All was silent in the Great Hall of the Mirror, though the feeling of magic and power that filled the round chamber was almost oppressive. Already the aura of the reviving soulstone was lighting up the whole room, its deep blue glow sending eerie shadows throughout the ebony-walled area. As usual, Obsidian sat on his throne of forest-green-padded black stone, watching the glimmering ultramarine light take on a heart-like rhythm, a disinterested look in his nearly-black, golden-brown eyes.
Pale-lavender eyes narrowed slightly against the azure glare, a cool expression on his handsome face, Kunzite stood in front of Sailor Andromeda's glass prison and gazed at the shining gem in the center of the Zodiac-decorated carpet. I should be happy right now, he mused, a bit frightened by the cold rage he felt deep within himself. After all, this is something that I dreamed of for quite a while. And yet, I almost feel... dead inside.
Closing his eyes, a sigh of disgust escaping him, he tried to sort out his thoughts. Bad enough I can still feel the imbalance of the Element of Fire like an irritating wound in my soul, he groused, his ire sparked once more. Opening his eyes and giving his ruler a sidelong glance, he reminded himself, It's only temporary. Balance will be restored when we've achieved our goal. He gave me his word.
Is that truly good enough? jibed the dark voice deep within him, laughing slightly.
It is for me. My Lord is a man of honor.
So were you, once. But that didn't matter in the end.
I still am, Kunzite growled.
A dark chuckle. Are you so sure about that? I can still feel the craving for my power in you yet. Just open yourself up, and anything you wish for will be yours.
Leave me! Once more, the silver-haired Gemlord closed his eyes, bringing the strength of his iron will to bear against the mocking voice and the insistent need that always accompanied the whispered words.
As you wish, Lord Kunzite. Another peal of laughter. After all, a new player is entering the game. And such a lovely piece, indeed.
In the following silence in his mind, the Southern Commander felt a chill in his soul. I can't let her be a weakness any more. She trapped me once; I'll not be a victim again. He could feel the swirling currents of power surrounding him start to take on a familiar feel, felt his heart begin to ache once more. Clamping down on the feelings, shoving them aside, he opened eyes as cold as ice and stared back at the jewel on the floor. I joined the Negaverse for her on the pretext of a lie. She tricked me into throwing away everything-- my home, my friends, my duties, my dignity, my honor, myself-- for her and the illusion she gave me. I could forgive her for nearly anything, but the loss of honor is hard to swallow.
Behind him, slightly to his left, the blackish-green light of the Mirror faded away as the dark-blue star that was the reviving soulstone elongated and widened, taking on a humanlike shape. Then that flashed away, leaving a lone figure lying supine on the circular carpet.
It was a woman, her slender, supple body dressed in a sleeveless, short-skirted tunic colored violet-blue, knee-high boots of the same color as her white-belted tunic, and a thigh-length cape that was light violet-blue, metallic-gold-lined and fastened at the shoulders with a pair of golden broaches set with oval-shaped, violet-blue stones. High up on her left arm was a golden armband set with a triangle-shaped, violet-blue stone and beneath her long bangs glimmered a golden circlet, an oval-shaped, violet-blue stone in its center, the gem gleaming with the light of an aquamarine triangle deep within it. Surrounding her angelic-looking face, her long-lashed eyes still closed, her golden-blond hair made a silky cloud of copper-highlighted waves, softening her appearance even more.
Kunzite closed his eyes again, the riot of emotions the sight of her evoked almost too much to bear. In sympathy to the symbol of her Element glowing within her circlet's tanzanite, the violet-pink jewel on the silver-haired man's brow shone with a red diamond as the deep-level bond between them as Elemental Warriors reestablished itself.
Cosmos, the flowers. All for me, all because I asked. A tear appeared at the corner of a still-closed eye. It was so beautiful, it took away the pain, and the feel of his arms around me, the sound of his heartbeat in my ear, made it seem like I was in heaven already. The tear fell down the side of her face as she slowly lifted a hand up to wipe it away; her other hand remained clenched at her side. Suddenly aware that she could sense herself once more, feel the tickle of the tear, hear her own heart and breathing, her eyes flew open, revealing twin pools of violet-blue that seemed as dark and as deep as an ocean. Alive? But... how? Sitting up quickly, she looked around, searching for the one person so dear to her soul. Reaching out with her mind, telepathically calling out **Kunzite?**, she found his familiar, comforting presence at the same moment she laid eyes on him. A thrill of pure joy lanced through her, shaking off the weariness and dizziness she felt. Getting to her booted feet, she started to run toward him, not paying attention to his lavender-hued clothes.
Seeing her there, so beautiful, so vibrant, the tall Gemlord almost broke his resolve. Then came the frantic touch of her mind, so similar to the frenzied shout she-- in her masculine form-- had used to catch his attention in the underground prison on Earth so long ago. That scene flashed through his thoughts again, and with it came anger, bitterness, resentment. She had deliberately set him up to betray their ruler and their duties out of pure selfishness. It would be a long time before he could forgive her for that. Abruptly shielding his mind, he held up a hand in a gesture for her to stop.
Feeling the sudden rejection like the slamming of a door in her face, seeing both the ice-cold expression in his pale-lavender eyes and the forbidding tone of his stance, the golden-blond woman froze in place. Confused and hurt by his unexpected coldness, tears sprung to her large, violet-blue eyes as she nervously started to twist the end of her waist-length ponytail around a slender, long-nailed finger. "Cosmos, what's with you, love?" Her voice was a faint, heartbroken whisper. "You promised you'd never forget me."
He relaxed his stance a bit, turned his head away to stare at the floor. "I never did, Zoisite. You were always in my thoughts. Welcome home." Then, without warning, he turned and faded away, his long cloak swirling around him as he teleported out of the Hall.
"Hmm. Not quite what I expected from your homecoming," commented a clear baritone voice.
Blinking back the tears that threatened to spill from her long-lashed eyes, the Gemlord Zoisite looked over at the source of the sound, instantly on the alert. Focusing on the dark-haired, dark-eyed man staring back at her, light glittering off a golden circlet set with a black cabochon stone that rested on his brow, she suddenly grew wide-eyed in shock as everything came flooding back to her. Instantly frightened, all she could do was gasp, "Oh, Cosmos! Lord Obsidian."
He coolly smiled back at the blue-clad woman. "I'm so glad you remember the time before the Negaverse, dear Zoisite. Don't worry. I haven't used my power to bring you back just to execute you again, though I'm sure you're the main reason why the Elemental Guard turned traitor."
Quickly recovering, an icy, sly look crossed the ponytailed Gemlord's angelic face. "Well, then, Lord Obsidian, if that's not the reason why I've been resurrected, then what is? If I may be so bold as to inquire, that is."
Her slightly mocking tone wasn't lost on the Guardian of Space, though he ignored it for the moment. Gracefully standing up, he strode over to the table upon which the remains of the rest of their race sat, gazing down once more at the melancholy sight.
Wondering what he was looking at, Zoisite couldn't help herself. Walking up to the table, she was a bit startled to find hundreds of inch-wide spheres of various shades of dead-gray stone loosely grouped across the table's surface. Realizing that she was staring down at the rest of her native people, all gathered together in one spot, she felt a mild twinge of regret as the magnitude of that fateful day hit her. Then her observant gaze noticed two things: a missing stone and the shattered shards of another. A thrill of pure terror running through her, the golden-blond Gemlord picked up one of the grayish-red pieces.
Obsidian carefully watched as the feminine traitor examined the shard. "Beryl," he simply said. Seeing Zoisite turn about as white as Kunzite's hair, he coldly smiled again. "I know a bit about what went on in the Negaverse after the fall of Lithos and the Silver Millennium. You once stated that you would throw your life away for Kunzite. I hope that sentiment remains."
She stared up at him, her fear now well-hidden beneath a cold, harsh exterior. "What are you driving at?"
Obsidian easily met her frosty gaze, unruffled. "I need your powers and your abilities as the Western Commander of the Elements. I recall just how rebellious you were at times, so I'm hoping that you've matured somewhat over the years. If not, then it's Kunzite who will pay the price."
Zoisite blinked at that, her angelic face turning white again. "What do you mean?" she stammered.
The dark lord picked up another shard of Beryl's soulstone. "I brought you back and will tolerate your presence because I need you. However, I also need a guarantee on your behavior. I will not be crossed again. Therefore, you will either follow my commands and behave yourself, or Kunzite will be punished in your place. Betray me again, and it will be his soulstone lying shattered here, not yours."
What little color that remained in her gorgeous face drained away, and for a moment she hovered on the brink of fainting. The ruler of Lithos was dead serious; her sensitive empathy easily told her that-- she could feel his stone-cold resolve. Her beloved Kunzite's fate rested on her behavior. The very thought of her love no longer existing at all terrified her more than anything else she could imagine. "By the Cosmos, you really would," she whispered out loud. Slowly walking around the table to kneel before the tall Guardian, she continued, "You have my word and my pledge, my Lord, to obey you and to faithfully resume my duties as the Commander of the West. Please, just don't harm Kunzite."
Frowning darkly at the bowed head of the kneeling Gemlord, Obsidian growled, "Watch your behavior and you'll have nothing to worry about, now will you? Besides, I hold little faith in the pledge of one who's proven themselves to be a traitor."
Zoisite felt her quick temper rage through her. How dare you? she wanted to scream. When sincerely given, I keep my pledges to the best of my ability. She bit back her venomous words. He had a reason to mistrust her; it would be far better for her and Kunzite both if she bided her time and proved to the Guardian of Space that she could be trusted after all.
Gazing down at her, Obsidian could feel the ebb and flow of her ire. Mentally nodding to himself as he sensed her maintaining her control, he couldn't help but faintly smile. "Assuming, for the moment, that I accept your pledge, Zoisite, I want you to keep this in mind. If you show me that you will function as the Western Commander under my rule by your word alone, I will reinstate your noble status when I'm convinced of your trust and sincerity. However, break your word, and once more I will find a way to guarantee your behavior. Betray me again, and I will destroy the love of your life right in front of your eyes. Have I made myself clear?"
"Yes, my Lord," she responded. Reaching forward and taking his hand in hers, she kissed the signet ring as a sign of her promise. "I am yours to command."
Satisfied, Obsidian helped her rise to her feet, then coolly smiled at the slender, androgynous-appearing Gemlord. "Go get some rest. The aftereffects of the resurrection will hit you soon, leaving you feeling even more drained." Letting her hand go, he turned from her and walked back to the throne.
Closing her eyes with a relieved sigh, she mentally casted about to get a teleportational lock on Kunzite's location... and found nothing. Not even her deep bond to him as another Elemental gave her a clue to focus her power on. Saddened and bewildered by his apparent hostility, she felt tears spring to her eyes once more as she concentrated instead on her assigned quarters here in the Tower. With an agitated swirl of cherry petals, the ponytailed warrior teleported away.
Sitting on the ebony throne once more, Obsidian pondered what he'd just witnessed. Not quite what I expected, but it will have to do. No matter. The project will go on. Now to make the next set of plans...
The room was dark at first, the large, rectangular area seemingly filled with the atmosphere of a place unused for a long time. Then the light crystals held by sconces attached to the walls began to slowly come to life as a whirl of tiny pink petals appeared. Keyed in as they were to the room's owner, the radiance from the glowing crystals was bright enough to illuminate the chamber well by the time her slender form solidified within the swirl of cherry petals, revealing the room to be spacious living quarters, with a sitting area at one end of the rectangle and a bedroom set-- featuring a large, curtained, four-poster bed-- at the other. Decorated in many shades of blue and aqua, the room was normally a place of harmony and peaceful retreat.
However, not this time. Zoisite couldn't hold back the tears any longer. The nothingness that colored her link to Kunzite a pointed reminder of the tall warrior's rejection, the youngest Gemlord threw herself on her bed, sobbing. Her slim body bounced with the impact, and she ended up landing on the sapphire blue carpeted floor on her knees. Ignoring the pain of the jarring landing, she continued to kneel there, upper body lying on the bed, head buried within her crossed arms, her slender body shaking as she cried.
Behind her and a distance off to her left, a second form took shape just in front of the door in the center of one of the long walls. Though he remained cloaked to her powers, he could still sense her, and the profound grief he felt had prompted him to weaken his resolve and at least check on her. After all, he still loved her so much it nearly hurt, and she remained his student and his responsibility. Yet the very sight of her again brought the anger and shame to wash over him. Shaking his head slightly, Kunzite remained standing there, unnoticed, caught between conflicting emotions.
For a long, seemingly timeless moment, things remained that way in the Western Commander's private chambers. Then, finally, Zoisite lifted up her head to stare, red-eyed and unfocused, at the wall. Sniffling, she absently brought a hand up to wipe her eyes, then paused as it dawned on her that her right hand remained clenched in a fist. Not once since she had realized that she was alive again had she opened that hand. Startled by that revelation, she uncurled her fingers, wondering why it seemed so important to not do so before.
A single cherry petal was what met her violet-blue gaze, a tiny, pale pink heart that shimmered with a faint light. With a gasp, more tears welled up in her large eyes as the memories of her final moments as a general of the Dark Kingdom came to mind. There it was, tangible proof that everything hadn't been some twisted dream after all; the millennium in the shadows had been real. "Oh, Cosmos... Kunzite..." Her voice was a whisper made harsh from her crying.
Even from that distance, the sound of his name caught his attention, as did the heartbroken tone. He took a step forward, booted feet silent on the carpeted floor, but the continued murmuring of his beloved Zoisite made him stop there in his tracks. Long cape settling gracefully around his tall form, the silver-haired Gemlord stood there still unnoticed as he listened.
Staring at the petal, eyes locked on that final memento of her former life, the young feminine Western Commander ignored the new tear that rolled down the fair cheek of her angelic face. "How long? How long have I been dead and you without me? Has it really been long enough that you love me no more?" She choked back a sob that threatened to shatter her already shaky composure. "No, I can't believe it's over. Not after everything I did, everything I sacrificed to win it in the first place. Alex, Gar, Spess, Ame, Para, Char... Everyone I held dear, every place I remember fondly as 'home', I traded it all."
Slender fingers curled back around that tiny pink symbol. With a typical swing of her emotions, her profound grief shifted to profound determination and rage. "You're mine, now and forever. I tossed it all away to have you. I will not be denied."
Behind her, Kunzite frowned. His own anger sparking anew at Zoisite's possessive declaration, he silently vowed, Love or not, I am no one's property. Disgusted at his now-former lover's behavior, he dropped the psychic shielding that kept her from sensing his presence.
With a soft gasp of horror, suddenly aware of the tall Gemlord warrior, Zoisite whipped her head around to look for him. Mouth agape, her pretty face drained of all color, her violet-blue eyes wide in shock, it was all she could do to just stare.
Coldly, as frostily as his appearance, the Fire Elemental teleported out of Zoisite's chambers without uttering a single sound. As his form faded away in the midst of a shimmer of violet-pink light, he very deliberately shielded himself from her once again.
"Kunzite! No!" Leaping to her feet, she started to run to him, as if she could stop his disappearance by capturing him in an embrace and never letting go. It was futile, she knew, even before she stopped herself to stand where he had been. Feeling the pointed rejection as keenly as if he had physically slapped her across the face, Zoisite sank to her knees, her slim form shaking with the jagged sobs that tore through her.
"I just can't believe it." Serena continued to frown as she made that declaration. "There just has to be a Sailor Mars. It's just not right without there being one."
"Yeah, I agree. There's just gotta be a way to fix this problem," Lita replied.
Amy nodded, her face in a thoughtful expression. "I'll try a few more runs at analyzing what's changed with Raye after school."
The three girls were walking together down a crowded hallway of Crossroads Junior High. As the other kids around them were dashing off to their first class of the day, the trio were also on their way to their various homerooms. Serena and Amy walked side by side, the former holding her bunny-decorated book bag while the latter clutched her required schoolbooks against her chest with an arm. Their tall brunette companion strode along behind them, her height making her easily the best lookout for any possible trouble.
"We really need to solve this," the blond teen insisted, her voice lowered to a tone that only her two friends could hear. "And the sooner the better. It's murder having to be out of bed so early."
Lita sighed. Leave it to Serena to be concerned with the inconvenience. Leaning forward slightly so that her voice only carried to the other two, the athletic girl murmured, "Maybe following this plan will get you into a good habit for once."
"Yes. Getting to school on time would be a very good habit for you to acquire, Serena." Amy had to admit that Lita had a point.
"Amy--" Blue eyes widening in surprise, the blond teenager was about to accuse her friend of picking on her when she realized that they had arrived at Ms. Haruna's room. "Never mind. Here's my homeroom. See ya at lunch." Fixing the taller of the girls with a bright smile, Serena added, "And Lita? Save me one of those chocolate chip muffins, please?" Without waiting for an answer, she disappeared through the doorway into the classroom beyond.
The blue-haired teen smiled, amused, as she and Lita continued down the hallway. "At least she didn't forget her lunch yet again."
Lita laughed. "I suppose I can spare a muffin for her." Turning to a more serious demeanor, the brunette lowered her voice again. "So, any ideas on what to do about Raye?"
"Not really. It's obvious that moving the Flame in the castle disrupted the transmission of power, but without a way to get there and move it back, I don't think there's going to be much we can do." She paused a moment, sidestepping a group of boys hurrying past, while around them the sounds of other teens grabbing their belongings and slamming shut lockers were heard above the murmur of the crowd. "I only hope I can find a way to reroute the power, but that doesn't look too promising."
"I suppose then we'll be hanging around each other as much as possible. Too bad Mina doesn't go to the same school as we do. It would make things easier." Frowning to herself, Lita shook her head, sending her ponytail gently swinging. "I just can't get rid of the feeling that they'll be back."
"Artemis won't be too far away from Mina while she's in school, and you know she'll stay around other people until we get over there. I agree with you; there's safety in numbers. Until we get to the bottom of this, we need to stick together."
The pair of girls walked on for a moment longer, the sounds of others getting ready for the start of the school day fading slightly as the time for the ringing of the first bell approached.
Reaching another classroom, Amy fixed Lita with her sapphire gaze. "Here's my homeroom. Meet you again in the courtyard for lunch?"
The brunette nodded in affirmation. "Yes, of course. They probably won't try anything here in the middle of school, but ya never know."
"All right then. Hurry to class and see you later, Lita." Flashing her friend a bright smile, Amy reached out with a slender hand--her other arm still clutching her textbooks against her chest--and opened the classroom door.
The ponytailed teenager hurried off, not staying around long enough to see the girl genius actually slip into the room. Amy was right; she had to get a move on or she'd still be out in the hall when the starting bell rang. Stepping up her pace, Lita's long legs ate up the distance down the nearly-deserted corridor, her mind intent on beating the clock.
Another success. Nephrite smiled to himself as he turned away and headed toward the doorway, rather proud of himself. Ms. Lambert, the home economics teacher that had caught his attention that one fateful day when she had been so wrapped up in her wedding plans, had been as easy a target as he had expected. After all, he did happen to attend the very same school in which she taught.
"And tell your uncle thanks again, Nathan."
"Oh, I'll be sure to pass along your message," the auburn-haired boy replied, opening up the door, his voice easily carrying over the loud murmur of the kids there as they talked to one another waiting for class to start. Without looking over his shoulder, Nephrite's smile changed to a sly grin. "And he's sure you two will enjoy that second honeymoon. As he said, 'A generous gift for the most beautiful bride I've seen in a long while'. I hear Tahiti's very nice this time of year."
He could practically feel the teacher's blush of pride as he stepped out into the hallway and pulled the door closed behind his athletic body. That went as smooth as silk. He couldn't help but grin at his little victory; his mark of favor now resided upon Ms. Lambert's dress's sleeve where he had managed to touch her when he gave her the tickets for the fortnight-long Pacific cruise--along with hotel reservations and a wad of cash in the plain white envelope.
However, he didn't have long at all to gloat in his private little victory. The next thing he knew, he was smacked hard by a very solid form and sent sprawling across the linoleum floor.
"Why don't you watch where you're going?" It was a rather angry, annoyed shout Nephrite heard as he shook his head, trying to recover from his surprise. "What do you think you're doing, stepping right out of a room in front of me? You should be in class--oh. . ."
The ponytailed brunette trailed off, finally seeing just who it was she had knocked over. God, he's still so dreamy. . .
Peeking up through his auburn bangs, Nephrite frowned as he realized that he had just been bowled over by Lita. Figures. Of all the people in Crossroads Junior to run into, it would be her. Reining in his own annoyance, he concentrated instead on getting back to his feet. "I could say the same for you."
Just then, the shrill sound of a bell pealed throughout the school. As one, the pair of teens groaned in reaction. They were both late now; class was underway. "Thanks a lot, Lita. If you hadn't splattered me across the floor--"
"If you had been watching the hall before stepping in front of me--"
They both stopped, noticing that they had been speaking simultaneously, then warily looked at one another. Lita's forest-green eyes then shifted from him to the number and name on the door from which he'd emerged. She sucked in a breath, eyes getting wider, then turned her attention back to almost glare at Nathan. That was Ms. Lambert's room. What was he doing there? Maybe Amy's right after all.
His own jade-green eyes narrowing in reaction to the brunette's suddenly suspicious expression, the athletic boy felt the fine auburn hairs on the back of his neck rise. She knows. Great job, Nephrite.
The tall girl crossed her arms over her chest, an impatient scowl settling on her pretty face. When she spoke next, her voice was a harsh whisper. "What are you doing to them this time?"
He backed up a couple of steps, nearly bumping into the row of lockers that lined the hallway there, the light of the fluorescent fixtures making the reddish highlights of his dark brown hair rather noticeable. "I need to get to class." His own voice held quite the no-nonsense tone; he wasn't going to go there. Instead, he pushed off with a sneaker-clad foot and half-walked, half-trotted past the tall girl and her critical, forest-green gaze.
Lita spared his retreating form just a fraction of a glance, long topknot ponytail swaying around her to brush against her shoulders. If you think that this is it, you're sadly mistaken. This is far from over, Nathan, Nephrite, whoever you are. I won't let you hurt them again--not even Molly. . . Her athletic body taking on a determined stance, the tall teen hurried off to her homeroom, hoping that she wouldn't get into too much trouble for being late.
