A Truth Among Lies By Etoile Mignon "In the end, everyone forgets someone." Chapter Four The Death of the Sky "Death ends a life, not a relationship." - Jack Lemmon Nephrite was annoyed at the meandering passages of the Theian palace, each one seemed longer than the last. They were all the same; white marble-like floor with silvery walls. Every few feet there was either a statue or a tapestry, all of it depicting Theia's great history. He walked beside Jadeite as they followed Sailor Jupiter through the maze of halls to the princess' chambers. It had been determined that they should search her quarters like they had Endymion's to find what had gone missing. Nephrite was not a fan of the idea, feeling as if they were now doing the Scouts' job for them. Regardless, he knew that any clue in finding Serenity would locate Endymion as well. Jupiter was the tallest of the Scouts he had met, and he could not help but notice her ferocious curves as he followed behind her. She wore her auburn hair in a high ponytail that swayed with every switch of her hips. Both of her bows on her chest and lower back were a pale pink, which seemed far too feminine for a soldier in Nephrite's opinion. On her feet were black lace-up ankle boots, which were more sensible than the heels some of her partners wore. However, even her shoes had a small heel that filled the empty halls with an irritating echo. Nephrite noticed that her hands were balled into fists from the moment Venus ordered her to take the two generals, and they showed no sign of relaxing. "Are we even getting close?" Jadeite whined. "Maybe by the time we get there, Endymion will have returned on his own." Nephrite caught his fellow general's smirk, but the comment barely fazed Jupiter. She kept marching on relentlessly. Apparently, humor was not her strong point. Two more passages and they approached two great ivory doors towering far over the three. Theian markings were embossed all over it, but the familiar crescent moon was laid in gold and spanned the width of both doors. Even the door handles were embellished in curving gold and silver. The large doors looked far too heavy for Jupiter, and Nephrite imagined that he and Jadeite would have to combine their strength to open just one. He made an effort to step in front of Jupiter to open the door for her. Jupiter held out her arm, blocking him from overtaking her, and glared at him crossly. There wasn't even a pause as she walked right up to the door, turned the handle and pushed the door open with ease. She continued inside without even turning back to the two, who followed her inside. Serenity's chambers were extravagant. Her walls were a warm golden color, and in her foyer there was a large fountain in the center. Decorations of the moon kingdom's history were abundant. Jupiter did not acknowledge the grand room, immediately leading them through two open doors to her bedchambers. The bed itself was a large circular cushion with numerous pillows. In one corner was an ornate desk, carved out of a strange silver rock. Her wardrobe room could be visible through a pulled curtain, and on the opposite wall was another threshold that opened to a balcony. "This is Princess Serenity's chamber," Jupiter said authoritatively. "It has not been touched since she left. Please feel free to look around." "You'll have to tell us if anything is missing," Jadeite said, walking deeper into the room and admiring a great chandelier with almost thirty candles. "Why don't you look in her wardrobe, and tell us what she is wearing." Jupiter nodded, heading directly past the drawn curtain as the two began their search. As she disappeared, Nephrite watched Jadeite roll his eyes. Jadeite walked over to the desk, immediately flipping through papers and looking at strange bottles of ink. There was a simple seal stamp next to a strange candle that was made of a silvery looking wax. Numerous quills littered the desk, and most seemed unused. Jadeite picked up a pile of papers and began to read through them. Nephrite had examined the contents of a table beside the bed. There was a goblet of water, a few crystals, and a piece of string tied in a circle. However, it was a wooden box that lay open that caught his eye. It was made of fine wood, but unlike any Nephrite had encountered - even in his region of forests and jungles. Inside was a very soft material, almost like velvet, that acted as a cushion. There was an empty shape of a five- pointed star, clearly meant to hold a very specific item. "One of her Princess gowns is gone," Jupiter said, emerging from the wardrobe. "And her favorite gold bracelet." "Good," Nephrite said, although it really didn't mean anything. "Can you tell me what belongs in this box?" She waltzed over, standing uncomfortably close as she peeked around Nephrite's form. "It held her star locket." When she caught Nephrite's look of dissatisfaction with her answer, she backed away and continued. "She's had it since her fourth birthday, I think, although it might have been her fifth." "You know her fifth birthday present?" "I grew up here with her since I was six," Jupiter snapped back, her green eyes narrowing. "I think it used to play a melody, but I haven't seen or heard it in a long time. I wonder why she took that with her," she contemplated. "Jupiter," Jadeite called, and the emerald Scout turned her attention as Jadeite held up a piece of paper. "Have you seen this?" She approached the seated general and took the paper from his hand enthusiastically. It was a very crude drawing of Sailor Jupiter, done by the princess. It was dated from when the princess was eight years old. "Looks just like you," Nephrite said, glancing at the paper from over her shoulder. Jadeite erupted in laughter. Jupiter rolled her eyes and shoved the paper against Jadeite's chest. Her cheeks filled with color as her temper rose. "We were the princess' only friends here when she grew up, General, but she was not a Sailor Soldier as we were. It is no surprise she drew things to keep occupied when all of her friends were training. Now stop mocking my princess and make yourself useful." Jadeite snickered as he put the pile of papers back down on the desk. "I am trying, but all these are her old drawings of you four from when she was young. It seems she does not use her desk very often." "Just keep looking," Nephrite said, his gaze cast beyond the threshold to the balcony. Pointing out to the open area, he looked at Jupiter. "Where does this lead?" "The Princess' private courtyard," the Scout said, her cheeks returning to normal as she calmed down. Nephrite nodded and walked out onto the balcony. Pillars lined the veranda with a railing between each pair. The balcony was made up of the strange shimmering stone. There was a grand staircase that led down to the courtyard, which was bare of any foliage. At the base of the staircase, there was a pale, sparkling walkway. The path encompassed a long, rectangular reflecting pool that was absolutely still. In the water, the large image of Earth could be seen, echoing the blue planet's presence in the sky. A semicircle of shimmering pavement was at the other end, with a single, ornate bench sitting facing the pool. Starlight fell brightly on the bench, as if marking a holy spot. The general could not move as he stood at the top of the staircase. He had been here before, but it was destroyed when he first saw it. The lovely dazzling white seemed eerily empty without the red stain that once he could not take his eyes off. He stood in the place where his prince would be killed. Intact, it was a lovely place. It almost seemed healing, but Nephrite felt sick as he kept his gaze locked on the walkway in front of the pool, just at the end of the staircase. If there had been any doubt before about if the white haired girl was not the Theian princess, it had fled completely. Some strange force pulled Nephrite down the steps; each time his foot landed, he felt a clamp grow tighter in his chest. He could feel a great lump form in his throat, making it hard to breath. By the time he reached the bottom, he had to blink the warm tears from his eyes. He could not help but stare at the ground, seeing in his mind the detailed portrayal of Endymion's sprawling corpse. His gloved hands clenched and his teeth ground together with fury. As he stood in the place of his prince's future grave, he swore not to allow his prince to fall. "It is beautiful, isn't it?" Jupiter's voice came from the top of the stairs. Nephrite's nostrils flared with anger. This place was anything but beautiful. He could hear her boots as she descended the stairs. She walked on hallowed ground without knowing, without respect. She stopped a few feet from him, her eyes glancing upwards at his own planet. "Serenity loved the Earth; it's a shame she never got to visit," she said, and he realized that she had called Earth beautiful, not the courtyard. "She had this built only a few years ago, and would spend hours out here just looking at your planet." Nephrite ventured a look at her, and saw that her green eyes looked up with amazement at Earth. Her skin had a very pale pink tone to it, giving her more of a lively look than the fluorescent skin of the Theians. Her eyes were such a bright green that they rivaled the starlight in which she stared at. The dark green sigil of Jupiter on her forehead was a striking contrast from her pink skin and rosy lips. Yet the wonder on her face made her seem like a na•ve child. "It really is beautiful," she whispered. "Yes," Nephrite said, his anger still brimming. "Beautiful and stupid, right?" His harsh remark wrangled her eyes to his face. With a deep shadow over his eyes, he looked much darker and more frightening than she had thought any Terran could. "Everyone in this galaxy hates the people of that 'beautiful,' planet because we won't join your damn Silver Millennium," he growled. Jupiter's face was full of confusion. She opened her mouth to reply, but she couldn't find the words. "Earth's just biding time until you Sailor Soldiers deem it unworthy of life and destroy us all, right? Maybe once we're gone, you can use our beautiful planet as a vacation spot." Without warning, Jupiter's hand crossed painfully across Nephrite's face. "Sailor Soldiers protect all life, General," she said maturely. Every childlike piece of her was gone; the over-confidence and arrogance had vanished. She had become a full soldier instantly. "Even if you Terrans don't want our protection, we've protected your planet before you even existed and will continue to as long as we breathe. It's our duty." It was Nephrite's turn to be speechless. Luckily, Jadeite had come out on to the balcony calling for Sailor Jupiter. She gave Nephrite one more proud look and turned to climb the steps to meet the other general. "Have you seen this?" Jadeite handed a folded piece of paper to Jupiter. She read over it as Nephrite climbed the staircase to meet the two. By the time he reached the top, she was finished. "Yes." Jupiter's reply was short. "This is how you knew she was with Endymion?" As Jupiter nodded, Jadeite handed the piece of paper to Nephrite. Like the other papers on Serenity's desk, it was tinted a pale pink color. There were no lines, but Serenity's handwriting was fairly straight on its own. Her cursive was not exactly neat or beautiful, as one would expect a princess' to be, but it playful enough to look pretty. As he read over the note, he scanned it only for useful information. After some loving goodbyes, there was a brief explanation that Serenity was leaving with the Endymion, the Prince of Earth, and she did not know when they'd be back. One thing was missing, which was a reason. Nephrite cursed at its absence. "Perhaps she lied?" Jadeite questioned, still hoping that he would not have to work alongside the Scouts. "Maybe she's not with Endymion at all." Jupiter looked insulted, and Nephrite shook his head. "No, remember the carving in Endymion's desk. It's safe to assume they're together, but we still don't know why they left or where the hell they went." Kunzite stood, hands clasped behind his back, in the middle of a courtyard. The same faux marble lined the outdoor area, but half of it held a shallow lake, which lapped up at the tiles in waves. The lake flowed to an outer wall and seeped under it. The water itself was a deep violet, very different from the blues of Earth's water. The waves were different, too; they ebbed and flowed with very little noise at all. In front of the water was a great table, able to hold at least ten or twelve people. He didn't feel like sitting, but even if he did, the strange lavender metal that formed each chair gave him a weird feeling. Preferring to stand, the general waited and listened patiently to the quiet rise and fall of the water. "You are uncomfortable." He turned to find Sailor Venus returning with a tray that held a small decanter and two glasses. She walked with ease carrying the tray, her heels clicking as they carried her to the metal table. Her eyes never left him, and he held her gaze to hide his discomfort. "No," he said. "Not at all." She placed the tray down and began to pour a clear liquid into each glass. Once finished, she took both glasses in her gloved hands and waltzed over confidently to him. "You're a very good liar," she said, handing him one. "Theian wine. It'll help." He took it graciously, tipping his head to her with gratitude. He waited for her to sip hers before he took a rather large gulp of his own. The liquid was the sweetest thing he had ever tasted, far too sweet. Trying to hide the disgust in his face, he spoke. "Help with what?" "Being uncomfortable." She looked as if she didn't care for the drink that much either as she looked at him with an apologetic smile. "It's an acquired taste." "Of course," he said. "But as I said, I am comfortable." "And as I said, you are a very good liar. You don't even feel when you lie anymore." Her pink lips wrapped around the glass again as she took another sip. Her self-assured attitude left an even worse taste in his mouth than the wine. For such a young girl, she was clearly unafraid of reprimand. She spoke without doubt, which rubbed Kunzite as insubordinate. The fact that she was correct in her assumptions made it even more awful. He quieted himself, not willing to indulge her, and swallowed more of his drink. "I wanted to speak with you privately, General," she said, her gold eyes somehow holding more wisdom than her age. "Leader to leader." "As we should," Kunzite said calmly, swirling the drink in his hand. He still felt strange about this discussion; never had he dreamed his equal to be a sixteen-year-old girl. Yet he remained serious, trying to converse with her position rather than her person. "Firstly," she barely acknowledged his response. "If we are to lead our soldiers into the Silver Millennium, I must ask that you recognize my Soldiers' greater authority." Kunzite kept his face steady, but he desperately felt like sneering at her with disgust. How dare this adolescent be so bold. "I wanted to come with you for a myriad of reasons, but I did not want you to find yourselves in danger you couldn't get out of. The power my Scouts wield can protect your generals from not only physical danger but political entrapment as well. I believe in your strength, but I cannot deny certain and terrible risks that other planets present to you and your generals." "Sailor Venus," Kunzite said as a commander. His voice seemed to shake her. "While I respect your concern for me and my generals, I must insist that you relinquish this absurd idea that you are baby-sitting us. May I remind you that you volunteered to come along, and we never requested your presence. We were going to do this without you in the first place, so I must insist that you forget this childish notion that you are somehow going to protect us from anything." "I don't think you understand," her face changed into a deadly serious that rivaled his own. "Other kingdoms are not as tolerant as Theia is. If you had shown up on any other planet, much less requesting an audience with a ruler, you would've been imprisoned at the least and destroyed at the worst." "That is why we didn't go to any other planet. I will not have you demeaning my soldiers with radical assumptions that we are unaware of our position in this galaxy." Venus glared at him. Where Kunzite's expression barely changed, Venus displayed every emotion acutely. She did not attempt to hide any of her distain or irritation. Because of this, the two locked eyes in a heavy silence. The general waited for her to gain a control over her emotions that she felt she already had; she wanted some kind of reaction that he was not willing to display. "It would be wise to acknowledge our presence as an asset," she said finally. "I never said otherwise, milady," Kunzite retorted sharply. "I appreciate your willingness to work together to find the Prince and Princess, Venus, but you would do well to remember that we are high-ranking soldiers in our own right. Do not assume that because we do not tramp around with a mystic symbol on our foreheads that we ourselves have no worthy abilities." Venus flushed with anger at the man's words. He had clearly struck a nerve, but the Scout recovered admirably. She replied with a stab of her own. "And surely you will understand that I will not have four stubborn Terrans and their reckless actions endanger this mission." Kunzite scoffed under his breath. "My men never act recklessly, Venus. We have seen more battles on a good day that your Soldiers have probably seen in a decade, or so to speak, a lifetime." Venus found herself caught in a battle of wit. She flashed a devilish grin. "What your men have learned through experience, my Soldiers were born with." To his own surprise, Kunzite felt himself enjoying the argument. "Is that so?" "Absolutely," Venus said proudly. She took a sip of her wine. "You know, we are going to have to agree on at least one thing during this mission." Kunzite drained his own glass. "As I see it, we already have." She raised her brow questioningly. "We both must find our missing royals. What else is there?" "Plenty." Venus' gloved hand took the emptied glass from his hand as she finished off her own. With a heavy sway of her hips, she walked back to the table. Kunzite found himself intrigued and annoyed by her all at once. She was na•ve but would not back down against him, something that he had forced some earthen soldiers to do with ease. He observed her as she poured more in each glass, reading a coy smile on her face. She was enjoying herself as much as he was; his mind had to wonder about the Theian wine's effects. "I must admit," she said, returning his refreshed glass to him. "I was surprised when you agreed to our accompanying you. Even now, you are wondering if you did the right thing." Kunzite stared out at the silent waves, careful not to betray the surprise at her statement. She was right; he was still unsure if he had made the right decision. He wondered how she could read him so easily. "I did what was best for all of us." "Yes, but you don't like it. You don't like me." He was very shocked at her brazenness and took a sip of wine to give him time to think of a way to respond. "The Sailor Soldiers are a strange concept to all Terrans, Venus." "No, it's not that." she said, drinking her wine again. "I may be young, but I'm not stupid. All I ask is that in front of the others, we cannot argue. If we bicker, they all will." With a sharp jerk of her head, she swallowed the rest of her glass, which was halfway full. "Finish your wine." He looked at her but it was her turn to stare at the water. Her face was callous with determination, but he could not ignore the infantile bow that accented the crown of her head. It was a paradox of responsible youth that stunned him so much that he had no choice but to drain his glass. Without a word, she took the glass from him and returned both to the tray. She did not even glance behind her before she began to walk back into the palace. When she did not hear him follow, she turned back to face him, wearing the composure of a leader. "Come, General, we already have something to deal with." Zoisite sat alone in Theia's war room with two of the Sailor Soldiers and he did not like it. The room itself held only a round table with numerous chairs, one of which had a tall and elegant back that was clearly meant for Selenity. On the wall that this chair sat directly in front of was a grand tapestry that depicted the whole galaxy, from the farthest planet to the sun, which sat blazing in the background. Two unknown Sailor Soldiers standing in the foreground as sentinels, their faces in shadow, only making Zoisite even more unnerved. What would ease his anxiety was a glass of wine, but he was unsure if Theia had any equivalent. He was sure that Kunzite would say that drinking wouldn't be appropriate. Zoisite scowled at the thought; it wasn't Kunzite sitting here outnumbered by Sailor Soldiers. Next to him, Mercury sat typing in a small handheld computer. She had been doing so for the better part of an hour trying to find some connection to Nephrite's word from the stars. The strange piece of sorcery put Zoisite even more on edge. It was a blue rectangular compact, able to fit in one hand while she typed with the other. The blue Scout also wore a translucent azure shield over her eyes, upon which information would somehow illuminate in front of her eyes. All of her strange powers made him edge away from her; if he didn't think it rude, he'd have sat a few chairs away from her. Mars kept marching around the room, the clicking of her heels as frustrating as the incessant tick of a clock. Her raven hair fell in front of her face so he could not see her expression, but Zoisite did note that she had chosen to favor the wall farthest from him. She seemed to keep bringing her hands together and making strange formations with her fingers, and Zoisite swore he heard her whispering. Occasionally she would stop, shaking her hands out, but soon she would start over again. "Must she pace like that?" the general mumbled. "I don't think so," Mercury said, not even looking up from her computer's screen. She had taken his question as a literal inquiry. "but I think it helps." Zoisite rolled his eyes as his face contorted with annoyance. He wasn't sure if starting a conversation with this Sailor Soldier was a good idea; she seemed too smart for her own good. Boredom won in the end, and he indulged himself reluctantly. "Helps with what?" His tone dripped with contempt. If she did notice his repugnance, she ignored it. "I believe she's trying to dispel evil spirits." "Evil spirits?" Zoisite certainly believed in demons and such, but he was unaware they existed in Theia's war room. Mercury nodded. She then stopped typing for barely a moment, which broke the incessant rhythm of her fingers. She looked surprised, and then quickly returned to it. "I think I should've said 'bad luck.' That terminology suits the concept better." "Yes," he affirmed dryly. "That makes more sense." "I'm sorry," she said, completely removing herself from her computer to look at him through her visor. She blushed and smiled, which caught him off guard. "Your language is a bit primitive at times. It's hard to translate some things accurately." Zoisite fell back into instant dislike as Mercury returned to typing. "You all expressed yourselves well enough in the throne room." "We're all well versed in conversation of all languages, but sometimes the mystic concepts of different planets are hard to convert." He wasn't sure if she was trying to sound haughty or not, but he really didn't care. He just wanted the conversation to end. Seeing how skilled she was at having discussions while typing, he wasn't completely sure if they had stopped speaking or not. Either way, he did not offer a response. After a moment of silence, Mercury noticed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you." Her cheeks colored brightly as she sunk down a bit, but she never looked away from her blue computer. Her apology made Zoisite's eyes grow wide. He immediately regretted taking her words so harshly, if only because he saw her embarrassment. "No, it's fine, milady," he said earnestly, relaxing his shoulders. They fell into silence again, Zoisite settling to listen to Mercury's typing and the clicking of Mars' heels. Annoying as the sounds were, he would rather listen to them than get into an argument with a Sailor Soldier. If this was any inclination of the dynamic between the generals and the Scouts, Zoisite feared that it was going to be tougher than either group expected. He let himself ponder briefly if they would find Endymion at all, but quickly dismissed the thought. "Any luck with Umbriel?" he asked, still remorseful about their previous interaction. He attempted conversation again, thinking of the quest's well being. "Yes," she said matter-of-factly, but revealed no more. Zoisite sat up eagerly. "And?" "There are a few different possibilities, but I'm fairly certain that it's referring to the Umbriel Sward on Uranus." He stared at her blankly, which she took for confusion. She started speaking quickly. "Or it could be an ancient star cluster in a distant galaxy, but I really can't find much information on that though because the only real proof of its existence comes from old myths." "No, no," Zoisite stopped her rambling. "It must be the place on Uranus then." She nodded, smiling at his agreement with her even though she already knew she was right. "Well what are you still typing for?" Zoisite urged, rising to his feet. "Let's go tell Kunzite." Mercury put the computer down as she looked up at him. "You can go tell him, but it really won't do any good." "Why not?" Zoisite pouted, extremely frustrated by her. "Until I find the exact coordinates of the Sward, there's no reason to do much of anything. This particular pasture is big enough to take up half of the planet's southern hemisphere. It's sacred Uranian land that looks almost exactly like the rest of the planet, so we won't even know if we're searching in the right place until I can narrow it down." "Can't you ask the Uranian King to show us?" "It's sacred land, Zoisite. Uranians do not easily share information, even with Sailor Soldiers." "Isn't there a Sailor Uranus who can show us? She'd know her own planet," Zoisite was desperate for options now, and he knew before he asked that it was not a good idea. "The Outer Soldiers cannot be contacted by us, and probably would not involve themselves in this anyway." Mars' voice came up from behind Zoisite, making him start. He hadn't even noticed that her heels had stopped clicking; he wondered how long she had been there. Her violet eyes stared fiercely into his own, which reminded him of how uncomfortable he was. "Why? Don't all Sailor Soldiers serve the Silver Millennium?" "We do," Mars said coldly. "but in different ways. The four of us protect the Silver Millennium by protecting the princess and dealing with threats from within. The Outer Soldiers protect it from outside threats. There are millions of evils that try to enter this galaxy at any moment, General; their attention cannot falter for a second." Zoisite's rage burned. All he had heard from Mars was a stupid excuse, and he felt as though these Scouts were just trying to make it harder to find his prince. Mars saw his aggravation and cast him a threatening glare to keep himself contained. "We will find them, and we won't need to disturb the Outer Soldiers." He didn't believe her, and she sensed it. "If we're going to work together, you're going to have to trust us." "Well, the fact is I don't trust you," Zoisite snapped. "Any of you. And if you think just because we're allied now that I am just going to follow blindly, you are sadly mistaken." Mars turned her nose up at him, and her voice turned icy. "Why must you Terrans make everything difficult? We know far more than you do about the Silver Millennium." "You may," he spurted. "but I don't trust a word you say anyhow. As far as I'm concerned, you're just a foolish youth drunk with cosmic power." Mars had no response, but remained quiet and cold. Her silence fueled him. "Beside, you know nothing of real battle, Sailor Mars. Have you ever done anything besides banishing bad luck?" In an instant, the red clad Scout had formed a longbow and arrow of pure flame in her hands and aimed it straight for Zoisite's head. He could feel the heat from the tip of her arrow lick at his brow. The energy around her form swirled, causing her raven locks to gently stir. "Go ahead, General. Keep talking." The invisible heat coming from her weapon was distorting sailor Mars' face, but her violet eyes grew dark with fury. Her whole body had tensed in her stance, giving Zoisite no reason to doubt that she would release the arrow. "Mars!" Mercury cried, getting to her feet. Zoisite held a hand up to Mercury, preventing her interference. Despite the fiery arrow inches from his face, he smiled. "Impressive parlor trick," he said coyly. "I wonder if you even know its full extent. Have you ever shot anyone with one of those arrows?" Her eyes narrowed further, but she gave him no answer. "Well, there must be a first time for everything. Let's find out how powerful you really are." Zoisite's grin made Mercury nervous. "Shoot me." He heard the blue Scout gasp sharply, but Mars did not flinch. The only movement was the flames that fought the bow and arrow shape she commanded them to remain in. "Don't tempt me," she said at last through gritted teeth. "So is this an empty threat then, milady?" The general gave her another moment to follow through, but her arrow did not budge. With a fluid shift, Zoisite had dropped down and swung a leg across Mars' knees. The girl fell, her focus gone and with it her fiery weapon. As she fell, he rose, finishing his daring turn by quickly brandishing his sabre. The moment she had hit the floor, his curved blade was held ready to fall across her throat. A sadistic grin spread across his face though she could not take her eyes away from the sabre's blade. There was a clear shock on her face that even her anger couldn't hide. As he stared at her, he no longer felt like the victor. A young girl should never be at the blade of his sword. "Zoisite!" Before he could return his sabre, Kunzite and Venus had entered the room. The booming of his leader's voice was followed quickly by a gasp from the Scouts' leader. He closed his eyes, realizing his mistake, and quickly put his sword away. By the time he reopened them, Kunzite was already in front of him. Venus had made her way to her comrade's side, confirming that she was not injured. "What the hell is this?" Kunzite asked. Even now, his face remained deadly stoic. With a sigh, Zoisite flung his ponytail over his shoulder. "I was merely defending myself." By now, Mars had gotten to her feet. Venus had offered help, but Mars' pride wouldn't allow it. As she dusted off her skirt, she held her head defiantly high. "It's true," she said with as much dignity as she could muster. "I drew my weapon first." She now had the two leaders' attention. "Only to silence his wicked tongue." Mars' glared at Zoisite, who wondered what her face might look like when she was happy, if she ever was. Kunzite turned back to Zoisite; through his sternness was a disapproval that no one but Zoisite could see. Zoisite shrugged, only somewhat apologetically. "I don't care who started it. It won't happen again. The next one to act out will not be joining this search party." Venus ordered, to Kunzite's own surprise. He let his eyes glance at her, careful to not let them linger. She had stepped away from Mars, now standing beside Kunzite. Now more than ever, she wore her leadership like a custom fitted glove. It suited her. Mars nodded, her face still colored with her emotion. Zoisite immediately looked to Kunzite, who nodded sharply, indicating that the ordered applied to the general as well. He flustered, crossing his arms, more furious that now he was taking orders from a young girl than the order itself. "What have you got on Umbriel?" Venus continued, barely allowing time for Zoisite to settle, as she looked behind the two to Mercury. Mercury had been standing by her chair, a few feet from the scuffle, her computer still sitting open in her palm. Her visor still lingered over her surprised eyes, and she started a bit when she realized the question was directed at her. Almost immediately, she stood up taller, taking on a soldier's air as she returned to typing. "I believe it's indicating the Sward of Umbriel on Uranus." Her speech seemed eased when she was punching keys simultaneously. "Give me just a few more moments and I should have precise coordinates for the entire area." Venus nodded. "Good work. Let us know when you have something." With a sharp turn, she walked to the back of the room and leaned against the wall. Dismissed, Mars turned her nose up to Zoisite and walked in the opposite direction, resuming her strange finger movements and murmuring. Zoisite snarled as she passed. Mercury returned to the seat with a renewed vigor in her fingers. Only the two Terrans were left standing together. "Oh, don't look at me like that," Zoisite said, taking a step closer as his voice lowered. "I didn't do anything besides mouth off a little." Kunzite raised a brow. "Fine, a lot. Either way, she had a flaming arrow pointed at my skull. She refused to fire it or lower it. I had to do something." "I understand," Kunzite spoke quietly, sparing a glance to the three Scouts scattered around them. "These Sailor Soldiers are a confusing breed. Nonetheless, we must keep our equanimity even if they don't keep theirs. I do not want to prove the rumors about blood thirsty Terrans to be true." Zoisite nodded, to which his leader placed a hand on his shoulder and spared a rare smile at the youngest general. With a sly grin on his own face, he said, "But must I really take orders from the young blonde?" Kunzite almost laughed. "For now, do as she says. She and I must appear united for the moment, as I expect the Scouts to obey me as well." "Fine," the other pouted. Kunzite patted his shoulder once and turned away. Under his breath, Zoisite added, "But it better not be for long." Kunzite pretended not to hear Zoisite's last remark as he approached Venus on the back wall. His cape spread as he turned to face the chamber, standing tall beside the Scout. For a long moment, they watched the three in the room without word. The beat of Mars' heels was the metronome to Mercury's rapid typing percussion. Zoisite had returned to his seat next to the blue Scout, now reclining and propping his feet up on the table. The general's elevated boots seemed to annoy Mercury, but she didn't speak, only typed faster. "Well handled, Sailor Venus," Kunzite said quietly. Again, his face did not betray any feeling. "I expect you would've done the same," she replied coolly, shooting him a prideful smirk. Kunzite was speechless, but allowed his placid countenance to mask it. "Thank you," she said, filling in the silence and taking him even more by surprise. "For?" He asked dryly. Without even so much as a glance towards him, she continued. "Not speaking against me. I hope your general is not too upset." At this, Kunzite turned to look at her. It was the first time he showed emotion to her, and it was pure surprise. "You're worried about Zoisite?" She blushed as she turned away from his gaze. "He did not seem to like me volunteering commands." Kunzite scoffed. "It's just the man he is. He does not care for any command that does not suit him. You'll have to pardon his lucidity; he's the youngest of us and does not have an ounce of subtly in him." "Clearly," Venus grinned, brushing a golden strand of hair behind her ear. "I take it Sailor Mars is a bit quick-tempered," Kunzite said, his equable countenance returning. "Yes. She is not as vicious as she would like to seem, though, and her threats are almost always empty. It must've been quite a shock to have someone stand his ground against her." "Why the empty threats?" Venus took a moment to contemplate. At length, she spoke. "She cares too much, and really hates inflicting injuries to others, even in sparring sessions. When it comes to confrontations, she'd rather intimidate someone into backing out rather than actually exchange blows. Against the Sailor Soldier of Mars, most of her opponents concede easily." "I see." "Tell me, General," Venus began but never got to finish. A rapid succession of beeps from Mercury's computer drew everyone's attention as she burst out of her chair. Her sudden movement shocked Zoisite, who lowered his feet as his hand flew to his sabre's hilt urgently. With a wide smile, she looked towards the two leaders, yellow lights of statistics still blinking on her visor. "I've got it." Jadeite walked beside Sailor Jupiter as she led the way back to the war room. Nephrite was sulking behind them, keeping his distance. He had seen the auburn general upset before, but something was different. Nothing had happened that would give him any cause to be this way; the only events that had upset Nephrite like this before was the loss of a battle or a good whipping in a sparring session. Jadeite wondered what was going on silently, if only because he had nothing else to think about. The search of Serenity's room had proved futile. The Princess had not taken any weapons, and the only thing missing besides a gown was an old locket, which could've been swiped by a servant the minute the Princess was gone. The note she had left behind left no reason or date of return, which annoyed Jadeite more than anything. It was pointless to leave a note to just inform everyone that you've gone off. Clearly, they've realized that already. Before Jadeite even realized they were anywhere close to the war room, the other three Sailor Soldiers came rounding a corner with fire in their eyes. Kunzite and Zoisite were with them, and Jadeite recognized the look on his leader's face - it was time for action. Jadeite, along with Jupiter and Nephrite, stopped dead in their tracks. Before they could ask, their question was answered. "Mercury has final coordinates. We're heading out," Venus barked as she led the first group past the three of them. Falling in step with the others, Jadeite felt a rare excitement that he had not felt in four long years. A strange adrenaline mixed with pure anxiety in his gut, increasing his senses and reactions considerably. Like a hot flood, his muscles were tightening and gathering energy for whenever the need came. His body knew what was coming. Once again, he was going into battle. "Where?" he heard Nephrite ask. "Uranus," Kunzite replied. It did not take long for provisions to be gathered, thanks to the assistance of several servants. They traveled light, with only one change of clothes for the generals. The Scouts' uniforms were refreshed every time they transformed, but each of them took a talisman that tucked into their uniform. Some food was packed, but only small snacks that were easily transported. After almost half an hour on Earth, they were ready to leave. The four men traveled behind the Scouts, and the whole lot of them traveling down the hall was incredibly noisy. The girls' heels and the men's armor clamored down several passageways, some of which had servants gathering to see the commotion. After the first group of hallways, they passed through a grand doorway, leading to smaller and more ornate passages that were not intended to public passage. It took another winding route before they finally emerged on a grand courtyard that held nothing but a small, circular building. The edifice was perhaps half the size of the Earth's teleport, but almost completely identical. Venus allowed her Scouts to enter first, remaining outside with the generals. "Why this transport?" Kunzite asked clearly when the girls were inside. The blonde motioned for them to continue into the building because the four men had stopped just short of its entrance. "It's a Silver Millennium Teleport," she explained, frustrated at their immobility. "This can get us closer to the coordinates. Earth's Teleports connects to each kingdom's capital. We don't have time for that now." Not wanting to delay the mission longer, Kunzite led his men inside the building, albeit hesitantly. Inside, there was no decoration, only the destination dial and a ring of light that encompassed almost the whole floor. This dial had a secondary dial with numbers on it, and Mercury had already set it to number five. The three Scouts already stood within the ring; Venus entered behind them and quickly stepped in without faltering. With one last look to his men, Kunzite stepped into the ring. The other three shortly followed. "Finally," Jupiter murmured. It was very crowded in the circle, leaving no one any room to even shift their weight. Shoulders pressed against shoulders as Mercury initiated the teleport and the light began to glow brighter. Jupiter's ponytail was directly in Jadeite's face so he could barely see anyone else. As the light overwhelmed his vision, he heard a sharp gasp as someone clung onto his hand. Once the teleport began, the strange stretching feeling overtook him. Yet what he could not ignore was the terrified grip on his hand. It must've been one of the Scouts, but he didn't see who was around him before they left. Whoever it was, he wrapped his own around the strange hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Somehow, their fingers laced and he was holding onto to someone. As they arrived and the light faded, Jupiter's auburn hair remained blocking his vision as the hand released his own. He turned to both sides of him, but everyone was so close it truly could've been anyone's. As they each stepped out of the new teleport building, Jadeite completely forgot about whose hand it was. Because before the eight guardians was a dead planet. Even the four generals, who had never seen this part of Uranus, knew that it was not how it was supposed to be. What had used to be soft, green grass was now burnt and blackened soot. It stretched on for miles. Pathways that wound through the fields and over hills were decimated, leaving only glittered golden pieces behind. Off in the distance, fires could be seen still flickering and expelling dark smoke; the cities of Uranus were burning. The sky, once warm lavender, had sunk into a tormented, hellish mauve. The clouds were gone, only a few pieces of mist still clung to the planet's firmament as a reminder of the beauty that once was. The strong winds carried the scent of death and finality with them as they washed over the only living creatures on the planet. "By the gods," Zoisite gasped. Everyone was frozen with shock. It took a very long moment before Mars had the strength to step out onto the charred ground. The rest watched her with a strange sense of admiration as she bent down and ran her red-tipped fingers over the scorched soil. "The whole planet is like this," she murmured. "What could've done this?" Venus whispered, her voice cracking. Zoisite was uncomfortable, and his eyes once again began to roam with distress. He found Jupiter's fists clenched so hard they were shaking. Kunzite stared out vacantly. Jadeite was breathing furiously, his nostrils flaring with every breath. Venus had her eyes closed, clutching her chest as if she had been injured. Nephrite's eyes looked upward, as if to gaze at the stars through the dark sky. Lastly, he found Mercury next to him, her eyes now unguarded by the visor. She was silently crying. The sight tore at him. The blue-haired girl could be no older than he was, but he still was pained to witness her reaction. It was as if she had never seen a desolate battlefield; he realized perhaps she hadn't. Reminded of his own first encounter of a deadened landscape, he reached out and placed a hand on her back. She turned to him with tears running down her cheeks. Her royal blue eyes had lost none of their radiance, but for the first time he saw no heavy thoughts or calculations behind them. What he saw was pure, unbridled emotion reflected in his own green eyes. With a strong disbelief, she looked at him questioningly for answers about what had happened. He ached that he could not tell her. "Perhaps," Nephrite said with a solemn despair. "This is why the stars pointed us here." "No," Mars said from in front of them. As she looked back over her shoulder, her violet eyes were dark and hollow. "This is recent. Too recent for even the stars to foresee." Mercury blinked more tears out of her eyes. "Serenity?" was all she managed to choke out. Kunzite turned to Nephrite, who was gazing at the stars. He almost immediately met Kunzite's eyes with a face of dread. "Everything is dead here," he delivered a message from the stars, perhaps louder than he meant to. Everyone began to turn to Nephrite in alarm, but Jupiter spoke abruptly. "No, not everything," she said, her voice distant. Her Jupiter symbol was bright with power. "The wind says that two still live, though barely." "Where?" Venus snapped. Jupiter looked at her with empty eyes, the green sigil fading. She didn't know. The blonde haired girl marched out onto the landscape, waving over her shoulder for the rest to follow. The Scouts did so immediately; the generals waited for Kunzite to move first before they joined. "Fan out," Kunzite ordered as they all began to search the landscape for their prince and princess. "Mercury," Venus called. "Start scanning. Any thing alive, I want it found." They did as they were told. Mercury had already retrieved her computer, from thin air Zoisite noticed, and had it open in her hand. With a squeeze of an earring, a blue beam curved around her eyes, forming into the visor. Such magic was unknown and disconcerting to Zoisite, making him all the more eager to separate and begin searching far away from her. Soon, the eight of them spanned the great plain, sweeping the blistered area for any sign of life. They found none. After miles of searching in silence, a glimmer of hope emerged with a beep of Mercury's computer. "This way!" she cried out to the others, pointing off into the distance. They all took off running. Mercury herself was left in the dust. Zoisite couldn't determine whether she just couldn't keep up or if it was because she was still reading the information being fed to her visor. He purposely let himself fall back, feeling sorry for the poor girl. Yet even as she lagged behind, her voice was strong as it steered the leaders to the right spot. Jupiter and Jadeite held the front, a tiny competition driving both onward, but it was Jadeite who saw it first. He stopped dead as a shiver ran up his spine. Jupiter, feeling victorious, pressed forward with a grin. As she glanced behind at the now still general, she saw the others stop behind him as well. Her attention turned to face in front of her, her smile vanished. It took only two long strides for her to slow herself to a complete stop. On top of the black, charred ground was the first sign of anything other than ashes and dust. Two forms were sprawled out. One form faced the sky in a position as if just struck down. The other was prone, arms reaching out to the other. Yet as the group edged closer, they found that the two forms had fallen separately. Two large impacts scorched the ground a good distance away from the other. The sprawled out body lay in the center of one of them; from the other came a path where the other form dragged itself to the its companion. It was as if the two only lived because they would not die without the other. Jupiter recognized them and immediately shot off towards them. "Uranus! Neptune!" Her voice screeched over the quiet of the ruin, and as soon as the other Scouts heard it, they all were off running. The four generals came together as they simply walked over. A shared concern for the fallen Scouts was overcome by a distress for unfamiliar Sailor Soldiers, even if injured. Now, they were outnumbered and all knew it. "The Outer Soldiers," Zoisite murmured. "You know them?" Nephrite questioned. "No," Zoisite was walking slower than the rest. "Mars spoke of them before; apparently they protect the galaxy from the far edge." As they approached, they joined the Scouts around the fallen comrades. Nephrite and Jadeite found Jupiter and Mercury bent over the prone form, kneeling beside them. Her hair was a stunning aqua color, but had been dirtied by ash and blood. Her uniform, tattered and frayed, was a bluish-green with navy colored bows. On her feet were heels that were fastened to her foot by crossing straps. The uniform was almost identical to the Inner Scouts, but her gloves only reached past her wrist. As Jupiter gently rolled her over, the sigil of Neptune was imprinted on her forehead, sparkling through dark blood. The woman was elegantly beautiful, even with dirt and blood smeared across her face. Blood matted her hair to her head, leaking down into her eyes. The bow that rest on her sternum was almost completely gone; only two torn ribbons hung flowing in the wind. Blood covered one of her legs, resulting from a deep gash almost the complete length of her thigh. "Sailor Neptune," Mercury choked, the tears flowing freely down her face. Her computer and visor had vanished again. The fallen Scout lay still with her eyes closed, unresponsive. Further away, Kunzite and Zoisite joined Mars and Venus around another Scout. Her uniform was a dark navy blue with pale yellow bows. Ankle boots, covered in mud and dust, were on her feet, one of which was bent in an impossible way. Her gloves, too, came up short. Across her stomach was a large wound, staining the bulk of the white torso crimson. She had short sandy hair, only perhaps a few inches longer than Jadeite's, but it was darkened with soot. The symbol of Uranus was completely covered with a large burn. Venus had pulled Uranus' head onto her lap. Uranus had fierce dark blue eyes, but one was swollen shut. The other stared up with an angry disbelief. Mars began to wipe away some blood that trickled from Uranus' mouth as Venus called to her. She did not respond. Meanwhile, Jupiter cradled Neptune in her lap, stroking the filthy hair away from her face. As if the touch revived her somehow, Neptune opened her eyes weakly to prevent blood from leaking in. Sparkling pools of the deepest blue stared up without focusing, but somehow fell upon Jadeite. She tried to reach out to him, but as she did so, it was apparent that her arm was broken. Her wrist fell limp, and she drew in a painful breath as the rest of her arm dragged it behind. Mercury grabbed the arm and held it down. Neptune fought her grasp with the strength she had left, which wasn't much. It took nothing for Mercury to restrain her efforts. "Stay still," Jupiter said, her voice cracking. Neptune's breathing was shallow; every gulp of air taken was a monumental feat. Her pink lips, now dry and covered in her own blood, parted. Everyone waited in a moment of anticipation as she gathered enough air to speak. "Uranus," she mouthed, but only parts of the word came out. "I'm sorry." Her eyes were unfocused and now tainted with blood as they looked at Jadeite. She tried to lift up her head, but it wobbled on her shoulders before falling back onto Jupiter's lap. Uranus seemed to hear Neptune's voice. "Neptune," she wheezed. Her eyes darted in Neptune's direction, her body jerking as she attempted to move towards it. Venus held her shoulders down, but the injured Scout would not have it. Several more attempts were made as her arms stretched out towards her companion. Mars gripped one of Uranus' gloved hands, although the glove was so torn that it was no more than a bracelet of fabric. Uranus tried to shake off her grip as she called out Neptune's name repeatedly. Kunzite and Zoisite did not interfere. Swallowing hard, Uranus' eyes filled with rage. "Let me go to her!" Her voice was low and raspy, but the ache in it was so clear that Kunzite almost removed the Scouts' hold on her. Instead, he looked to Jadeite and Nephrite by the others. With but a look and a beckoning with his hand, he signaled to have the other brought over. Without question, Nephrite began to bend down, but Jadeite stopped him. "I'll take her," he said, still holding the unsteady gaze from Neptune. Jadeite knelt down and slipped his arm under Neptune, lifting her chest upright. Unable to support her head, he caught it with his hand and gently leaned it onto his chest. The woman sighed, relieved as she felt him under her. His other arm slid under her knees and with a slow, even motion, he picked her up. Mercury tucked Neptune's injured wrist onto her torso so it would not hang. She, Jupiter, and Nephrite fell into step behind Jadeite. As he strode slowly over to the others, careful not to jostle the woman in his arms, he could feel how cold the woman was compared to the blood that was on her leg. She almost felt like she was sleeping in his arms, but every few steps he would hear her struggle to suck air into her lungs, reminding him that she was dying. He knew that to her bloodied eyes, his short, sandy hair must seem like her companion's. Yet the way she fell onto his chest, almost content to die there, proved to Jadeite that these two were something more than teammates. To see both so close to expiring, he felt an overwhelming hatred for whoever did this. With great care, he placed her by her companion. They were both too injured to be very close, but they now rested by each other's side. Mars drew Neptune's head onto her lap this time, as Venus still held Uranus, who turned her head so her one good eye could see the aqua-haired girl. "Neptune," she spoke the word with a great sorrow in her voice. The other turned her head, but her eyes were slowly drifting upwards into her skull. "Uranus, I'm sorry," she repeated, somehow understanding that her lover had not heard her before. "Shh," Uranus silenced her. "Death does not suit you." "Yet it has me." A stuttered exhalation of breath was all Neptune could manage as a giggle. "Are you jealous?" "I cannot share you," Uranus choked out as she fought to keep her emotions inside. Neptune's eyes were fighting to stay open as her consciousness faded away. "I... I want to touch you, Aether," her words were labored. With a weak hand, Uranus reached out and found Neptune's broken hand, lacing her fingers into the other's. "Don't leave me here," Uranus said, a weak smile spreading as tears began to fall from the corners of her eyes. She squeezed Neptune's hand. "Its not fair." Neptune did not feel it. She did not seem to hear Uranus as she slipped into unconsciousness. Uranus' grin faded into a surprised despair as her breath caught in her throat. "Thalassa..." she whispered as she grasped her companion's hand tighter. Tears now flowed freely down her cheeks as she still fought to get closer to the other Scout. Venus kept her down with visible effort. Uranus barely acknowledged the hindrance. "Thalassa!" she cried out, her voice cracking. No one else could speak as they watched the two women fight inevitable death. The generals were all solemn; they had each experienced death on the battlefield but never like this. This was the first time that they had witnessed any soldier refuse the sweet relief of death for another's love. No earthen soldier had this kind of strength. The cry of her name seemed to summon Neptune one last time. Again, her eyes flickered open as a small smile curled onto her lips. "I... will find... you," she spoke as quickly as she could between the heavy rise and fall of her chest. "again." Neptune's eyes closed again, the deep blue orbs once again hidden from view. Uranus had ceased struggling, but kept her gaze on Neptune. "Protect the princess, Inner Soldiers," she said weakly. "We... have failed." She seemed to stop fighting her emotions, pain, everything, as she let her eyes close. Her hand never released Neptune's as her head fell to the side.