking of his own encounters with the Martian Princess. “I’ve found that out the hard way as well. I think we all did. But if it’s just a matter of attraction than just sleep with her already and be done with it.”
“That’s hardly the issue.”
“Because she has so adamantly refused?” Jadeite teased.
“I would never approach her in such a manner,” Kunzite replied sounding annoyed.
“Surely you are not head over heels in love with her?”
“There’s something about her that when you look at her you can’t help but to fall for her. Her features are so perfect that it almost hurts to watch her for too long. How could I ever expect to possess something so faire?”
“Have you spoken to her?”
“Not recently.” His face fell into a frown. “Apparently I embarrassed her with a teasing remark.”
“A blow to a soldier’s ego can be quite damaging.”
“A soldier,” Kunzite snorted. “Despite what we have seen it’s still preposterous.”
“I think that is where you have lost your case with her.”
“Am I really taking advice from you?”
“It was bound to happen eventually,” Jadeite smiled. “After all, it was only a matter of time before all of your wisdom started to rub off on the rest of us my fearless leader.”
“You are so full of it.”
“You need to go to her and fall on your own sword. Apologize and let her know that you were wrong. After what you have done to her ego I think it’s only fair that you take the same hit to your own.”
Kunzite debated his friend’s words, trying to consider her as his equal on the battlefield knowing that if his own abilities to protect his Prince were called into question there would be much bloodshed in proving otherwise. “You are going to the Moon with the Prince for the weekend aren’t you?”
“It’s my rotation yes,” Jadeite answered suspiciously.
“It was,” Kunzite said firmly.
“I have plans once I get there,” the younger man protested.
“You did and now you don’t.”
“I’m not going to allow you to pull rank on me Kunzite.”
“I will give you a choice Jadeite – either I will go to the moon in your stead or I will tell the others about how you made a fool of yourself to the Martian Princess. I’m sure it will make quite an interesting story over dinner when they hear about how you nearly cut off your own foot trying to impress her with your swordsmanship. Although how you ever got yourself contorted like that I’ll never understand.”
“Fine. But only because you asked so nicely.” Jadeite replied bitterly.
Jadeite jumped down into the same alleyway emerging in a pair of jeans and a dark blue collared shirt. One day he would try and solve the mystery of how they all managed to change the molecular basis of their beings to appear in different clothing. Surely Zoicite would be able to best explain it. He followed the path she took and found himself standing outside of a nightclub wondering what would bring her here of all places?
She stumbled through the crowded room as if she were desperately seeking something of great importance. The music was almost deafening as it resounded in her ears, reverberating through her body. Lights flared from the ceiling and reflected around the room almost blinding her in intervals. Bodies were tangled together in provocative dances and several hands reached out to grab her trying to pull her into the throng. She would allow for nothing to deter her from her mission save for one set of arms wrapping around her waist. His hands felt cold and she suppressed a shudder from the chill spreading through her body. He pushed her forward across the dance floor and off to the side into a wall, spinning her to face him. Their faces were inches apart and his hands were placed on either side of her body effectively holding her in place. Completely clothed in black he appeared to be little more than a shadow in the passing lights.
“I was hoping that they would send you if I showed myself,” she said loudly trying to speak over the high volume of the music.
“You made it very clear what your intentions were. I will take you back with me now,” he said into her ear.
“I didn’t think she’d be able to break you, Kai.”
“I did this for you, Minako.”
“Your loyalties are to her now, is that where your heart is as well?”
“It has always been yours,” his lips brushed over hers lightly.
“Why did you attack me?”
“Attack you?” She pointed to her throat where bruises shaped as fingerprints were clearly visible among the scratch marks. His fingers brushed over her skin and she winced from the pain that shot through her from him cold hands. “I would never hurt you.” His lips were set in a firm line.
“Then let me help you.” She reached out to place her palm on his chest but he was quicker and grabbed her wrist bringing her arm back against the wall.
“Not so fast my Princess. It works the other way around this time,” he said pressing his forehead to her’s.
She suddenly felt like a small prey trapped by a predator in the large room. The loud music would dampen her screams and the glaring lights made it difficult to see what was happening. He was stronger and faster than her when she was in her human form but there was no way for her to transform. If she pulled out her compact he would snatch it from her and break it into pieces effectively negating her from attacking. His green eyes were fixed on her and despite her situation she held herself in an aloof manner. She would not let him get the better of her, she would stand her ground.
“You’re not going to try and escape?” he taunted her.
“You underestimate me.”
“Not at all. You can be a dangerous woman, Minako, we both know this. Although be warned that if you try anything I will start taking prisoners and I make no guarantee for their safety or lives.”
Her thoughts began to race and it occurred to her that she could use her compact mirror for an attack without transforming. Maybe once he saw his true image he would understand.
“You know how this will happen right?” she asked.
“How what will happen?” he didn’t bother to hide the smugness in his voice.
“How I will escape from you.” She leaned into him and kissed him. They both could see through her ploy but he allowed her the momentary distraction confident that he had her cornered. She slipped her hand into the waistline of her pants and withdrew her compact. He smiled and pulled his face back from hers.
“Do you really think you can transform before I take that from your hands?”
“Not at all. I have no intention of doing so, I only want to show it to you.” She slowly lifted her hand, opening the clasp with her thumb. The compact fell open and she turned it to face him. A light started to glow in the mirror and he was transfixed by the image that appeared. His grip on her loosened and a look of terror momentarily fixed itself on his features. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what image manifested itself in her mirror, but she knew that whatever was being reflected was the true image of the beholder. With a growl he reached for her hand and grabbed the compact, throwing it on the floor and grinding the pieces under his boot. She looked on in horror as her last bit of salvation was taken from her. She would no longer be able to transform and fight against the Dark Kingdom.
“What did you do?” he barked fiercely in her ear.
“It showed you your true image. Was it so bad?”
“Princess, you would curl up in fear if I told you what the mirror showed me. This is my true form just like that was once yours. It’s a shame that you will never become Sailor V again, it was a sexy look on you. I hope that you are more willing to come along with me now that you are out of tricks.” She looked forlornly down at the remains of her compact and was surprised to see an orange glow flicker from a piece of glass. “Why don’t we go somewhere a little more private to talk,” he sneered.
“Why don’t we stay and play instead?” Joel yelled jumping on Kunzite. With a mere thought Kunzite transported the three of them to stand on the roof of the building. Kunzite flicked his free hand and Joel went flying off of his back to skid across the ground. Mina tried to pull free of his grip while he was distracted but with little success. Kunzite turned his attention back to her and transformed into his Dark Kingdom uniform. She audibly gasped at seeing him in this form and pulled back on her arm as he reached out for her forehead. A topaz gem appeared on her forehead and he focused his Dark energy into her.
“Have you really turned against your Prince?”
“My Prince has turned against his kingdom because of your Princess!” Kunzite pointed his sword at Minako’s still form.
“I don’t want to fight you.”
“You don’t have a choice Princess. Either die fighting or on your knees begging for mercy.”
“It doesn’t have to be this way. The Silver Crystal can save you.”
“It’s too late for all of that. Now fight me!” He threw one of his deadly boomerangs at her and she barely dodged the attack as it tore at her orange gown.
“Would you really kill me?”
“I made sure that it was understood that you were mine, that none of my fellow General’s could touch you.”
“You’re too kind,” she muttered sarcastically.
“This is your last warning – fight or die.”
She raised her hand in the air and called out, “Venus Crystal Power -!”
“ – Make-up!” A golden glow enveloped her and when the light cleared she stood as Sailor Venus in her white and orange fuku.
“This is a new trick,” he eyed up her new form.
“It seems as though we can finally even out the battlefield now.”
“My dear, me against you was never a fair fight.”
“Then what about me against you?” Jadeite asked, appearing behind Kunzite.
“The both of you are no match for me,” he threw out his boomerangs in both directions and watched as both people dodged the attacks. He threw a few more boomerangs in Venus’s direction to keep her off balance and then charged at Jadeite as his feet hit the ground. Jadeite was thrown off balance as Kunzite’s fist connected with his jaw, the pain radiating with a strong intensity. Before he could react, Kunzite grabbed up Jadeite in a force field and flung him across the roof making the shield dissipate as Jadeite was about to hit the ground. His body hit hard and skidded across the roof. As Kunzite turned back to Venus he caught Jadeite’s movements in the corner of his eye and quickly threw up a shield to deflect his fire attack. A barrage of boomerangs came sailing in Jadeite’s direction and he threw his body to the side trying to avoid all of the attacks, even as one of the boomerang’s slashed against his thigh. Venus timed herself and attacked with her love-me chain. The chain wrapped around him and flared in a bright glow. With a laugh he threw up his shield and the chain shattered to pieces as it was blasted away from his body. “Is that the best that both of you can do?” he laughed.
“Not even close,” Venus huffed. “Rolling Heart Vibration!” the attack bounced harmlessly off of his shield and she ran at him. “Sailor V Kick!” She landed her kick on his chest and grunted in response. Realizing that her only way to beat him was in physical combat she launched a barrage of attacks. Each kick was blocked by his arms as if he were able to anticipate her moves, almost like they had already done this dance once before. She threw her arm out and missed connecting her fist with his jaw as he ducked to the side. His hand grabbed her arm before she was able to pull it back and he held her firmly. Her eyes darted to the side and then back to him, a smile forming on her face. She jumped into a backflip, her foot connecting firmly with the underside of his jaw. As the pain rolled through him he released her arm and was hit from the side by Jadeite’s fire attack. He stumbled forward as Venus unleashed her crescent beam attack against him.
“Enough!” he growled. A boomerang formed in his hand and he unleashed it in Jadeite’s direction, the point embedding in Jadeite’s shoulder. Jadeite fell to his knees clutching his shoulder in pain. His thigh was bleeding badly, his original injury being worse than he originally thought and this new injury only served to further weaken him. He would continue to fight even though it may end up costing him his life.
“Very nice work, Kunzite,” Sailor Moon appeared next him. “I knew I could expect great things from you.” She rested her hand on his arm in a possessive gesture. “You would never disappoint your Queen.” Her eyes flicked to Sailor Venus’s. “I’m disappointed in you, Venus, I asked you to retrieve Endymion for me, not fall for him.” Venus’s eyes narrowed at the other woman’s words. “That looks quite painful Jadeite. Perhaps I could help you with those injuries.”
Jadeite pulled the boomerang from his shoulder, trying not to outwardly show his pain. “I don’t need anything from you,” he spat, the color draining from his face even as he spoke.
“We’ll have plenty of time to discuss this later.” With a nod of her head Sailor Mars, who had appeared behind him unbeknownst to both him and Venus, grabbed onto him. His strength was diminishing from his pain and he could not pull himself from her grip.
“It will be just like old times Jadeite,” she smiled at her own insincerity. “Although this time I don’t think you’ll be putting up very much of a fight.”
“But I will,” Venus brought her fingers to her mouth posed to launch into her next attack.
“That wouldn’t be very wise,” Sailor Moon advised and suddenly Venus found herself surrounded by Sailor Mercury, Sailor Jupiter and Nephrite.
“On the contrary,” a male voice interjected and Sailor Moon looked down to find a red rose imbedded into the ground at her feet. Her eyes followed the direction the rose came in from and she found Endymion standing across from her behind Sailor Venus. “It seems like the odds have evened out some.”
“You are outnumbered, Endy,” she gestured, “and if you haven’t noticed one of your only allies is injured pretty badly and in the hands of my Senshi. So unless you and Venus here believe you have the power to take on all of us, I would advise a quick retreat.”
“Do you think I wasn’t prepared for this?” he asked, raising his eyebrow and smirking. His hand reached out and closed around Venus’s arm, pulling her behind him despite the protesting look she shot at him.
“You are willing to sacrifice one of your Kings?”
“Only because I’m going to take one of your pieces now,” his eyes darted over to Mercury where she suddenly gasped out in pain. Zoicite stood behind her with one of his ice crystals plunged into her side.
“I’m so sorry,” he whispered into her ear as his arm wrapped around her to support her falling weight.
“Mercury!” Sailor Moon cried out as Zoicite disappeared with Sailor Mercury firmly in his grasp. “You will not take her from me!”
“You’re too late,” Endymion replied still holding firmly onto Venus’s arm.
“Then you are too late as well,” she angrily signaled to Sailor Mars who then disappeared with Jadeite, leaving trace amounts of blood on the roof from where he had been kneeling.
“The next victory will be mine, Serenity,” he stated before the golden glow enveloped him and Sailor Venus, flashing as they transported away.
“Sailor Mercury….” Sailor Jupiter said sadly.
Nephrite stood by with a look of disinterest on his face. “So now what of Jadeite? What will we do with him?” he asked Sailor Moon.
“Torture him. Make him tell us his secrets. Then, depending on how much he talks I’ll decide on whether or not to let him live.”
“Shouldn’t that be left up to our Queen?” Nephrite asked. Something in his voice resounded with annoyance.
“Same thing,” Sailor Moon said laughing, disappearing into a portal.
