Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Redemption ❯ Mnemonic Tides ( Chapter 6 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

MNEMONIC TIDES


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 frosty 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.

*********************************

Power coursed through the confines of the circular Hall,
making deep brown hair and a coppery-gold ponytail, as well
as a long ebony cape and a thigh-length violet-blue one,
ripple like banners in the psychic wind. Before the two
figures standing there at the foot of the three-stepped
dais, the Vortex Mirror glimmered and gleamed, its deep,
blackish-green aura reflected by the illumination crystals
beneath the dome of the room's ceiling.

"Show me the Soldier of the planet Mercury!" Another flare
of black-green light surrounded the ebony-clad form of Lord
Obsidian as the light around the Mirror died, the energies
gathered by the Lord of Lithos shot like an arrow to slash
through Senshi powers and find the sole person on Terra that
radiated the psychic signature of the planet of thought and
communication.

A slender hand came up to shield large, long-lashed,
violet-blue eyes from the gale of magical energy. Zoisite
stood behind her people's ruler, gazing into the rippling,
watery surface of the obsidian Symbol of Space as a picture
began to form upon it.

As the black surface settled, the Western Commander saw the
image of what appeared to be a school. Concrete steps rose
to a set of double doors that swung open even as she
watched. A number of teens -- *How nice. Terran brats to
deal with* -- stepped out of the building. One figure came
into sharp focus, that of a studious-appearing girl with
short, straight, blue-tinted hair and intelligent,
sapphire-blue eyes. Arms clutching a stack of heavy
textbooks, she was talking to another girl whose golden hair
was done up in two long ponytails topped by silly-looking
round buns. Then the blue-haired teen turned her head--and
Zoisite hissed softly in response. The glyph of Mercury
shone with an azure light on the studious female's forehead.

With a tone of assured command, Obsidian's mellow baritone
filled the circular chamber. "Great Mirror of the Vortex,
hold the image of she whom we sought within your heart. Let
nothing she does, nowhere she goes, keep you from losing her
true form."

Once again, the power of the Symbol locked onto the Senshi's
psychic signature; with a sly smile on his handsome face,
Obsidian opened his dark, golden-brown eyes and turned to
face the slender Gemlord, his long cape swirling gently
around his legs.

"Here's your chance, Zoisite," he intoned, his faintly harsh
voice emphasizing the lack of any titles added to the
Western Commander's name. "Show me just how devoted you are
to your pledge. Watch the Mirror until our target gives you
an opportunity to ambush her -- alone. I wish there to be no
witnesses, and no help for her. Strike to subdue; I want her
captured and rendered harmless with as little damage as
possible."

"Yes, my lord," the graceful warrior nodded, her long
ponytail glimmering softly in the light shed from the
illumination crystals.

Fixing her with a cold stare, Obsidian frowned slightly.
There was something about the tone of her strident voice
that he just didn't like. "Do *not* go out of your way to
hurt her and claim it to be an accident. I assume you have
learned your lesson; I will be even less tolerant toward
such behavior as Beryl had been. Is that *understood*?"

Zoisite's beautiful face hardened, quite piqued at the
Guardian's insinuation and the reminder of the circumstances
of her death. "Yes, my lord. I will endeavor to subdue the
Senshi without harm."

"Good." He stared at her a moment longer, then turned away,
long cloak fanning out around him, the metallic gold trim
glittering. "Then watch and wait. When you have taken her,
let me know." With that, Obsidian was gone, disappearing in
a shimmer of blackish-green light.

Turning her attention to the image in the Mirror, Zoisite's
violet-blue eyes narrowed beneath long, coppery-gold lashes
as the youngest Gemlord fumed. "I'll show you, my lord, that
I *can* follow orders." Tapping a fingertip against her
sensuous lips, she glared at the Earthling upon whose brow
the Mercury glyph continued to gleam. *Here, Senshi, Senshi,
Senshi... Just slip away from your little friends and let me
do my job.*

*********************************

The final tones of the strident ringing of the bell sounded
in the air as the boy known as Nephrite Sanford stepped
smartly down the flight of concrete steps to the walkway
below. *At least there's been no sign of Lita or her Senshi
friends all day.* He just knew, somehow, that Amy and the
tall, ponytailed brunette were aware of who he truly was,
and that thought actually frightened him. Would he be
allowed to continue on his quest to make it up to those he'd
robbed of their chance to truly shine? Or would the Senshi
only see him as a threat, never to be trusted again? *Can't
say that I'd blame them if they don't want to give me a
second chance. I'm just damned lucky I have the one I *do*
have.*

Tennis-shoe-clad feet touched the sidewalk; he paused a
moment and took a long look around, scanning the area for
any of the human girls that were Senshi in disguise. There
were any number of kids milling about and standing around in
little groups talking, but of Amy, Lita and Serena, there
was no sign. A sly smile of relief settling on his boyishly
handsome face, Nephrite hiked up his expensive duffel bag to
rest comfortably on a broad shoulder and headed off down the
street.

His next visit would be to Peter Fisher, the award-winning
photographer. He'd already done the research he needed at
home in the huge mansion on the wooded hill; the Internet
was certainly a very useful tool indeed. Of course, he'd
never be as adept at ferreting out information over
computers as Jadeite had been.

Jadeite. The very thought of the slightly older Gemlord with
the well-trimmed, short, curly, light-blond hair and
amber-gold eyes made Nephrite stop in his tracks. Glancing
up at the azure sky, he couldn't help but wonder what
exactly Beryl's spell had done to him. And, for the first
time in a hell of a long time, the auburn-haired former
Negaverse general thought fondly of the man he'd once called
brother.

*********************************

Fro m a long ago past: Commander Nephrite walks along a
glistening white pathway in the well-landscaped grounds of
the Moon Palace. Behind him, the elegant, white spires and
onion towers of the gleaming palace reach up to the pale
blue sky where a crescent Earth can be faintly seen.
However, the beauty of the scene is unremarked by the Earth
Warrior's notice; having been here a couple of months now,
he has become rather used to it.

Up ahead, over on a lush field of grass that borders along
the formal rose garden that is the pride and joy of Queen
Serenity's gardeners, stand two figures. One is a slightly
stocky man dressed in a white uniform almost identical to
the one Nephrite wears, short blond hair swiftly identifying
him as Commander Jadeite, while next to him stands a woman
full of elegant grace, a long, streaming cloak of
raven-black hair framing her pretty face and falling to hang
as far down her as her knees. Nephrite smiles wryly, seeing
that Jadeite's doing as Prince Darien had commanded and
keeping Princess Mars close company.

Crossing the remaining distance between himself and the
other Gemlord, the green-eyed Commander of the North reaches
up with a hand and lightly taps Jadeite in the shoulder with
a fist. "All right, what's up? Why did you ask me to come
meet you out here?

The slightly shorter man slyly grins and claps a hand on
Nephrite's shoulder. "I just learned a game and thought
immediately of you. It just seemed like something you'd
like."

"Oh really?" The brunette Gemlord raises an eyebrow at that.
It was well known that he was fond of sports and often
worked out at on the elaborate equipment at the gymnasium to
keep his athletic form in top shape. The fact that Princess
Jupiter was as much a sports lover as himself had only made
Nephrite's assignment to keep the Jovian royalty amused and
out of Prince Darien's hair that much easier.

Jadeite, however, is a different story. Far more involved in
intellectual pursuits, especially strategy games played on
computers, the light-blond-haired Commander of the East
exercised his mind quite a bit more than he did his body;
however, that didn't mean he was out of shape. Like the
others, he was in top condition. It came in handy on their
patrols throughout the Cosmos.

"Yes," Princess Mars replies, smiling sweetly at the
dark-haired Lithosian as she steps up close to Jadeite and
slips a hand in his. "It's called *t'niz* and it's quite the
rage." She then turns and tugs Jadeite along, walking across
the well-groomed grass over to a place where a low net is
strung across the middle of what looks like two large
squares marked out on the grass in white chalk.

Following behind them, Nephrite appears a bit surprised and
slightly bemused at both the way his fellow Lithosian is
holding hands with the Martian princess and the playing
field set up in the verdant lawn. When he reaches the area,
he glances over the playing field. "And just how is this
'*t'niz*' played?"

"Quite simply, actually, Neph." Jadeite chuckles, bending
over. His white cape flows around him as he picks up a pair
of racquets in his one free hand. Straightening up again, he
stretches out his arm, offering the other Gemlord the choice
of racquet. "We each take a side of the court, with the net
between us. Then one of us tosses a ball up into the air and
hits it over to the other one. The object, of course, is to
score a point by hitting the ball in such a way as the
opponent cannot return it to you. But in order to score, the
ball has to hit the ground within the marked out square." A
wicked grin crosses the Air Warrior's face. "No score for
hitting the ball to hell and gone, Neph."

Grabbing one of the offered racquets, the taller of the two
men tugs the item from Jadeite's grasp and flashes him a
look of mock innocence. "Cosmos, here you are accusing your
own younger 'brother' of trying to cheat even before I play
the game."

Princess Mars gets a slightly astonished look on her face,
large violet eyes looking from one Gemlord to the other. "I
didn't know you two were brothers."

"In the technical sense, we are and we are not," the Eastern
Commander begins to explain. "You see, we aren't like most
species in the Cosmos; we were all created by the Vortex
Mirror instead of born of the union of adults of opposing
sexes. Thus you could say that we are all brothers and
sisters of one another, or you could say that none of us are
related.

But we have a need built within us for relationships of
various degrees of intimacy, just as you who breed do. So we
have fulfilled this need by agreeing to any number of
relationships. There are some we consider just friends, some
are considered cousins, and still others are considered
siblings. Most intimate of all are the ones we consider
lovers or spouses."

Stepping away and idly swinging his racquet to get the feel
of it, Nephrite smiles to himself as he takes command of one
of the squares marked out in brilliant white on grass green,
apparently expecting to wait a while as the Air Warrior goes
on with his lecture of basic Lithosian culture.

*********************************

An echo of that long ago smile remained on Nephrite's
now-youthful face as he continued walking down the sidewalk,
his shadow stretching out over the concrete behind himself.

Behind him, from a recessed doorway along the side of the
main building of Crossroads Junior High, a pair of dark
emerald eyes stared after his retreating form. *I know the
cats and the others are going to be angry with me for not
sticking with everyone, but I *can't* let him keep doing
whatever it is he's doing. He's already screwed up their
lives once.* A puzzled scowl settled on Lita's pretty face;
as far as she could tell, Nathan hadn't actually done
anything harmful to the former victims of General Nephrite's
energy-gathering schemes. That still didn't mean that he
wasn't up to something. *And I can't ask the others to come
with me, since Artemis made me promise not to confront him.
But damn it, there are innocents involved.*

Steeling her resolve, the tall brunette slipped from the
doorway and strode after the auburn-haired boy. She would
deal with the consequences of her actions later. For now,
she just *had* to see what he was doing.

*********************************

"Lita? Lita!" Frowning as she looked around, Amy scanned
over the now-hushed area around the main entrance into the
junior high the three friends attended. "I was certain that
we all were supposed to rendezvous here after our last
class."

"Maybe she got held after?" Serena suggested, her bright
blue eyes filled with slight worry for their ponytailed
friend.

"She didn't mention anything like that earlier in the day.
But it is a possibility." A thoughtful expression settling
on her visage, the blue-haired girl nodded slightly. "Why
not go look and see if Ms. Hibari is keeping her after for
some reason? Come on, Serena."

The studious girl had only taken a couple of steps back
toward the sturdy, metal double doors, clutching her stack
of textbooks tight against her chest, when the other girl's
voice caused her to pause.

"If we both go, we could miss her and we'll be running back
and forth throughout the school all afternoon long."
Pouting, the teen with the twin ponytails of golden blond
hair topped with round buns folded her arms over her
breasts. Her voice shifting to a plaintive whine, Serena
continued, "I don't wanna be here all afternoon. There's a
Sailor V game in the Crown Arcade with my name on it! And a
gorgeous hunk of an attendant to stare at! Amy, I have
*better* things to do than hang out here looking for Lita."

"Serena," Amy began, a slightly chiding tone creeping into
her usually soft voice. "What if Kunzite and that other
person come back? Any one of us could get into trouble if we
don't stick together."

"I know," the blond teenager replied with an exaggerated
sigh. "But get real. This is a school. There are teachers
all over the place still, as well as the students of the
various clubs. If I stay here in case Lita comes to meet us
like she's supposed to, I should be just fine. Just as you
should be all right if you go into the building to look for
Lita in Ms. Hibari's room."

The shorter girl thought it over a moment, then nodded in
agreement, "All right. You do have a point, Serena. You wait
here and I'll go inside." When the female with the twin
ponytails nodded an affirmation of their agreed-upon plan,
Amy stepped back over to her friend. "I'll leave my books
here with you, and I'll hurry back, hopefully with Lita in
tow." She knelt down for a brief moment, a stray breeze
ruffling her short, straight hair -- as well as making
Serena's long ponytails flutter like ribbons of blond silk
-- and deposited her stack of books on the exposed aggregate
concrete at Serena's feet. Straightening up, Amy met the
other girl's impatient stare with a sweet smile and a faint
laugh. Turning around, the girl genius strode over to the
double doors, pulled open one of the metal panels by the
sturdy, silver handle and disappeared, slipping into the
building.

Once inside the oh-so-familiar halls of Crossroads Junior,
Amy swiftly made her way through the building. Here and
there she could catch soft noises of murmured conversations
in the distance, the bang of a locker shutting or the sound
of a desk scooting across the linoleum floor. Even though
there were such indicators of people around, the halls
themselves seemed unearthly quiet, especially compared to
the normal din that filled the corridors between classes.
Though she felt silly to be scared--after all, she was in a
familiar place and she really wasn't alone -- Amy still felt
as if her heart jumped into her throat as a loud *slam* from
a locker being closed nearby echoed in the hushed stillness.
*Just a locker, Amy,* the blue-haired genius told herself.
*See? Nothing to be frightened about at all...*

Down the hall, behind the slim teen, a swirling pink
blizzard suddenly formed -- then flickered away, petal by
cherry blossom petal. Slipping to the right, dainty feet
making barely any sound at all, Zoisite plastered her
slender, graceful form against the row of lockers lining the
corridor, violet-blue eyes narrowing beneath long lashes.
Casting outward with her telempathic power to make a sweep
of surrounding lifeforms, the Western Commander of Lithos
fixed her target with her cold, glittering gaze. *Good...
There's no one else around.* A cruel little smile curled
across the Gemlord's pretty face as she raised an elegant
hand up in front of herself, thumb and two fingers raised
and her ring and little fingers curled down to touch long
nails against her palm. *How perfect.*

Call it some sort of a danger sense, or just the instinct
that makes prey aware of a predator nearby, but for whatever
reason, a frisson of fear shivered through the teenaged
girl. Large, sapphire blue eyes getting larger as Amy gave a
soft gasp, she swiftly twisted herself to look behind her.

With a thrust of her hand forward and a strident call --
"*Zoi*!" -- ringing out through the hall, the Water Warrior
let loose with a telekinetic blast of air laced with cherry
blossom petals.

Amy staggered back, arms coming up in a subconscious effort
to shield her face from the slightly stinging sensation of
the pink petals. Her frozen mind focused on only a single
thought: *Zoisite is alive as well!*

Seeing her prey cowering, taken by surprise, the ponytailed
warrior pressed home her advantage. A graceful step forward,
coppery-gold hair swirling around pretty face and slender
shoulders, Zoisite thrust a hand upwards into the air,
fingers curling into a fist. Once more her voice cried out a
harsh "Zoi!"; this time the flowery telekinetic blast
erupted from the floor directly beneath the blue-haired
girl.

Face still shielded from the first attack, the beleaguered
teen half-expected a follow-up like that. Having braced
herself, she grit her teeth and endured the howling,
cherry-petal-laced tempest around her, a slim hand slipping
into a pocket in her sky-blue dress. Feeling the familiar,
comforting presence of her transformation pen, Amy slipped
it out of her pocket and raised it up. If Zoisite wanted a
fight, so be it. Sailor Mercury certainly wasn't a wimp!

The glitter of fluorescent light off gold from the girl's
suddenly raised hand caught Zoisite's attention. "Ah, ah,
ah, little one. No fair transforming!" Crouching down, a
predatory leer plastered onto her beautiful visage, the
slender Gemlord aimed, then leapt powerfully into the air.

"Mercury... *Oh*!"

Landing as light as a cat on her booted feet, Zoisite spun
elegantly around, long hair and thigh-length cape fanning
out around her. Mocking laughter echoing in the
still-deserted hallway, the Water Warrior held up the blue
and gold pen. "Looking for this, Sailor Mercury? It's mine
now, and you're not going to get it back."

A grim expression settling on her face, Amy sized up the
situation. The similarities to the attack on Raye were quite
obvious; it was probably a safe bet to assume that the goal
here was something much the same. But this was the far more
dangerous and unpredictable Zoisite she faced. That alone
was enough to make her rather scared. *Need to be careful
here, Amy.* She took a small step backwards. "What do you
want, Zoisite?"

"Isn't that obvious?" the blonde woman sneered. "I want you,
Sailor Mercury. Now, you can either come along nice and
quietly, or we can do this the hard way." A cold smirk
curled over sensuous lips. *Come on, little Senshi. Just
give me an excuse to blast you again. It'll be more fun that
way.*

The blue-haired genius took another step back from the
slender woman confronting her; it was always more
comfortable with Zoisite at a bit of a distance. "At least
tell me why."

"Because you've got something my lord wants, and what he
wants, he gets. Now, which is it? Nice and peaceful? Or do
I have to kick your little Terran ass?" Violet-blue eyes
narrowing slightly underneath long lashes, the Gemlord
stalked forward slowly, closing the distance between them
again.

That only made Amy take another step back, sapphire eyes
glued to the other female as she warily watched the
otherworldly warrior. *If I can just keep her talking, maybe
I can hold out long enough for the others to help me, and
learn a bit of what's going on besides.* "Your lord?"

"Yes. Lord Obsidian, ruler of Lithos-- huh?" A warning flash
filled the Water Warrior's consciousness, her telempathy
sensing the presence of another person stepping into range
of her mental sweep. *Damn! And Lord Obsidian said no
witnesses or help. No time for finesse.* Gritting her teeth,
violet-blue eyes suddenly ablaze, Zoisite turned to one of
her powers rarely used. Even she had scruples, and the use
of something this manipulative left a bad taste in her
mouth. Reaching into herself, her body suddenly limned in a
pale, ultramarine light, Zoisite grabbed the essence of an
emotion, then mentally flung it at the girl.

*Fear. Utter and complete terror, horror, panic, *fear*!* It
overwhelmed Amy, swirling around her like an irresistible
whirlpool of phobia, threatening to pull her in and drown
her. Abruptly too *frightened* to move or to think, her body
reacted to the tsunami of emotion in a simple, sanity-saving
way -- it shut down; sapphire eyes rolling back in their
sockets, Amy fainted, her breath released in a soft sigh as
her slim form started to crumple to the floor.

It was precisely the reaction Zoisite had hoped for. Slender
fingers still clutching the stolen transformation wand, the
Gemlord darted forward, catching her prey's limp form before
it could collapse onto the shiny, linoleum floor. She knew
where she needed to go; locking in that mental picture as
she shifted her arms to get a better hold on the Senshi's
dead weight, Zoisite telepathed to Lord Obsidian, **I have
her. Meet me there at Mariner Castle.**

Footsteps sounded in the hallway, echoing off the lockers.
"Amy? Amy? Is everything all right?" Serena frowned,
striding down the school's corridors in a swift gait. She
could feel that something was wrong, that one of the Senshi
was in trouble; many times in the past, such sensations had
allowed the other sailor-suited soldiers of love and justice
to come to another's aid. Rounding a corner, she suddenly
stopped short as her blue eyes focused on a flash of blue
hair, a gleam of coppery-gold hair and a far too familiar
swirl of little pink petals engulfing both figures. With a
shout, "*Amy*!" Serena burst into a sprint, hand grabbing
for her golden compact that held the Imperium Silver
Crystal, the words of her transformation sequence already on
the tip of her tongue.

Not enough time. The cherry blossom petals faded away,
leaving the girl with the twin blond ponytails alone in the
junior high school hallway, golden compact in hand. "Oh God,
Amy..." It was all Serena could say, suddenly feeling very
helpless indeed.

***********************************

The rumble of the Harley's engine was quite the comforting
purr, the feel of the sleek, chrome-accented machine solid,
*real*, between the driver's leather-clad thighs. Strong,
masculine fingers gripped the handlebars, slipping the
clutch expertly back to engage as he leaned gracefully over
while rounding a corner. Light glinted off the metallic-red
paint of the motorcycle, the metallic-red surface of the
helmet and the deep, wine-red hair that trailed out from
under the helmet to rest against the driver's
leather-covered back as he accelerated the thrumming machine
to streak down the ribbon of city street before him.

Ordinarily he'd not have really noticed the campus of the
junior high school as he started to drive past it; other
things were on his mind, things like keeping up with the
silver-blue Toyota he was following on behalf of a client.
Already Mr. Yamamoto there had given him the slip twice
before, but Mrs. Yamamoto was paying quite a bit to make
sure the dear husband wasn't spending money on foolish
things like gambling and prostitutes.

The little light blue car zipped through the light; the
rider of the motorcycle intently watched both it and the
traffic signal from a good three blocks back, violet eyes
narrowing slightly as he concentrated on tailing his prey.

*What the--?*

A sensation crossed the Harley's rider's mind, one that was
both achingly familiar and equally distrusted. Mind numbing
in shock, unable to believe that what he sensed could be
real, he whipped his head to the side -- and found himself
staring at buildings labeled as being Crossroads Junior High
School.

His mark forgotten for the moment, the leather-clad man
pulled the machine he was riding over to the side of the
road. Unfastening the chinstrap, he grabbed the glittering
helmet with both hands and pulled it off his head. A shake
of his head sent his thick, wavy mane of gorgeous, wine-red
hair cascading down to frame his handsome face and fall to
just between his shoulderblades. Violet-colored eyes --
alight with intelligence and suspicious wonder both --
searched over the school grounds, looking for some sort of
visual conformation to the muted sensation he was still
getting. Not seeing anything, a frown settled on his lips;
casting outwards with an ability no human had, he softly
hissed in a startled breath as his telepathy caught a
*presence* that shimmered away like evaporating dew.

*Zoisite.*

His frown deepening, the redhead jammed his helmet back onto
his head, securing the chinstrap firmly. Unsure what to
think, his emotions a tightly coiled knot in the pit of his
stomach, the motorcyclist revved the Harley's engine. The
machine took off in a shot, continuing on in its original
direction, the rider just not sure what he was going to do.
All he knew was that Zoisite was apparently alive again.

***********************************

A swirl of warm air scattered a few faded petals from
someone's garden somewhere, ruffling the dark auburn hair of
the teenaged boy as he stood before the windows of a local
gallery. Smiling just a bit, his jade-green eyes scanned
over the breathtaking photographs put on display within the
windows.

They were all of the moon: the crescent moon shining over a
nighttime sea, shimmering reflection dancing on the waves --
the full moon dramatically pushing through the dark
silhouettes of tree branches -- the gibbous moon gleaming
over the shoulder of a mystic-looking model, the features of
her face and body in the shadows from the silvery light
shining down behind her -- another photo of the full moon,
this time a mystical, romantic scene of the silvery orb
breaking through the storm clouds of a nighttime sky. That
last one was impressive indeed, considering how hard it can
be to photograph something in the darkness of night.

*He's done spectacularly well ever since he decided to
concentrate on the moon,* Nephrite thought to himself, the
image of Terra's solitary natural satellite staring back at
him in the photographs almost accusingly. The Gemlord
trapped in the body of an adolescent Terran softly sighed.
Would he *ever* be trusted again by those that had once knew
him as the Negaverse general who had planned his attacks by
studying the movement of the stars? Discouraged, he had to
admit that he'd probably never would be completely trusted
again. *Not that I blame them. I've given everyone plenty of
reasons to hate me.*

Down the street, about half a block away, Lita stopped short
as Nathan had halted before the storefront of a local art
studio and gallery. Stepping up to a telephone pole, the
ponytailed brunette did her best to keep herself
inconspicuous as she watched the auburn-haired boy. Her
tall, athletic body relatively concealed behind the rough,
dark wooden pole, she leaned over slightly, hoping to get a
better view. *What on Earth is he doing?*

She didn't have long to wonder on one score. Within moments
of her thought, the teenaged boy pushed open the door to the
store and disappeared inside. Her curiosity getting the
better of her -- as it had been doing ever since the end of
school -- Lita slipped from her hiding place and swiftly
traversed the distance between the pole and the front
entrance of the gallery. Pulling open the door by the
sturdy, brass handle, she stepped into the room beyond.

It was everything anyone ever expects in a gallery, with
white-painted walls hung with framed pieces of art --
paintings, lithographs and photographs all made up the
collection she could see -- that were spotlighted by track
lighting to show off the picture to best advantage. Little
brass labels engraved with the name of the work, the name of
the artist and the date of the work's completion glimmered
in the lighting next to each beautifully framed piece.
Walking over to the nearest picture, her sneaker-clad feet
making no sound at all on the plush, burgundy-colored carpet
beneath her, Lita scanned the work of art with her
emerald-green gaze.

It was a framed photograph featuring the crescent moon
shining overhead in an evening sky, the orange, dying-ember
light of the sun reflected off the peaceful stillness of a
mirrorlike lake. With a start, the brunette girl realized
that this photograph was taken at sunset at Fairview Park;
the swans floating in the foreground of the picture, the
skyline of trees and the city beyond, and the glimpse of
roses bordering the picture confirmed the location.
Immediately glancing at the brass label affixed to the wall,
Lita's eyes grew wide in surprise as she read the words
engraved there.

"Fairview Moonscape". Artist: Peter Fisher.

*Peter Fisher? Wasn't he the photographer...?* Just as her
emerald gaze spotted the "sold" sign tacked to the wall just
under the brass plaque, Lita could hear the voices of two
males talking.

"I'm really very honored that your uncle thinks so highly of
my work."

"Of course he does. After all, he's been watching to see how
you would do ever since he saved you from falling off that
cliff when you were trying to shoot that sunset."

The ponytailed girl bit back her soft gasp. That second
voice was Nathan's, and they were coming this way. A swift
scan of her surrounding area gave no hope of offering her a
haven from being discovered. Taking a step back, she braced
herself for trouble as the two that were talking rounded a
corner to approach where she was located.

The one Nathan was talking to was a slim young man nearly as
tall as he was, with shaggy, curly auburn hair cut short,
the sides a lighter, brighter red-brown than the central
part or where his hair rested against his neck. Clad in blue
dress slacks, a white dress shirt and sporting an
aqua-colored tie, the other young man appeared to be the
quiet, unassuming type. Reaching up to run a hand through
the dark auburn curls at the back of his head, his brown
eyes focused on the teen walking next to him, he smiled at
Nathan in a mildly embarrassed way. "Yeah, I'm really
grateful for that kind act. And I'm just as grateful for his
support."

"I came here for something else besides giving you the
balance of the price of 'Fairview Moonscape'," Nathan
responded. His attention focused on his subject, the
teenager had yet to notice Lita standing stiffly before the
photograph in question.

Large eyes narrowing in suspicion at Nathan's words, Lita
kept her gaze on the small slips of paper being held in the
tall boy's hand. Although they appeared to be nothing more
than a couple of checks, she just knew that things couldn't
be that innocent where a suspected Negaverse general was
concerned.

"Oh?" Peter stared at the teenager next to him, surprise
evident on the photographer's almost bland face. "What else
are you here for then, if it's not just buying the photo for
your uncle?"

"Well, as you know, Uncle Maxfield is one of your biggest
fans," Nephrite began, smiling at the award-winning
photographer as he felt the tingle of his power
strengthening, preparing for the transfer. "He asked me to
make sure to give you this check as well as the check for
the rest of the photo's price. He wants to ensure that you
will always be able to create quality works of art, so he's
giving you a grant of a million dollars so that you can have
the best equipment possible."

The slightly shorter boy stopped dead in his tracks, a
priceless expression of shock in his brown eyes. A hand
coming up to nervously rake slim fingers through his
two-toned, auburn curls, Peter could only blink in
astonishment.

A sly grin settled on Nephrite's youthful face. *Now's the
perfect moment...* Reaching out to extend to the other boy
the pair of checks, the silvery-green blaze of his normally
unreachable power filling his awareness, Nephrite
deliberately aimed to brush his hand against Peter's shirt's
sleeve.

She just knew Nathan was up to something; she could see it
in his jade-green eyes. It was just too good to be true,
Maxfield Stanton willing to not only buy a photo from Peter
but to just give him a million dollars as well. Catching
the sly look and watching the athletic boy reach out to
touch the photographer, Lita launched herself at the two
with a shout. Whatever he was doing to his former victims,
this was one victim that would remain free of his tampering.

The sudden, outraged sound startled Nephrite, turning his
attention away from setting his symbol -- and, consequently,
away from giving the other boy the blessing of unusual good
luck the former Negaverse general had anticipated -- onto
Peter's clothing and focusing instead on the rapidly
approaching girl. Frozen in pure astonishment, having not
noticed the ponytailed brunette's presence at all, the
auburn-haired teen couldn't react before Lita's solid form
crashed into him.

The stars know everything, and their movement throughout the
heavens gives each person a unique and special rhythm that
is all their own. This was a truth in Nephrite's world; it
was a basic tenant to the powers he possessed as a Gemlord
from Lithos. Bowled over by the solid form of the angered
girl, the auburn haired teen instinctively reached out to
grab at Lita, seeking to keep himself from a hard fall to
the floor. The moment his hand touched her, however, the
world seemed to explode in a blinding flash of silver-green
starlight.

His energy had been directed at a certain person, intending
to tie that person into the ebb and flow of the entire
Cosmos. Customized for Peter and his unique psychic
presence, the power had reacted violently when it had come
into contact with someone for whom it wasn't intended. All
three teenagers were roughly blown back by the force of the
psychic blast.

The curly haired photographer hit the wall hard enough to
make the framed photograph of Fairview Park slam against the
wood-paneled surface. His breath knocked out of him with a
groan, Peter crumpled into a heap of two-toned auburn hair,
white shirt and brown dress slacks. Lita fell straight
backwards to the gallery's floor, her unmoving body sliding
just a bit across the plush carpet from the force of the
energy exploding almost literally in her face. Nephrite
himself hit the floor hard; the blow from the back of his
head hitting the solid surface under the carpet left him
momentarily stunned.

Groaning, the teenaged astrologer rolled over onto his
stomach, taking stock of his situation. Head, back and
shoulders complaining with a dull ache, he guessed that he
was otherwise all right. Staggering back up to a standing
position, jade-green eyes frantically looking over his
immediate surroundings, he felt an overwhelming panic wash
over himself. Both Peter and Lita were lying there,
unmoving, appearing much like a pair of broken dolls tossed
aside by a disinterested owner. *Cosmos, *Cosmos*! I've lost
any chance I've had at redeeming myself!*

"Hey there! What the hell happened?"

The shout of some nameless, faceless stranger penetrated
Nephrite's horrified shock. The panic taking control --
Cosmos knew he faced complete extinction now that this
*disaster* had taken place -- he bolted, instinct spurring
him on to flee the site of his shame. Sneaker-clad feet
pounding on the golden-brown carpeting, strong, youthful
hands slamming against the glass and brass door at the
gallery's entrance, the former Negaverse general shoved the
door open and burst through the entryway to sprint down the
street beyond.

He ran, mindlessly, silently, long legs eating up the
distance along the pavement, green eyes barely focusing on
the gray concrete before him as he ran. Even after his
now-mortal body began to complain -- his heart pounding in
his chest, his breath coming in ragged gasps, the low burn
of overworked muscles threatening to cramp making his arms
and legs ache -- he kept running, driven by the horrified
knowledge that he had utterly and completely blown his
second chance. He didn't stop until, while taking a corner
around some unremarkable office building, something very
solid indeed forced him to stop. Too panicked to be aware of
his surroundings, Nephrite slammed into another person
rounding the corner from the other direction.

As Nephrite staggered back from the impact, an arm shot
forward, the woman -- definitely a woman, from what he could
see as he found himself staring at a creamy silk blouse
shimmering over emphatically female curves -- letting out a
soft, startled sound. Tall, her height about six foot even,
her chest was right at eye level for the auburn haired boy;
she wore a black jacket left open in the slightly cool, late
spring weather, and Nephrite's startled gaze remained on her
attractively feminine bosom for a moment. Gathering together
enough sense of presence to start muttering a hasty apology,
he flicked his gaze up to look into her face... and froze.

*Cosmos, her eyes.*

Antique gold in color, as vivid and mysterious as those of a
dragon, they stared back at him in slight annoyance,
well-set in a strikingly beautiful face. Rich, deep red
hair, like darkly gleaming embers, framed her face and
cascaded in a fall of long waves to shimmer against
shoulders and back. Though she appeared to be in her
mid-twenties, quite the young but mature and confident
Terran woman, there was something inhuman about her as well
-- an indefinable *something* that tugged at his awareness.

And in that one sharp moment, the expression of mild
annoyance made a memory come to mind.

***********************************

From the past: "I told you--hell, the *queen* told you--I
work *with* you, not for you. I'm hired help, sir--" the
honorific was edged with cool sarcasm -- "and that means
that I'm free to pack it up and leave at any moment. So,
either you accept it and play it my way, or you get to
explain to her High and Mightiness how you managed to cost
her a hell of a valuable ally such as myself." The tall,
very physically fit and alluring woman stares back at
General Nephrite, a defiant, coolly confident look on her
beautiful face. Dressed all in a sheath of black leather
that hugs her body in the most tantalizing of ways -- save
for the loose white blouse that covers her upper torso where
her leather bodice does not -- she calmly stands before the
gray uniformed general.

An even more irritated look settles on the auburn haired
Negaverse officer's face as he walks over to his desk and
drops into the impressive chair. "Fine. You know as well as
I that all of us here in the Negaverse need to please the
queen. I concede partnership to you."

A look of smug triumph shines in the woman's antique gold
eyes, but only for a moment. She quickly schools her
expression into an appropriately detached and emotionless
one.

"However..." He growls the word at her, attempting to catch
her undivided attention. Seeing that he has it -- albeit
with a raised eyebrow and a faint smirk of amusement at the
hint of pique in his tone -- his jade-green eyes narrow at
her as he steeples his fingers together and taps lightly on
his expressive lips with the white fabric of his gloves. "As
my partner, I will have higher expectations out of you. You
*will* meet them, or you will be reassigned. I do not give
second chances."

"You'll get your queen's money's worth out of me," the
redheaded woman vows, an odd light in her golden eyes. Seems
as if his threat to send her elsewhere bothers her.

A cold smile crosses Nephrite's handsome
face. "Good. Now, my first expectation out of you is this:
As you may know, we generals vie for power and glory among
ourselves. The best asset I could use is someone that will
make sure that my power and influence never decreases, but
only increases."

She moves, her body sleek and graceful beneath the black
leather, stopping to position herself between the general
and his big, sturdy, hardwood desk. Leaning her firm
buttocks against the edge of the wooden piece of furniture
behind her, she nods, the dark fire of her hair glimmering.
"Just trust me. You'll have no regrets where I'm concerned.
As long as I'm in your service, none of the others will be
able to snatch away what power you have."

"I like that in a woman," Nephrite replies, gazing up at the
enchanting mercenary pressed between his knees and his desk.
"Confident, beautiful and deadly. Quite the potent
combination."

A sly, almost hungry grin curls across her lips as her
golden eyes half-close beneath dark cinnamon colored lashes,
glinting in near-challenge."And I like a man who knows what
he wants and is strong enough to take it."

***********************************

*But she's dead! They told me she was *dead*.* Face draining
of all color, the teenaged boy continued to stare at the
stunningly gorgeous woman. He remembered that day, the youma
stepping into his office in the heart of the Negaverse,
telling him that she had been fatally injured in an ambush.
He hadn't believed it then, but as time had gone on and
there had been no word, no sign of her, he had finally lost
hope.

Those smoky-gold eyes widened as she stared back down into
the kid's jade-green eyes. The play of emotions there was
absolutely fascinating as her slight annoyance rapidly
changed to first startlement, then to recognition, shocked
disbelief and a sudden, almost fearful hope.

For another seemingly timeless instant, they remained still,
the woman's arm remaining curved around him in a loose
embrace as they stared at one another on that streetcorner.
Then someone crashed into the tall woman from behind; her
body barely shuddering with the impact, she turned to face
whomever it was that was so damned careless, her temper
clearly sparked. Her arm slipped away from his youthful,
athletic body, the deep red hair brushing against his cheek
in a silken caress from the momentum of her turning.

The fact that she had barely moved with the force of the
collision only confirmed her identity to the already
stressed teenager. He realized, belatedly, that she had
indeed seemed too solid, even for her obviously physically
fit body, when he had crashed into her. Mind still too
stunned to think, he impulsively reached out to touch the
shimmering waves of deep, dark fire; a single strand curled
around his fingers as the rest of the mass settled against
her back, almost reluctant to turn him loose now that it had
found itself holding him. Unable to face her, not now, not
after having destroyed any hope he had had at making this
second chance work, he took the opportunity her angered
distraction had made to flee her presence. Taking a couple
of swift steps back, he spun on a heel and ran once more,
plunging headfirst into the sea of humanity surrounding the
two of them.

He ran, swift as the wind, for another few, long minutes.
When he finally stopped, his body pushed beyond all limits
of endurance, he collapsed to the grassy ground next to the
sidewalk and lay there, gasping in jagged breaths, mind
reeling. Despite his fear and horror at possibly having
killed Lita and Peter, he could only focus on a single
thing.

*Alive. Siolan's alive!*

It couldn't be anyone else. He had known her so well; only
those of his own race did he know better. He knew, in his
very soul, that there could never be another quite like her,
that the Cosmos could never duplicate that exact shade of
dark red hair, those dragon-gold eyes, her uncanny grace
wedded to a physical denseness that made her very solid
indeed. As he lay there and struggled to recover from
pushing his fragile mortal body so hard, the solitary strand
of dark red silk continued to cling to his hand.

***********************************

The sleek, athletic warrioress known to Nephrite as Siolan
wandered down the crowded streets of the city in a daze,
stunned almost beyond belief by what she had just witnessed
in that chance encounter. Damn it all to hell, the boy had
slipped away as she had glared at the immediately apologetic
man that had rammed into her. The fact that she was big,
mean-looking and appeared irritated enough to pick him up
and snap him in two had convinced the expensively-suited
businessman to offer a stammered apology and scurry off.
Even that short amount of time had been enough to allow the
auburn haired boy to fade into nothingness, like a teasing
dream.

*But how? How in the name of all that's holy could he be
alive, seemingly turned into a -- a child? I watched him
die!*

Her mind dwelling on her thoughts, it was the force of sheer
habit that guided her steps -- slow and faltering as they
were -- toward her rented apartment. The dragon-gold eyes
wide and unfocused, she could see things in her memory as if
they had happened only yesterday.

***********************************

The past, just over a year ago: The park is somber and
deathly quiet in the stillness of the night, save for the
agonized sobbing of a young teen clutching at a fading body
lying on the ground and propped upon her lap as she kneels
there. Sailor Moon, Sailor Mars and Sailor Mercury watch in
sad sympathy while Molly screams her despair into the night,
the battered and bloodied form of the Negaverse general
twinkling away in a display of scintillating starlight.

Behind a nearby tree, a shadowy form tears
er gaze from the heartrending sight, the keening of the
pajama-clad girl only echoing the one that wells up within
the observer's soul. Light glimmers off a tear as it falls
over the pale cheek of the redheaded female. Defeat etched
in every line of her tall, athletic form, Siolan bows her
head, the metal claws arching over her fingers from the
skeletal gauntlets that adorn her hands sinking deeply into
the tree against which she is pressing her backside.

***********************************

Another past scene, nearly a thousand years back: The sound
of bootsteps echoes in the rocky confines of the Negaverse
corridor as Siolan's tall, magnificent form stalks along the
passageway. Her strides long and swift, an irritated
expression on her lovely face, her softly muttered words are
meant for herself alone. "Damn it, I'm going to be late to
the throne room. Serves that witch Beryl right, summoning me
and then neglecting to provide a guide around this place."
As she walks down the tunnel, her flaming hair -- swept back
from her face and secured at the nape of her neck by a
leather thong -- dances and sways around her shoulders and
down her back, echoing the sway of the ends of the golden
sash tied around her slender waist, the material brushing
against the black leather leggings of her bodysuit. "Let
Beryl rant and rave all she wants at my tardiness," she adds
under her breath, a smug smile appearing on her face. "She
knows how damned valuable I am, and I'm certainly not one of
her brainless, gutless little servants to bow and scrape at
her feet."

She puts her foot down to transfer her weight for another
step just as another figure strides out in front of her from
a side passage; abruptly, without warning, her boot slips
out from under her. Taken by surprise, Siolan falls forward,
only to crash up against the other person, a sharp gasp
escaping her with the rather solid collision. Acting on
instinct, the gray-uniformed, auburn haired man swiftly
raises an arm and catches her, helping her maintain her
balance. Looking up, the dragon-gold eyes stare in what
appears to be blank amazement at the man, her leather-gloved
hands spreading out over his chest.

General Nephrite stares back at her, the usual scowl on his
face replaced by an expression of mild surprise, jade-green
eyes meeting her gaze. His hand remains on her shoulder,
still holding onto her.

Siolan's gaze shifts down to look at her hands resting on
the gray fabric of Nephrite's uniform. The amazement on her
face swiftly changes to haughty disdain; she slowly,
seemingly reluctantly, straightens herself. "Your pardon,
sir. Don't know *what* just happened here. Skidded on some
broken stone and lost my balance, I guess." Her fluid,
melodic voice has quite the cool tone to it.

The auburn haired general remains silent, his expression
becoming a stormy scowl once more. Clearly feeling offended,
he glares at her, apparently weighing the consequences of
letting her know his displeasure in no uncertain terms. Then
he lets loose with an aggravated sigh, shakes his head
slightly and storms past her, auburn hair shimmering darkly
in the muted light of the passageway.

Siolan turns and watches him go, that look of faintly
stunned amazement settling back onto her features.

***********************************

Still slowly making her way along the streets to her
apartment, the redheaded mercenary continued to muse on the
past dragged up by her chance encounter. She had made it, at
last, to the Throne Room, only to discover there that the
man she had literally run into was General Nephrite; perhaps
the powers that be had a sense of humor, for her scheduled
meeting was to inform her of Queen Beryl's decision to
assign Siolan to Nephrite's command. However, the redhead
had swiftly made it clear to the drop-dead gorgeous general
that she worked with him as an equal partner, not a
subordinate, and the two of them had come to a mutually
satisfactory agreement.

Nor had it taken them very long at all to give in to the
tempestuous attraction they'd felt for one another despite
both of them trying to deny it at first. They had first
become partners; engaging Siolan in the behind-the-scenes
power struggle that went on between Beryl's generals had
been a masterstroke on the stargazing general's part, since
Siolan herself had no qualms about getting her hands dirty.
More than once, there had been physical confrontations
between "Nephrite's weapon" and the other renegade
Gemlords--confrontations that the mercenary had nearly
always had won. Then they had become lovers, if the
near-desperate, hungry, grasping dance of dominance and
submission they'd had together in bed could qualify them for
the title. For five hundred years, they were together in the
grim darkness of the Negaverse, each one being the other's
source of light, warmth, comfort, *life*, there in that
dread realm. Never once did they use the word "love" to
describe what they felt; in Metallia's shadow, love was too
often an illusion, yet they had both known in their hearts
what it was they had had between them.

Beryl had brought an end to it all. As she staggered to a
momentary stop, her glove-encased hand clenching into a
tight fist, the woman once known as Siolan turned her
thoughts to that time. The dark queen had decided that all
were to swear undying loyalty to her and the empress that
she served, including Siolan. The mercenary had other
thoughts in mind; if *anyone* could have commanded her true
loyalty, it would have been the auburn haired man she'd come
to care for more than anything else, not the red-haired
witch that ruled by Metallia's will. Siolan had refused to
swear her allegiance, and Beryl had tried to kill her.

The energy blast had nearly done its job; injured and
hunted, the mercenary had barely made it out of the
Negaverse alive. Though there were many probability lines
still open to the dread realm watched over by Empress
Metallia, Siolan carried with her the secret knowledge of a
way to move past the seal the Imperium Silver Crystal had
set around other probability lines. Knowing that she would
be as safe as can be expected slipping off to one of the
existences banned to the Negaverse by Queen Serenity, she
had passed through the shimmering silver barrier to the
small planet called Earth, or Terra, and had slowly
recovered her health.

She had tried a number of times after that to return just
long enough to let her lover know that she still lived...
but it was all for nothing. Beryl had set too many traps for
her, knowing just how clever the mercenary could be; more
than once, the warrioress had been wounded within an inch of
her life and had been forced to retreat to heal her wounds.
She still bore a twisted scar that ran along her sternum
from a slash that had come very close indeed to killing her.

Then the sealing of the Silver Crystal had shattered. A
flame of hope had arisen from the bitter ashes of loss
within her soul, only to be brutally snuffed again when she
had watched him die at the hands of General Zoisite's youma.
Gods, she had wanted so badly to go to him then, to touch
him, look into those fascinating, jade-green eyes, kiss him
just one last time...

But it was simply too late. Forever, too late.

All she could do was stand there and watch the life fade
from him, a hysterical little Terran girl kneeling there
where she should have been; she, the mercenary and assassin,
the near immortal with the ancient blood of dragons in her
veins, had silently wept that bleak night for the man she
had loved and had lost, permanently...

Apparently it was not so permanently at all. Impossible as
it might be, that boy, that frightened teenager, that had
plowed into her just had to be none other than Nephrite. A
shake of her head sent the dark flame silk of her hair to
shimmering around her; her sleek form once more started
striding down the sidewalk, her body showing her sudden
determination and hesitantly expressed joy.

She didn't know just how she knew, or why she was so
certain, that the child was Nephrite. What filled her was an
impulse, a *knowing* deep in her soul that made her able to
look past even the familiar-seeming auburn hair and green
eyes to the spirit within -- and there she could see the man
that she had loved.

The man that she still loved.

The man that she would *always* love.

The dragon-gold eyes looked up onto the heart of the setting
sun for a moment as she continued her easy, graceful gait.
Her voice sounding in that startling, distinctively fluid
and melodic cadence it always had, she whispered a vow to
herself and to the boy her lover had apparently become.
"I'll find you again, Nephrite. And this time, I swear, I'll
never let you go..."

***********************************

Footsteps echoed softly in the marble hallway, disturbing
the layer of gritty dust that dulled the polish of the
white-veined blue stone. The air was still and otherwise
silent, though there was a subtle sensation of rippling flow
perceivable by the two people that walked along the
marble-lined corridor. Dark hair and gold-trimmed ebony
cape gently flowing behind him in the wake of his
confident,relaxed stride, Obsidian quietly lead the way into
the heart of the azure-themed castle.

Behind the Lord of Lithos, a slender, graceful form kept
pace with the taller Gemlord, her dainty steps barely heard
in the echoes. Struggling along as best she could with the
dead weight of the unconscious form of the blue-haired
Terran girl in her arms, Zoisite had a rather miffed
expression on her pretty face. The damned Senshi was getting
*heavy*.

"Ah, here we are," Obsidian murmured to himself, deep brown
eyes focusing on an impressive doorway at the end of the
corridor. A smile settling on his face, the dark lord
stopped before the closed entry and looked it over.

Silver glittered back at him, sparkling from the surface of
the scenes cast in high relief. The theme on this set of
double doors was that of the pursuit of knowledge; around
the large, central glyph of Mercury, figures were seated at
computers, read books, wrote at desks, held lively
discussions and listened to lectures.

"Now for Her Highness." With a graceful turn, Obsidian
glanced back over his shoulder to flick his ebony gaze at
Zoisite and her unmoving burden.

The blond warrior nodded slightly in acknowledgment. Ever
since her teleport here to Mariner Castle, she had been
keeping her prisoner unconscious through sheer force of
will, her telepathic ability interfering with the Terran's
normal brain functioning. Relaxing her mental hold, Zoisite
seamlessly transferred control of the teenager to the
Guardian of Space.

The smile on Obsidian's face grew a bit wider, but certainly
not warmer. If anything, it seemed too *perfect* to be a
real smile, one of those plastered on to placate others. His
low baritone still a soft murmur in the hushed confines of
the marble-chased corridor, the dark lord focused on
bringing the Senshi around. "Come, Highness. I have need of
you at the moment."

A soft groan sounded from the blue-haired girl; the limp
body held against Zoisite's small-breasted torso faintly
stirred. Seeing that she was coming around, the Western
Commander braced herself and began to lower her burden to
the ground.

*Where am I? What's happened?* Amy slowly opened her
sapphire eyes; sensing that she was being lowered despite
the muzzy, oddly confused sensations that filled her mind,
the girl genius dropped her legs down under herself. As her
feet touched solid ground, the apparent arms around her let
her go. Standing, bearing her own weight, Amy found herself
staring at the dark stranger that had seemingly been
ordering Kunzite around. *He seems... strangely familiar,
somehow.* Large eyes blinking, a confused look in their
azure depths, Amy tried fighting off the unusual sensations,
but to no avail. Caught in that dreamlike state, she could
only stare, blinking, at the tall, ebony-clad man.

Then she felt slender fingers pressing something into her
hand. Glancing down, the intellectually gifted girl saw a
well-manicured, feminine hand curl her own fingers around a
blue-handled pen sporting a gold cap topped with an azure
sphere. *Transformation pen,* she muzzily thought as a warm
tingle flowed through and around her like a wind-kissed,
summer rain. *Should... transform...*

Closing sapphire eyes, Amy tried to get her distant-seeming
body to respond to her mental commands, to raise the pen up
into the air and shout her transformational phrase.

All to no avail. The teenager found herself unable to do so
-- helpless, immobile -- as she sensed the stranger's
obsidian eyes -- *Obsidian? Didn't Zoisite mention a "Lord
Obsidian"?* -- boring into her.

"Come now, Highness. Such a simple request, and I promise to
return you to your friends afterwards." The voice of the
Guardian of Space was a gentle murmur, far more warm and
endearing than the almost obviously fake pleasantness
plastered onto his face.

Against her will, the azure haired girl felt herself
changing as the humid, airy power of her patron planet --
now magnified into something more stately, more regal --
heeded the dark stranger's gentle call. Caressing her,
filling her soul and swirling around her, the power of
Mercury caused the teenager's body to glow with an aqua
light as she grew taller and more mature. Then the light
faded away, leaving the marble-chased hallway wreathed in
dim light and shadow once more.

Clad in a shimmering, silvery-blue gown, the dark glitter of
sapphires accenting the graceful column of her throat, the
shape of her ears and the feathered layers of her short
hair, Princess Mercury was a gentle, elegant sight to
behold. The light of intelligence that usually shown deep
within her large eyes replaced for the moment by the glaze
of a trancelike daze, she slowly turned to face the
intricately-carved silver doors.

Behind her and slightly to the left, Zoisite watched in
silence as the royal woman muzzily looked at first the
symbol of Mercury in the center of the double doors then at
the blue and gold transformation pen gripped loosely in a
hand. Beneath long, spun-gold lashes, the Water Warrior's
violet-blue eyes narrowed slightly.

*All I really need is a friend. Would you at least be that?*

Zoisite frowned, absently raising a hand to her sensuous
lips, the voice from the past whispering in her mind. An odd
tingle running down her spine as the spark of memory sent
ripples through the still waters of her consciousness, the
glamorous Gemlord nervously nibbled at a well-manicured
fingernail as the ripples resolved into a memory.

***********************************

From just over a thousand years ago: Dressed in a gauzy,
aqua-colored gown that shows her feminine curves to
advantage, Princess Mercury stands in a doorway, her back to
the grand ballroom and facing out towards the balcony that
runs along the exterior of the Moon Palace. Backlit from the
illumination of the ballroom, the happy and boisterous
sounds of a celebration swirling in the still night air, the
princess gazes at a single, solitary, slender form that
leans against the white marble railing. Facing away from
her, all that can be seen of the other person in the shadows
of the lunar night is white cloth and the queue of wavy,
copper-gold hair that rests against the other figure's back.

"I thought I might find you out here. Are... you all right?"
The concern in Princess Mercury's voice easily matches the
worry that marrs the sweet expression on her face.

"Yes, Your Highness. I'm as fine as can be expected." The
voice that answers her is a soft, sweet, melodic tenor, one
that seems well suited for singing.

"Commander Zoisite, please, don't be angry. You're a great
person -- sweet, kind, talented -- but I just don't have
either the time or the inclination right now for anything--"

"That's not it, Your Highness," the other person interrupts,
pushing up from the railing and slowly turning around.
Violet-blue eyes, large and innocent-appearing, glance over
the short-haired princess from beneath long lashes, the
pretty but noticeably masculine features set in a resigned
smile.

Princess Mercury appears slightly confused now, as well as
concerned. "But if that's not why you've decided to stand
out here, alone in the dark, then what is?"

Zoisite steps forward, reaching down to take one of the
woman's hands in his own slender grasp. "I swear to the
Cosmos that it has nothing to do with you, Your Highness.
I've done nothing but enjoy your company."

The azure-clad woman looks first at where their hands are
linked, then up into Zoisite's beautiful, masculine face.
"Are you sure, Commander?"

He chuckles, a soft and very amused sound. "Of course I'm
sure. I've known all along that you really weren't
interested in me like *that*. It's all right. I understand.
Still, we have had some nice times together."

Interlacing her fingers with his, Princess Mercury smiles at
him warmly. "Thank you, Zoisite. Because I am so busy with
my studies and my duties, however, I do get lonely at times.
All I really need is a friend. Would you at least be that?"

The white-uniformed Gemlord smiles enchantingly in return,
leaning forward long enough to affectionately kiss the
princess on the cheek. "Of course, dear Mercury. I'll always
be your friend. I swear it."

***********************************

*Cosmos...* Zoisite softly hissed in a breath in shock as
the memory faded, her large eyes getting wider as she stared
at the entranced woman before her. Guilt washing over her,
the Western Commander tore her gaze from Princess Mercury to
stare at the dark ruler of Lithos.

"That's it, dear princess," Obsidian softly crooned,
watching as the regal figure raised the transformation pen
and touched the center of the circle of the Mercury symbol
on the silver doors with the azure sphere. "Just open the
doors to me and then you can go home."

The words came to her, unbidden, instantly known; Princess
Mercury's soft voice sounded in the dimly-lit corridor,
making the sensation of dormant power start to stir. "By
the power and in the name of Mercury, I ask that you open to
me, your mistress. Allow me passage to the Blessed Fountain
beyond."

At her words, aqua light gleamed within the azure sphere of
the transformation pen, forming the glyph of Mercury in its
depths and setting in motion a chain reaction. The Mercury
symbol on the silver doorway flared to life, illuminating
the princess and the pair of Gemlords standing behind her.
Then the impressive doors slid apart, revealing the chamber
at the heart of Mariner Castle.

Plain, sophisticated in its simplicity, the chamber was
completely covered in the same white-veined blue marble of
the hallway, its surface polished to an unearthly,
nearly-reflective shine. The sound of running water greeted
the trio as Obsidian and Zoisite silently followed the
azure-haired woman into the room. The very atmosphere was
filled with the presence of energy, a shifting, flowing
sensation that made even the air within seem to dance and
shimmer with a silvery-blue light.

Sapphire eyes continuing to reflect her inner, dream-like
state, the part of Princess Mercury that was still Amy
remained struggling against the mental control even as her
body walked up to the edge of the marble dais in the middle
of the room. There she stopped, waiting.

Zoisite's large-eyed gaze locked upon the center of the
chamber, her sensual voice purring gently as she
unconsciously reveled in the scintillating feel of the power
that filled the area. The Fountain was three-tiered and
triangular, seemingly molded from the very marble of the
dais. Silvery water bubbled up in the middle of the
uppermost tier, spilling down to the center level and then
down to the large pool at the bottom, making a soft sound
that was almost musical. "Stunning," the Water Warrior
whispered to herself, her gaze remaining upon the magical
fountain in fascination.

"Indeed," Obsidian responded while his black-clad form
strode up to stand just behind the short-haired female in
the blue-and-silver royal gown. "The Sapphire, please,
Commander."

Looking over at the dark lord, Zoisite blinked in surprise,
then smiled brightly at Obsidian's acknowledgment of her
rank. Pleased that her lord actually referred to her by
title, she elegantly nodded, her copper-gold ponytail
bobbing with the movement. Stepping up onto the dais and
pressing her legs against the side of the triangular pool at
the base of the Fountain, Zoisite reached up to the
uppermost level.

While her slender fingers slipped into the bubbling liquid,
the Western Commander shivered in pure delight; the energy
here that swirled through and around her was from the same
source as her own, the Element of Water, and she found it
comforting, invigorating, wonderful.

Obsidian watched the young Gemlord carefully, intently,
happy that yet another part of his overall plan was being
accomplished. A smile of delight crossed his very handsome
face as he heard Zoisite give a soft purr of triumph, his
dark eyes lighting up in satisfaction when the Water
Warrior's hand emerged from the Fountain, holding a
gleaming, dark blue jewel.

Princess Mercury blinked once, the glassy expression in her
eyes clearing slightly. The part of her that was Amy could
feel the fog lift a bit; apparently the dark-haired man's
attention to her was slipping, concentrating instead on the
retrieval of that mysterious gem from the Blessed Fountain.

Her beautiful face lit up in joy at accomplishing her task,
the Water Warrior gracefully twisted her lithe body and held
the deep blue stone out to her lord.

"Thank you, Commander," Obsidian replied, his tone of voice
indicating that he was very pleased with her work so far.
"Now, drain the Fountain."

"What?" In an instant, Zoisite's expression shifted from
triumph to pure confusion, then mild horror. To do that
would mean unbalancing a large part of her own Element here
in this star system, to cause her own sense of balance and
order to be disrupted. It would be the equivalent of having
a constantly aggravated wound within her own soul.

"You heard me, Commander. Drain the Fountain."

In front of Obsidian, Princess Mercury blinked again,
Zoisite's own horror mirrored on the pretty, royal female's
face. Doing that would completely disrupt the delicate focus
of her patron's power; she had already seen the results in
what had happened to Raye. She couldn't allow that to
happen; it was her duty as the Senshi of Mercury to protect
this place, to preserve the sanctity of the core of her
patron's energy.

"My lord, please. Don't make me do this. It'll make my own
powers less effective; I won't be able to serve you as well
or as efficiently," Zoisite pleaded, violet-blue eyes
remaining focused on Obsidian's stone-cold face.

"It's only temporary, Commander. I swear on the shattered
remains of Lithos that once I have achieved what I wish, we
shall return here and restore the Fountain." The dark lord's
words sounded so reasonable, so logical. "This way, the
Senshi cannot interfere with our ultimate goal, and Order
will be restored afterwards."

The slender, youngest Gemlord gave her lord a skeptical
look. Though everything within her wanted to trust the man
that had ruled the Gemlords ever since their creation, this
didn't seem quite *right*, didn't seem like something he'd
normally do. *Still, it's not every day that he's trying to
restore a shattered planet and slaughtered people. Perhaps
this *is* the only way...* Closing her eyes, she held out
her hands toward the Fountain, beginning to open her mind
and soul to the Element under her command. Her sensual voice
barely above a whisper, she sought to allay one last fear.
"What if this causes me to fail you, my lord? Will you still
punish Lord Kunzite for a shortcoming of mine caused by my
own powers being hampered by this?"

Obsidian stepped away from the unmoving princess and up to
the other Gemlord. Running a hand along her shoulder, he
leaned forward and murmured right next to Zoisite's
earring-adorned ear. "I promise I shall not punish you for a
failure that happens because your Element is out of balance.
I truly am not that unreasonable a ruler, now am I?"

"N... no, my lord. You never have been that..." She shivered
at his touch, finding the courage and conviction to go
through with the order. As the tall, black-clad Gemlord took
a step back, Zoisite began to concentrate, her slim form
starting to glow with an ultramarine light.

As the Fountain began to shake, the shimmering liquid within
it dancing, Amy found herself able to move even through the
dream-like haze. Hand tightening around the transformation
pen, Princess Mercury slowly lifted her hand up, even as she
sensed the focus of her power beginning to shift. With
Zoisite focused on disrupting the Fountain and Obsidian's
attention on seeing that his order was carried out, neither
Gemlord noticed the glimmer of the transformation pen as it
was held aloft. Though it took every shred of her intellect
and will, the blue-gowned woman was able to whisper out the
magic words, "Mercury... Power..."

The Fountain suddenly bubbled into life, radiating aqua
light that made the entire chamber seem to come alive with
blazing energy. Obsidian growled and held up a hand,
shielding his eyes from the unexpected, bright radiance, his
senses momentarily overwhelmed by the activation of the
powers of the planet Mercury. Crying out, Zoisite dropped to
her knees, her concentration shattered under the abrupt
assault of the Fountain as it fought back against her
tampering.

Ribbons of aqua energy erupted from the transformation pen
as the glyph of Mercury spun within the azure globe's
depths. Wrapping around the suddenly nude princess, her body
silhouetted in the sparkling blue and silver energy as she
rotated in a complete circle, they solidified piece by piece
into the white and blue sailor-like uniform of the Soldier
of Mercury.

Before either Gemlord could react to the sudden threat of
Sailor Mercury there in their midsts, the Senshi of Water
let loose with her attack, hoping to further confuse her
opponents and take advantage of their surprise. "Mercury
Bubbles... *Blast*!"

Spinning around in a full circle, Sailor Mercury flung out
her gloved hands to either side, causing the sphere of
aquamarine radiance to explode into a high-velocity spray of
bubbles. Bursting open, the bubbles filled the entire area
with a thick fog, the atmosphere plummeting to a temperature
just above freezing.

Swearing under her breath, Zoisite stumbled forward, hands
reaching out into the blinding mist in order to find the
Fountain once again. Despite the little set-back of being
essentially robbed of her sight, she was determined not to
disappoint her ruler.

Guided both by her innate ability to see targets in the fog
of her own creation as well as the sound of the ponytailed
woman's strident voice, the blue-skirted Senshi darted
forward, sweeping a slim foot out to kick Zoisite's booted
feet out from under her. Letting loose with a startled yelp,
caught off guard and unable to recover her balance, the
young Gemlord hit the marble-covered floor hard. Winded,
gasping for breath, Zoisite laid there as Sailor Mercury
took up a protective stance before the fog-enshrouded
Fountain. "As long as I'm standing, you're not touching the
sacred waters of Planet Mercury," she challenged, sapphire
eyes focused on the gleaming star of dark green that marked
Lord Obsidian's position in the mist.

"Foolish girl. I didn't want it to come to this," the dark
lord answered, deep brown gaze peering through the thick,
blinding cloud. "However . . . Vortex Mirror! Show me where
the Senshi of Mercury stands!" At Obsidian's sharp call, a
gleaming symbol appeared, lighting the way like a beacon.
The mystic Symbol of Space still locked in on the Sailor
Senshi, it showed for its master once again the blue-hued,
astrological glyph; following that lead, Obsidian dashed
forward.

The azure-skirted soldier gasped in surprise as the tall,
dark figure abruptly loomed out of the fog right in front of
her. "Now, step aside and be good, Sailor Mercury. It's not
like you can really stop me." The Lord of Lithos then gave
the brave but frightened girl a cold smile.

Tilting her head in defiance, even though a frisson of fear
ran down her spine, Sailor Mercury replied, "No."

Obsidian's smile faded, followed by a callous shrug. "As you
wish." Raising his right hand, he stretched it out to his
left, preparing to backhand the azure-haired Senshi away
from the Fountain.

Ducking her head, the sailor-suited soldier braced herself
for the stinging blow to come, white-gloved hands rising up
to shield her face. Just as the Guardian of Space's slap was
about to be delivered, a violet-blue and copper-gold blur
appeared. "No! Don't!"

Startled, both Sailor Mercury and Lord Obsidian stared,
thunderstruck, at Zoisite. Her slender fingers curled around
her ruler's upraised wrist, her slim, androgynous body
wedged between the two, she gazed straight at the angered
face of her lord. As the intellectual Senshi looked on in
astonishment, the dark lord growled, "What in the name of
the Cosmos are you *doing*, Commander? You dare defy me?"

"No, my lord, but please! Think! We have the Sapphire you
wanted, and all we need to do now is drain the Fountain.
Hitting her won't accomplish anything save make her just
that much more determined. Surely you have the power to just
render her unconscious?"

Obsidian's frown deepened into a scowl. With a growl of
frustration, he shook off Zoisite's hold on his arm, then
shoved the Water Warrior off to the side. As the ponytailed
woman stumbled and fell to her knees, he stared once again
at Sailor Mercury, who had resumed her protective pose
before the Blessed Fountain. A quick gesture to focus his
telepathic power, then a thrust of his hand at the
blue-skirted soldier launched a mental assault upon the
teenaged warrior. Exerting his will over her nearly
indomitable mind, Obsidian sought to drive Sailor Mercury
back into the shadowed depths of unconsciousness.

Groaning with the effort, her body curled up defensively in
reaction to the hard-fought battle of wills, the
azure-haired, sailor-suited warrior gave everything she had
into the effort to fight back. The fog from the Bubbles
Blast beginning to dissipate, Zoisite lifted her head and
gazed at the two -- Senshi and Gemlord -- locked in the
titanic struggle, then slowly rose to her feet and walked
toward the Fountain.

Despite her valiant effort, the dark stranger's power proved
to be too much. Her consciousness slipping away under
Obsidian's relentless command, Sailor Mercury slowly sank to
the white-veined marble floor. The last thing she saw before
the darkness claimed her was Zoisite once more reaching out
toward the triangular focus of the Power of Mercury in order
to disrupt its delicate balance.