“Three days and nothing.”
“Eh?”
“No word from the Earth. No attacks. No missions. Just silence.”
Rei growled at Endymion. Her mug hit the bar a little harder than she’d intended. “Don’t be so quick to jinx us. If periodic guard duty unnerves you so much, you should return to Serenity’s bed.”
“No,” Endymion scowled and blushed hotly, avoiding Rei’s scorn and Makoto’s arched eyebrow, “your kingdom has been kind enough to harbor me as an exile. I would engage in your protective duties as well.”
“We didn’t say Beryl’s silence wasn’t unnerving,” Makoto clarified, pausing only long enough to down the rest of her drink and to pick up her next, “but that we’ve learned to cherish what little time we have without that demon Queen looming over us. She may be unpredictable, but we refuse to live in fear.”
“Live in fear?” Rei’s words were a hoarse whisper and her body went ramrod straight, her amethyst eyes glazing over.
Endymion and Makoto stood before her, the three of them united unexpectedly. It was cold. So cold. Yet it was the fear in her heart - tangible and dark - that was many times worse. Dark fingers reached for her, only her, and she was forced to submit to a powerful will-
“Heeeey! What is this, boy’s night out or something?”
A familiar voice accompanied a quick smack between the shoulder blades that nearly toppled Rei off her stool. She felt strong hands pulling her back into position and when she turned to look over her shoulder, she found herself staring into Haruka’s hazel gaze.
The blonde retracted her hands as if she’d been burnt. “You okay?” She asked shakily. She looked to her hands in question.
Rei’s senses hesitantly returned to normal. Try as she might to recapture it, the hazy vision remained elusive. She was only thankful that the Uranian hadn’t touched her long enough to siphon more than a fleeting confusion of the phantom darkness she’d detected.
“Ah,” the Martian barked detachedly, “I’m fine.”
Haruka seemed mostly appeased with her answer and plopped her tall frame on a stool next to Rei.
“You get the note too?” Makoto asked with her arms crossed across the back of her head.
The Uranian shrugged and caught a mug of frothy amber liquid that was effortlessly slid down the counter by the barkeep. “’Be back in the morning. Going out with the girls.’” She paraphrased sourly.
“Ha!” Makoto nearly snorted a mouthful of ale up her nose. “Even Michiru-san went?”
Haruka set her half empty glass on the bar’s edge and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “What’s this all about, anyway?”
The Jovian seemed entranced by the motion of her ale as she tilted her glass from side to side distractedly. “One of Serenity-chan’s whims. She calls it a ‘slumber party’. Personally, I think she’s scheming something.”
Rei snorted. “When isn’t that woman scheming something?”
“Are we talking about Serenity-chan or Minako-chan now?” Makoto asked bemusedly.
“Both.” Rei chuckled.
Haruka downed the rest of her glass’ contents. “Yeah, but a slumber party? Then why weren’t we invited?”
Makoto pointed a thumb at Endymion. “To keep him company, I guess.”
“Keh,” the Uranian cursed, “I’m surprised Serenity’s even able to go the entirety of a night without pretty boy over there.”
“I’m sitting right here you know.” Endymion grumbled into his drink.
Rei pushed the Earthling’s mug back to the bar’s edge. “Careful with that stuff, its not Earth beer, you know. And don’t expect not to be the talk of the kingdom, after the maids have caught you in Serenity’s chambers in a compromising position twice. Its your own damn fault.”
Haruka laughed unapologetically and caught another drink as it was slid down the bar. “Well, ladies, looks like it really is boy’s night out then!”
“I’m surprised you’re willing to spend an entire night without Endymion’s company.” Michiru’s voice held a gentle teasing quality to it.
Serenity’s quivering lip firmed and she stood tall. “Don’t tease me. I’m being serious here.”
Ami found her hands to be very interesting. “All kidding aside, Serenity-chan, I’m not sure that I can attack you.”
Minako laid a hand on the blunette’s shoulder. “You may defy your commander’s order, but could you defy your Princess’ in this case? It is what she’s asked for.”
“Mina-chan…” The Mercurian’s voice teetered uncertainly.
Michiru laid a hand on Ami’s other shoulder. “Ara, the Princess has a right to want to be stronger too. Does she not?”
Ami found the courage to meet Serenity’s hopeful gaze.
The Princess clasped her hands before her chest. “Ami-chan, please help me be stronger so I can help protect the ones I love.”
The petite blunette stood tall. Between the support of her friends and a newfound respect she found within her Princess, a gentle blue glow enveloped Ami, and Mercury nodded with a smile. “Shall we begin then, Serenity-chan?”
The Princess jumped up on shaky feet and fisted her hands tightly, allowing her senshi to size her up.
“So where do we start with her training?” Neptune asked, “What are her strengths?”
“Well… she eats real fast.” Venus said.
Mercury put a finger to her chin. “She can scream real loud.”
“She does have quite the wail, doesn’t she?” Neptune said with a nod.
“Guys!” Serenity cried, then blushed when her friends laughed at the result of their setup. The Princess of the Moon blushed furiously and stuck her nose to the air. “I want to be strong like all of you!”
Venus smiled softly. Stepping before Serenity, she set her gloved hand over the smaller woman’s heart. “We can, and will help you become physically stronger, Serenity-chan, but your greatest strength lies right here.”
“You have a power within you that surpasses all of theirs combined, my daughter.”
With her mother’s voice serving as a gentle reminder, Serenity placed her hand atop Venus’ and nodded bravely.
Haruka shoveled a spoonful of breakfast into her mouth while enduring a scathing glance from Minako in reprimand for her casual comment. The aforementioned bruised and battered Serenity looked away with a quivering lower lip.
The Uranian held her hands before her defensively. “Look, all I’m saying is that it’s our job to take those kinds of blows for her so she doesn’t have to face the dangers of battle.”
“Is it so terrible to want to be stronger to protect the ones you love?” The question was rhetorical, and Michiru leveled a meaningful glance at her partner.
“I guess you’re right.” Haruka acquiesced and then smiled charmingly at her Princess. “And I do admire your determination, koneko-chan.”
Serenity puffed herself up at the Uranian’s hard won praise. “I know I’ll never be as strong as you, Haruka-san, but I can’t sit here and do nothing while the entirety of the Moon Kingdom prepares for war.”
“War.” Rei snorted derisively. “The guards have increased their training lately.” She jabbed her fork towards the others. “It sounded like a portion of the army’s night shift was practicing right outside my window all night last night.”
“Oh, they do that every night,” Minako explained with a wave of her hand, “You probably only noticed it because I wasn’t there to distract you until the wee hours of the morning.”
The Martian nearly choked on a potato slice. Makoto had the decency to slap her comrade on the back. With red cheeks, Rei downed a mouthful of water.
“Perhaps melee battle isn’t best suited for you, Serenity.” Eager to change the topic of conversation, Endymion examined his lover’s wounds worriedly. “Perhaps swordsmanship or a long range weapon would be a better match for your skills.
“Or not.” Minako cast a doubtful gaze in Endymion’s direction. “Maybe let’s keep her away from pointy objects and just work on her strength and simple battle tactics first, huh?”
Ami laid a supportive hand atop Serenity’s. “While she heals today, she and I will study tactics and strategy. She is showing lots of skill in several areas, but lets take it slowly on her, shall we?”
“Don’t take it too easy on me, Ami-chan,” the Princess’ voice was quiet, her eyes cast downward, “because we don’t know how many more mornings we’ll have to be together like this. And if I can make a difference in ensuring that I get to share my breakfasts with all of you like this for the rest of my life, I’ll gladly endure any amount of training my warriors can throw at me.”
His skin crawled with a dark energy that he could only pinpoint as familiar now that he had been away from it for nearly a week.
But his eyes were heavy, and he was tempted to think himself paranoid and simply surrender to the sweet comfort of the small body he was spooned against. Serenity’s comfort, even when she was fast asleep, exhausted from days of rigorous training, was a gentle boon that held its own weight. Yet, like a small insect buzzing near his ear, a distant sound nearly too quiet to hear was a constant irritation, a song he couldn’t quite place but felt he ought to know.
Finally, his eyes shot open in recognition. A piano. ‘Zoicite played the piano. He could use it to…’
A horrible crash on the keys brought the distant melancholy tune to a discontent and incomplete end. Another presence, this one infinitely stronger, seemed to shoulder the incorporeal presence of the shitennou out of the way and now danced at the edge of Endymion’s consciousness.
‘Endymion, return now and become my King, else I will crush your Princess.’
‘I thought you exiled me.’ He thought it strange that he could hear his own voice in the confines of his mind as clearly as though he was speaking.
‘I changed my mind. I want you back.’
‘Beryl?’
There was an eerie silence. Endymion understood far too easily that it wasn’t really Beryl he was communicating with at all.
‘I don’t suppose you’ll give me a choice in the matter.’
‘I don’t suppose you’d like for me to crush me your Princess, then.’
‘Metallia-‘
‘It would be so easy, you know. Child’s play, just like with the shitennou. It takes remarkably little effort to possess the feeble brain of a human.’
That was when Endymion felt that darkness he had become so accustomed to living alongside amplify, reach out, and the voice that occupied his head was no long just a voice, but a hand, ghosting through his brain, wrapping strong fingers around his thoughts, his memories, and even deeper, to his very soul.
And suddenly, Endymion was floating outside his body, watching detachedly as his hand left the warmth of the covers and gently traced the outline of Serenity’s face. The hand coasted below her cheek, under her jaw. He panicked when he saw his fingers splay open across Serenity’s neck and slowly close around her soft skin…
‘Stop!’
His hand jerked open. His consciousness was rammed into his head once more. Metallia laughed. The dissonant sound echoed between his eardrums.
‘I see you are a man of reason after all.’
“I told you I could fix my own midnight snack.”
“I’m sure you could, but I want to do it for you.” The tall brunette leaned across the kitchen table and pressed the top of her partner’s small computer shut with a click. “Knowing you, you’d just shove something easy and unhealthy down your throat while you do more research.”
“Are you trying to say something?” Ami asked coyly with an arched eyebrow as she leaned back in her chair and patted her tummy.
Makoto’s laugh died in her throat and her body froze. Her eyes clouded over. An eerie, mournful song filled the space in her brain. She was filled with a sudden and irrepressible understanding that she couldn’t bring herself to ponder too closely. She just knew what she had to do.
The plate the Jovian had held in her hand slipped from her fingers and crashed on the hard floor.
“Mako-chan?” The Mercurian was at the taller woman’s side in a moment’s notice.
Hazel eyes slowly turned to the blunette and Makoto looked to her lover; all that was good, and pure, and whole. All that was not her.
“I love you.”
“Eh?” Ami asked, even as the Jovian pulled her into an all-encompassing embrace. “What’s gotten into you?” She asked with a quiet chuckle.
“Nothing.” Makoto said, her voice teetering unsteadily behind Ami’s ear. “Can’t I just say that for no reason?”
“Of course… I love you too, Mako-chan.”
Ami felt a nearly frantic pressure on her upper arms as Makoto pulled her away from her. Leaning down, Makoto stole a brief kiss.
“I’m going for a walk.”
“At this hour?”
But the Jovian was already out the door.
Suddenly, the piano’s song became much louder. It was accompanied with a message - less a worded command and more a thought embedded in the tune. All Rei knew for certain was that if she didn’t obey its call, harm would come to the one she cared for most. She wasn’t sure how, but she knew it was all too possible. And that was not acceptable.
Rei slipped from Minako’s bed. Her nakedness was instantly clothed by Mars’ fuku.
Sensing the surge of her lover’s transformation, Minako opened sleepy eyes. In her sleep-fogged confusion, it seemed as though Mars’ back was to her, her sword drawn protectively where the crimson warrior stood guard at the foot of the bed. She blinked again, and only Rei stood there. Perhaps her eyes had deceived her.
“Rei?”
“Shh.” The Martian leaned down to plant a light kiss on Minako’s forehead. She busied herself with pulling the thin sheet closer to the Venusian’s nude form. “Can’t sleep. Going to make some tea. Go back to sleep.”
“But-“
“For me?” Rei asked. It pained her to deceive Minako, but a simple, tangible, irrepressible fear overrode her guilt.
“’K.” Minako mumbled tiredly. “Love you.”
The soft glow of Mars enveloped Rei once more and she smiled softly. “More than the air I breathe.” She whispered, though she knew the Venusian had already returned to sleep’s embrace.
The crimson warrior didn’t bother with the door.
She leapt out the window.
And she ran.
“Excuse me,” Nephrite said dryly, “and here I thought we didn’t want to announce our new base to the Moon Kingdom with bright lights and fireworks from a popular, tropical island.”
Zoicite glowered at the younger shitennou and debated on ordering some of the youma, who hadn’t hesitated in beginning to file through the newly opened access point from Earth, to attack his subordinate. Just for the fun of it.
“Ah, look,” Kunzite said with a flourish, “speaking of our visitors, the Queen’s pet has arrived.”
Jadeite snarled at his leader’s slight. “Watch your mouth.”
The dark head of the human had only just come into view in the dim light provided by Zoicite’s machinery. The exiled Prince of the Earth made his way across the flat, smooth ground of the cold crater slowly, deliberately, and proudly.
The eldest shitennou snorted and crossed his arms at his youngest warrior. “You only wish you could hold the position Beryl intends for him.”
Jadeite growled and lashed out. Kunzite easily caught the punch in an open palm all while shouting a mocking welcome to their exiled Prince. “So good to see you again, Endymion!”
“What is the meaning of this?” Endymion barked as he glared at the four men who had served his causes not so long ago. “You said visitors. Does that mean you’ve lured others out here as well?”
“You are as smart as you are gullible, Prince.” Kunzite bowed extravagantly. “We have called only those little girls that proved to be easily manipulated.”
“Easily manipulated?”
“Those honor bound and fierce nations like Mars and Jupiter provide such pliable soldiers.”
“Rei-san and Makoto-san.” Endymion hissed.
“Is that what you call them?” Kunzite asked leadingly. “You’ve seemed to really make yourself at home on this sorry little rock that orbits our planet.”
“I don’t think you know that you’re playing with fire.” Endymion spat.
“Cute pun. I’m not so afraid of the Martian.” Kunzite’s dark eyes belied his brave words. “Besides, if we capture her, we have Venus as well. With their leader distracted, we can wreak havoc on those senshi.”
“This must be Beryl’s plan, Kunzite. You were never quite this good at tactics.”
“Touché.” The leader of the shitennou said as he tipped his head in a mocking bow.
“You plan to brainwash Rei-san and Makoto-san, then. Like you’ve been brainwashed yourself.”
“I don’t consider it brainwashing, so much as I consider it… enlightenment.”
“Enlightenment? You’ve become a tool, Kunzite.”
“A tool you say?” The white haired man chuckled thoughtfully. “You have no idea what Beryl has planned for you, my former Prince.”
Endymion scowled. His sword screamed as he unsheathed it in an angry fury. The shitennou were just as quick to scramble towards Kunzite where they drew a both a defensive line and their weapons. Four against one, the points of five swords caught the dim light.
“That’s enough!”
The shitennou dropped to their knees as Beryl herself emerged from the access point, unconcerned that she was flanked by two fierce youma who mindlessly left her side to file in among their brethren that were slowly massing in the crater.
“What are you waiting for?” She asked the one man who still stood tall in her presence.
Endymion snorted. “I will not bow to you.”
Beryl sneered. Her dark eyes glowed red. Endymion’s face twisted into a grimace and the Earthling fell to his knees alongside the shitennou.
“What are you waiting for, Queen Beryl? Brainwash him now!” Jadeite shouted.
The red glow flickered, and then faded all together from Beryl’s eyes. “No.” She said quietly. “Not yet.”
The tension of Metallia’s power eased out of Endymion’s body, but his anger hadn’t diminished. He glared at his former tactician accusingly. “You’ll attack the people of the Moon with those disgusting monsters?”
“Now, Endymion, that’s no way to talk about my minions.”
“Why must you attack here as well? You’ve gotten what you wanted, right?” He rose to his feet and took several slow steps towards the woman. “You wanted me as your King. You have me. Now let us leave this place.”
Beryl was unconvinced. “You would play the martyr for her so readily? No, Endymion. I wish for you to be King of the Moon Kingdom, not King of Earth, which I already rule. You and I will rule this solar system together.”
She smiled slowly. “I’m afraid you’ll just have to wait a little while longer to become my King.”
Jupiter nodded darkly. “I know.”
Instinct had led both women to the Moon’s pole, and now they paused at the rim of a dark crater, at which its center glowed a dim light. The two warriors looked to each other and nodded, forming an unspoken agreement. Together, they would meet the threat headfirst.
With a sharp battle cry, they flung themselves down the crater walls, running down the sharp incline at breakneck speeds.
“They’ve established an access point.” Mars growled, the wind stealing her words. She ran faster as the newly built camp began to come into view.
“Youma.” Jupiter spat. An arc of lightening jumped between her hands restlessly. “They plan to invade the Moon the way they have the other planets.”
“Not if we can stop them.”
But the humans had already spotted them. The shitennou bellowed to the monsters, and the ugly creatures reared at the urgent command. With a sickly battle cry, slow, cumbersome bodies filed out to meet the incoming threat.
Mars came to a skidding halt, throwing her weight back on one leg and summoning a ball of flame in her palms. A wall of fire engulfed the first line of monsters. Blackened skin melted and smoked. The stench was nearly as foul as next wave of monsters that rushed to replace them. This threat was met by Jupiter’s lightening. Blue-white energy shot a web of electricity up and over a dozen of the youma. Brighter than the dim, surrounding lights, the monsters were fried on their feet and burned to a crisp.
But then, there were too many for even the two senshi’s mass attacks to take down, and the warriors quickly found themselves overrun and standing back to back, surrounded.
“’Ch.” Mars cursed as the youma pressed closer. “We should have known they’d invade the pole. Why didn’t we send the Lunarian army here?”
Jupiter snorted. “You know what they say about hindsight.”
“Oh well, there’s only one thing left to do.” The Martian said resignedly.
“Kiss our asses goodbye?”
“I was thinking about doing that only after we got back to the palace.”
Jupiter laughed. “You’re worried how Minako-chan will react when she realizes you went into battle without telling her?”
“Only as much as you’re worried about Ami-san’s reaction.”
“Well,” Jupiter smirked at Mars over her shoulder, “lets not keep our lovely ladies waiting, ne?”
The youma shifted uneasily around the two senshi – the creatures knew they had strength in numbers but were also acutely aware that the attacks that the small women were capable of would take many of their number out first.
The two warriors nodded at each other. Mars jutted her chin towards the humans. The flames of Mars danced eagerly in her palm. “I hope you’re ready for a good show, Kunzite!”
The white haired man sneered. “I wouldn’t be so confident if I were you.”
The tall man stepped aside. Beryl clambered onto the platform next to him, forcibly pulling another human along with her.
Mars’ flame flickered. “Is that… Endymion?”
The dark haired man raised his head. He struggled in Beryl’s iron grip. “Mars, run! They’ll brainwash you both!”
The Martian froze. Her breath caught in her throat. She was reminded of a hazy vision granted to her several days past.
Endymion and Makoto stood before her, the three of them united unexpectedly. It was cold. So cold. Yet it was the fear in her heart; tangible and dark, that was many times worse. Dark fingers reached for her, only her, and she was forced to submit to a powerful will-
The youma issued a united battlecry, and as one, the ring of monsters surged, convening on the two women. Mars forcibly tore herself from the vision. But instead of battling the youma, she turned to face her comrade.
“Mars?”
“I’m sorry, Jupiter.”
The force of the blow the Martian delivered nearly knocked the wind out of the powerful Jovian, and when Jupiter managed to catch her breath once more, she found herself enveloped in a protective shield of fire.
“Burning Mandala!” Jupiter hissed. Her eyes shot to the crimson warrior. “Rei-san!”
Jupiter pounded on the confines of the fire-shield she’d been trapped in, her eyes widening as she watched Mars battle the monsters on her own. Amethyst eyes glinted with a nearly suicidal glee the likes of which even the battle-tested Jovian had never seen.
Many youma fell victim to Mars’ walls of fire. Her flame sniper provided adequate protection and decent offense in the few opportunities she found time enough to back away from her enemies to catch a much needed breath. She eliminated scores of the monsters with an attack Jupiter had never seen before. A giant fire-bird illuminated the pitch black sky. Spreading its massive wings, it opened its flaming beak and screamed. What youma it didn’t capture in its mouth, it incinerated with its body.
But although Mars had taken down nearly fifty of the disgusting creatures by herself, the relentless force of youma just kept coming.
And Mars was losing strength.
The fire-bird faded out of existence, glowing embers of its magical feathers fading to the darkness of the black sky. The crimson warrior collapsed to her knees. She turned to Jupiter then, her breath coming in labored pants, her long raven hair singed and tussled.
“Tell Mina… I’m sorry.”
The youma charged the downed warrior. Jupiter screamed. She pounded the protective barrier of the Burning Mandala with all her strength.
But the killing blow never came.
The youma paused in a tight circle around Mars’ panting body. They parted only for Kunzite’s demanding figure, and dispersed when he dismissed them.
The white haired human bent down and grabbed a handful of Mars’ red fuku, pulling the woman to her feet. The crimson warrior found the strength to bat the man’s hands away, and with teetering balance, she stood on her own, shaking legs.
Kunzite sneered. “You just had to choose the hard way, didn’t you, Mars? You should have given up back on Earth.”
Kunzite sneered at the bloodied warrior, teetering on the brink of collapse. He snorted, cocked his arm back, and decked her. She fell to the frosty ground in a boneless heap. The only thing that made the act that much more enjoyable for the shitennou were the muffled curses issued by the Jovian warrior.
From her platform, Beryl smirked. “Now Kunzite, that’s no way to treat your new colleague.” The dark Queen laughed then. She shut her eyes and extended her power. “Now, submit to Metallia’s will, Martian warrior.”
Beryl frowned as she felt Metallia’s ghostly fingers sink into Mars’ unconscious brain. The resistance she encountered was like nothing she’d ever encountered in all the people she’d possessed, something that went beyond the planetary strength that Mars could have afforded the woman. The human grit her teeth and dug deeper as Metallia’s incorporeal fingers clenched around Mars’ being. It was a good thing she was taking the woman while she was unconscious. She couldn’t help but wonder how troublesome it could be to gain control of a woman who possessed the strength to combat Metallia’s will when she was lucid and aware.
Beryl smiled. All in due time.
Finally, Mars’ body twitched. Slowly, she pulled herself off the ground. She pushed her long, tangled hair out of her bruised and bloodied face and tossed it over a shoulder.
“Rei-san!” Jupiter pounded on the barrier of the burning mandala.
She received no response.
“Mars!”
The crimson warrior slowly turned. Jupiter nearly whimpered.
Those amethyst eyes were blank. An empty, haunted void.
“What of the Jovian?” Nephrite hopped off the platform and warily approached the burning shield. He raised his sword experimentally and swung at the barrier. His sword was deflected and the quivering, metal weapon fell from his shaking hands.
“Leave her.” Beryl spat. “If she can manage to escape that shield, she’ll still have the youma to contend with. Let us go. We have what we wanted most.”
The Queen descended the platform, pulling a struggling Endymion with her. The shitennou were quick to join her on the access point, eager to return to Earth.
Beryl frowned. The crimson warrior hadn’t moved, still rooted to the spot between Jupiter and the Earthlings. She sneered. “Mars, come!”
Empty, amethyst eyes looked to the Queen.
And she obeyed.
“Ami-chan! Have you seen Rei? I just searched all the common rooms.”
The Mercurian nibbled on her lower lip. “I was just about to ask you if you’d seen Makoto. I just came from the kitchen. I thought she might be personally seeing to breakfast.”
Minako frowned. “When did she you last see her?”
“Last night. Nineteen hundred hours, forty three minutes.”
The Venusian’s eyes hardened. She couldn’t be as precise as the Mercurian, but she thought that sounded like the same time as…
“Serenity.” She mumbled.
“Minako-chan, wait! Where are you going?” Ami took to her heels, following the golden haired woman as she tore back through the senshi wing.
The guards that stood guard in front of the door to Serenity’s room looked to the two warriors worriedly, but did not challenge them as Minako flung the door open wildly. The Venusian’s breathed a half-sigh of relief. The Princess was sound asleep in her expansive bed. Minako shut the door quietly behind her.
“Minako-chan?” Ami questioned.
The Venusian shot the guards a dangerous glance and the men dispersed immediately. Minako turned to Ami. “She’s in there. But Endymion’s not.”
“Endymion?” Ami scolded Minako with a reproachful gaze. “Don’t tell me you believe that court gossip. You can’t trust the maids, you know.”
“They were right about you and Makoto-chan all those years ago.” Minako said suggestively.
Ami reddened. “Th… that’s besides the point! Besides… what does this mean that Rei-san, Mako-chan and Endymion-san have gone missing?”
“Maybe they’re taking the whole boys night out thing a bit too far?” The Venusian asked hopefully.
Ami looked to her leader with weary eyes. Their troubled frames straightened at the sound of a scuffle down the hall. It seemed as though someone was tussling with the guards. Ami and Minako hurried around the corner, only to see a battered and bent Jupiter pushing the concerned guards away from her.
“Mako-chan!” Ami rushed down the hall and managed to cushion the Jovian’s fall before she hit the carpeted floor.
Finally in what she considered safe territory, the last remnants of Jupiter’s strength escaped her, and the Jovian detransformed to her weaker civilian state. The woman had run to her pole, fought a battle, been dealt a loss, had fought again, and had run back - all in the span of several hours.
When she’d finally caught her breath, her words came in a jumbled, confused, feverish lump. “Access point at the pole, Endymion was there… too many youma, we tried to fight them, but Mars… she… saved me, but-“
Ami shook her partner. “Mako-chan, slow down, you’re not making any sense!”
Frightened hazel eyes pierced Minako. “They captured Mars and turned her to Metallia’s will… they brainwashed her!” The Jovian’s eyes rolled to the back of her head.
The leader of the senshi pushed Ami to the side and slapped Makoto across the face. With fistfuls of Makoto’s collar, she shook the tall woman back to consciousness. “Makoto, tell me this isn’t true.”
A tear slipped down the Jovan’s face. “She wanted me to tell you… that she’s sorry.”
Makoto succumbed to unconsciousness once more.
Minako released her hold on Makoto and surrendered her to Ami. She stood slowly, her back turned, her hands balled into white knuckled fists. But the golden warrior had no time for anger, no time for grief, no time for self pity. Footsteps were quickening around the corner. Minako turned to meet a possible threat.
A green haired woman in a black-skirted sailor fuku charged down the hallway. On her heels were Neptune and Uranus.
“Pluto…” Ami whispered.
The senshi of time rested her weight on a menacing staff and caught her breath. Her garnet eyes were haunted.
“I was… too late.”
I know, I know. Dark (insert senshi of choice) is so cliché, right? I happened to love Dark Mercury in PGSM, so I had to try this out. Don’t worry – I think all of you will like where I’m going to take it.
Please review! Please? Pretty please?
Special thanks to:
Neuro: Thanks for pointing out Beryl’s progression as a character. I’ve never been a fan of the stereotypical ‘baddie’, and put a lot of effort into developing her descent into evil. And yes, Serenity is far more powerful than even she knows.
Sailor Doc: Hope you enjoyed the pre-screening of 13. Your encouragement is always cherished.
Sammeex: I never get tired of your praise! I just can’t wait until I get to post TTE so I can pimp your wonderful artwork to go along with it. Oh, and I totally agree with what you said about Venusian sheets – they must be really comfortable.
Bomichan: Glad to hear you're still hanging in there. Beryl's human side was the greatest reward of writing her character. I tried to make her as believable as possible, so I'm glad you liked it. Regarding Beryl and Minako's dislike for another, there's nothing beyond the general 'vibe' they got from each other when they first met. There was just a natural antagonism between the leader of the senshi and the future Queen of Earth. Sorry it's nothing more interesting than that!
OOO
Preview: Chapter 14: Deadly Intent
“Beryl has a mission for you.” Kunzite said smartly, eyeing the crimson warrior from the corner of his vision. He liked her obedience, and he sneered with satisfaction. “I told you you’d be on our side eventually.”
Mars frowned. Her pace slowed. The blank darkness inside her mind gave way to a scream that sounded so much like her own voice. It was disjointed, urgent, like something was wrong. But she was so very confused. She remembered the name Endymion had spoke, the name associated with the one woman she could remember. It was all she could think of.
‘Minako. Minako. Minako. Minako!’
Kunzite laughed. He tossed a hand over his shoulder. “You should have just chosen the easy way and surrendered when we had you here on Earth. Now your little leader will be in a world of hurt.”
The blankness disappeared from Mars eyes. Those amethyst orbs clarified. Her pupils dilated, and with the scream of metal against metal, Mars leapt at the shittenou, driving him back against the wall.
Kunzite found himself in a position all too familiar, with the Martian’s blade pressed against his throat. The crimson warrior applied just the slightest amount of pressure, and he felt his skin give way to the blade’s point, felt his hot blood coursing a thin trail down his neck.
“That’s enough!”
Mars narrowed her eyes at Queen Beryl’s voice. She gave Kunzite one last scathing look and pressed her sword just a fraction of a centimeter closer before releasing the pressure on his neck all together. Holding his bleeding neck with a gloved hand, Kunzite dropped to a knee in deference to his Queen. Swiftly, Mars turned her back on him and sheathed her sword.
Beryl walked around the crimson warrior in a close circle, eyeing her critically. “Are you ready for your first mission, Sailor Mars?” The Martian nodded. Beryl sneered. “I want you to go back to the Moon Kingdom tonight. I want you to kill Venus.”
Amethyst eyes wavered; the murky depths edging towards violet. Beryl frowned. They clouded over once more.
“Yes, Queen Beryl.”
They were the first words the crimson warrior had spoken. Beryl smiled confidently and let her go.
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