AN: No, this isn't Stars. This is a story I've been considering for a while – since Heartbound at least. I meant to include parts of it there, but it interrupted the flow of the main story and took the focus off the main characters. I love the Shitennou, but the priority in the main series is normally Usagi and Mamoru even if Golden Ascension dealt with the secondary pairings much more than the others had. Instead, this is the origins of the Shitennou in the Silver Millennium, each one giving us an insight into what they found by joining with Endymion.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Shitennou or anything else.
88888888
It was easy, Endymion thought, to love his planet. He couldn't imagine any of the others comparing, and with his upcoming trip he had certainly tried.
Spring had begun, leaving his gardens a riot of color as his roses bloomed one after the other. In other parts of the world they were still in bud, if that, but Elysion was the most fertile and had extremely mild weather for all but the coldest parts of winter. The other flowers were blossoming as well, but roses were his particular favorite. One of his gifts to the Silver Queen would be cuttings of his best plants; he had been assured they would be well cared for. Her beautiful daughter was in awe of the blooms, saying nothing so brightly colored appeared there.
Knowing he would be leaving the very next day for who knew how long, the prince had found himself looking around as if he'd never seen his home before. Finally he sprawled on the grass alongside his companions – even stern Kunzite, which was a miracle in itself – and stared up at the stars.
He loved his generals like they were his brothers, and it was because of them that he never felt isolated in his lofty position. While they would never face the responsibility of ruling the entire Earth, they were kings in their own rights and the only other magic users the planet had to offer. More, their group was the sole reason the Silver Alliance was even willing to meet with them; they had no interest in building relations with a government that wouldn't be able to contribute anything.
"Are you all packed?" Kunzite asked, breaking the silence. The eldest, he was always cool and collected, and it was just as well. If something pushed him so far as to break his control, the leader of the Shitennou became a berserker and would kill anyone in his path. Endymion could calm him, but it was dangerous. At the same time, the gap in their ages made him double as almost a father figure to the youngest boys. He was certainly the one in charge of discipline.
A vague chorus of agreement was his answer, but he was content with that and said no more. It was unusual for the entire group to be off duty at once, since they were always dealing with some crisis or situation, but out of respect for their impending departure the five men had been given the evening off to prepare for the journey. It wasn't necessary; as warriors they had long since learned to be ready at a moment's notice. Instead they were simply enjoying each other's company. None of them really knew what to expect from the Alliance.
"It'll be strange looking down on Earth," Nephrite said quietly as he listened to his precious stars' evening song. "I wonder if I'll still be able to understand them."
"I should think so," Zoisite replied. "You listen to them, Nephrite; you hardly depend on sight, and they will know you anywhere. Maybe from another world they will allow you to hear even more."
Jadeite flopped over onto his stomach and folded his hands under his chin, contemplating the grass in front of him. "Will we ever be able to look at this place the same way once we've gone beyond what we know?"
Endymion blinked. "No. How can you look at something the same after being exposed to other worlds? That doesn't mean we'll suddenly love it less, though."
"Here, here," Nephrite agreed.
A soft breeze blew across them, ruffling their hair and the casual clothes they so rarely wore. On any other day it would be royal regalia or military uniforms. Jadeite, informal as he was, hadn't even bothered with a shirt.
"What were you looking for when you came here?" Endymion asked suddenly. "What did you find?"
After a heavy pause, Kunzite turned to look at him. "Why do you ask?"
"None of you talk about your lives before you were brought here and given to me like presents. I don't know anything about you before you were mine. What did you find here, Kunzite? Why didn't you stay at home?"
He sighed before a tired smile edged onto his thin lips. "I found acceptance."
88888888
"He's cursed," they would whisper when he walked by. "No true servant of Allah would look as he does."
Kareem struggled to keep his head high, to hide his tears behind an emotionless mask. It followed him wherever he went; people could not understand how a child had been born with his strange white hair and piercing blue-grey eyes. The abnormalities were made even more striking by his deeply tanned skin. The people were good Muslims, but old superstitions lingered and his appearance made him suspect. Even his father shied from him.
He had heard the story many times: upon his birth, the Caliph had accused his wife of having an affair with another man. She denied it, and as there was no evidence and the Caliph would not condemn a woman without proof neither of them spoke of it again. The Caliph thought his son was predestined to bring ruin to their people and actively tried for another child, but he only had daughters with his other wives. Kareem was his heir because he had no other, not because he would be his father's choice.
Of course, there were those who would not heed such superstitions, his mother among them, but Anisa knew her son would suffer for his differences. She gave him a name for nobility as a sort of bolster to his spirits, and he always strove to honor it. He would be noble and ignore the mockery of others.
Any chance he had of gradually gaining the trust of his people died a horrible premature death when his magic first appeared. His elder half-sisters had been teasing him mercilessly about his odd hair when the drapes caught fire. They immediately ran, but he sat stunned until his mother appeared calling his name. As soon as his concentration was broken, the flames extinguished themselves and the cloth seemed completely unharmed.
Kareem was a lonely little boy\. Had he been educated outside the safety of the palace, there was no doubt he would have returned home covered in bruises at the end of each day. He feared his power as much as they did and struggled to keep it contained, which meant others could target him without retaliation because he knew losing his temper might result in someone being hurt.
"You! Demon boy!"
Wincing, the young prince fought to maintain his passive façade as he turned. Haidar's father was a close confidante to his own, which meant Haidar was one of the few children his own age Kareem was expected to interact with on a regular basis despite his superior social status. Called 'the little lion', Haidar was a head taller than Kareem and heavily muscled. He was one of the prince's many tormentors, and the most vicious.
"Yes, Haidar?" Kareem asked, pleased when his tone remained even.
"Go back to your cave, you monster. You don't belong around civilized folk."
"I can go wherever I wish."
"You have no business in busy parts of the palace."
"I am only going to meet the Calipha in her garden. If you will excuse me, I am sure she is already waiting."
"I don't know what the Calipha still sees in you," the other boy jeered. "Even the Caliph won't speak to you unless he has to. She must be addle-minded. Did you curse her too? Is that why she can't have a proper son, or even another useless girl?"
"I would never harm my mother," Kareem countered, trying to tamp down on his building rage. "Let me pass."
"Or what?" Haidar challenged.
"Or I shall get quite angry."
The few children that had gathered around took several steps back, remembering the burning curtains and several other incidents, but the little lion wasn't willing to abandon his prey so easily. "You're too scared to use those freakish powers of yours. You know they mark you for what you are."
"I am nothing more than a human, as are you. Magic is natural; I merely have more of it than most in this day and age."
"Fine excuses justifying your inhuman qualities, demon boy."
"Why should I have to justify powers I did not ask for? I cannot control what I was born with, Haidar, any more than you can. At least I do not torment those who are smaller than I am."
"You ruined the Calipha with your evil," Haidar snarled. "What we do to you is only to remove your taint from decent men."
"Do not say such things about my mother."
"Then do something about it!"
Pushed past his reasonable limits, Kareem tensed. The aura of magic around him, normally hidden from view, appeared as a pale gold fringe just over his skin.
"This is your last chance, Haidar. Let me pass before something dreadful happens."
"The righteous do not give way to demons!"
His jeering laughter was cut short when crackling static filled the hall. Kareem stood in the center, eyes closed as he tried to reel it in. Lightning struck a scant few centimeters from the other boy's foot, then again even closer. Now panicked, the other children ran. Haidar paused at the end of the hall and glared hatefully at his prince.
"You are a monster and someday you will be dealt with as such!"
Then he was gone and Kareem was alone.
88888888
"It happened again, Mother," Kareem said wearily as he joined the Calipha in her private gardens. "I tried to stay calm but he kept insisting it was my fault you have not had more children to replace me."
The Calipha was a beautiful woman, with her raven's-wing hair and deep brown eyes, but more, she was clever and kind. She saw the beauty and strength her son had to offer though no one else did, and she defended him from those that would do him harm.
"Oh, I am sorry, dearest," Anisa murmured, sweeping her son into her arms. Though he was six, Kareem was small enough to pass for a meager four. "Was it Haidar again?"
He nodded, turning his face into his mother's neck. "Do you want to replace me?"
"Of course not," she said fiercely. "Never believe them when they say such things, Kareem. You are my son, and I love you more than anything. Even if I were to have another child, nothing would ever replace you in my heart. You are not evil, and you are not a demon even if you look different and have more power than has been seen here in many years. You are just a boy, no matter how extraordinary your gifts. Someday everyone will come to understand how special you truly are."
"Even Father?"
"I think so. Your suffering will make you a great ruler, darling, because having suffered you will know how to protect others from a similar fate. There are those who claim you will bring us to destruction, but we know they are wrong. You will bring us wisdom and bravery, and your powers may seem like a curse now but someday they will be a gift. They will open the door to a new life for you."
"Are there any others like me?"
"I do not know, my dear, but I think there must be. Allah does not want us to be always alone, so in time you will find companions like yourself."
88888888
Nothing could have prepared Prince Kareem for the horror of his mother's death two years later. The court healers did everything they could, but they said her condition was beyond their meager abilities, and Kareem himself had never shown any capacity for the craft. She had been poisoned for being his mother and there was nothing he could do to help.
"What will I do now?" Kareem asked dully as he and his father waited out the end of the three day mourning period. Aside from his many sisters, all of whom despised him, his father was now his only remaining family and would dictate the course of his future.
"What do you wish to do?"
"I wish to make my mother proud."
The Caliph looked at him for a moment before turning once more to his wife's grave. "Anisa wanted you to have a life outside the palace. She said you would find no ease here once she had gone, so she asked that I send you away to school. There is an academy at Elysion for the sons of kings and nobility; you have been accepted there."
"My mother asked for this?"
"Yes." His tone said he was lying, that he wanted his son to leave, but the finality let Kareem know arguing was not an option. "You will be leaving in a week's time."
Kareem bowed in response, and the Caliph brushed by to rejoin his court. The few others who had held vigil with them left as well. Once they were gone, Kareem sat by his mother's grave, tears in his eyes.
"I do not know what I will do without you," he whispered. "I do not know the world beyond these walls; you kept me inside to protect me from those that would hate me for my power, but what good did it do when I was unable to save you from those that feared me? What is the point of this power if it could not heal you?"
Do not blame yourself, my son.
Kareem jolted, scared for the first time in those two years; after Haidar's attack he had been left to his own devices as his power grew and he began to attain some measure of control. Seeing his mother's spirit, however, was more than enough to summon fear. He had never attended a funeral before and had not known he could see the dead.
Please, do not be frightened; I will not linger long. I only meant to reassure you, Kareem. I know you are worried about what might wait for you on Elysion Isle. Though I did not ask your father to send you, I believe you will find what you need there. Elysion is your best chance for a new life, my dearest, and the king has sworn you will be safe. Tarin is a good man, and he will watch over you. Happier times are waiting for you.
"I cannot imagine my life without you."
I will always be with you. Not like this, though I wish I could be, but I will be in your heart and that is truly the best place, for the heart is love. You have an astounding capacity for love, but you have only given it to me thus far. Someday you will love many, and there will be a woman who surpasses me there. Love will find you, my son, when you are ready.
88888888
The academy proved kinder than the caliphate, but Kareem remained solitary. Even among the best minds in the kingdoms, he was the only one capable of incredible magic. It inspired awe, at least, rather than the constant fear and hatred he had known before. The years passed quietly, with nothing really distinguishing one day from the next. He returned home once a year for two weeks, spent those fourteen days in miserable isolation, and once back at school resumed his bland and tasteless life. That all changed shortly after the start of his fifth term.
"Kareem, there's a guest here for you," one of the elder students said as he stuck his head in the door. "He and the headmaster are waiting for you in the headmaster's office."
"Thank you," Kareem answered quietly. "I will be down in a moment; I need to finish this question before I forget what I was going to write."
He paid no heed to the other boy's exit as he completed his assignment and set it aside to let the ink dry, closing the book he had been referencing and returning it to its place on his shelf. That done, he smoothed his uniform and went in search of his mystery guest.
Arriving at the master's office, he once more adjusted his clothing before rapping gently on the door. Once he was given permission to enter, he slipped in as quietly as possible.
"You summoned me, Headmaster?"
"Yes, come in. Kareem, this is Lord Perrin Alderman, a court magic user. Perrin, this is Prince Kareem of the Caliphate."
"Pleasure to meet you, sir," Kareem said with a shallow bow.
Perrin echoed the gesture. "And you as well, young prince. King Tarin sent me."
That statement made the boy frown. Though his mother had told him Tarin was a good man, a good king, there had been no contact between them in the two years the young prince had been at the academy and he had been fine with that. The less attention he got from the king, the better; it kept him away from anyone that might want to use him.
"And what does the king want of me?" Kareem asked finally.
"It has come to the king's attention that you possess a great deal of magic, Prince Kareem. The Silver Queen worries that if you and those like you are left unattended your power may run away with you."
The phrase 'Silver Queen' had him a bit concerned, but he did his best to cover his worry. "The concern is touching, but I am already learning to control my abilities, my lord."
"That may be, but the king has decided that it is best for you and the others to be brought to the palace. There will be a special tutor arriving to assist you. When your training is done, he means to make you a member of his son's court."
"The offer is generous, but I cannot accept. I am my father's only heir and I must return to the Caliphate when I am grown."
"You have no love for the Caliphate," Perrin said calmly, "or the Caliph himself, who has shown you none. Prince Endymion is like you, Kareem. He has magic. He will need companions that understand him, that he cannot force into obedience. If the Silver Queen is correct, beyond the prince himself your powers are the strongest on Earth. You will be a king someday, but you will serve him in turn. At the very least you must come to the palace and listen to what King Tarin has to say."
Kareem looked tentatively at the headmaster, who nodded. He acquiesced with a sigh. "Very well; I will listen to the king's request. When are we to go?"
"Now, if you can. I have a carriage waiting in the courtyard. Prince Endymion and his father are anxious to meet you and the other boys."
"How many others are there?"
"The Silver Queen told their Majesties of four beside their son, so after you there are three more. You are not quite as alone as you thought."
88888888
Kareem knelt at the foot of the dais, not daring to look at the king or queen on their thrones. The little prince on the steps, however, immediately caught his attention. Endymion was only three to his twelve; how could so small a child be like him? What could he do for the prince that others could not?
"Your father made me your guardian while you are in Elysion, Kareem."
"Yes, my king."
"Yet you do not wish to be among my son's court?"
"I have responsibilities in the Caliphate, Majesty, and I cannot abandon them."
"I am not asking you to. The Caliphate is yours when your father steps down; this will not change no matter your response. We have ways for you to pass between the regions of the world at will, and you may be one of those rare few who are capable of teleportation when your powers develop." Kareem said nothing, eyes still on the little black-haired prince, and the king sighed. "Endymion will need people who understand him, and you are one of very few who might. More, you too need to learn to use your powers wisely."
"I can already control them to an extent; the rest will come with time."
"You are not controlling them, you are locking them away. Don't you want to know how much you're capable of?"
It was sorely tempting. As Lord Perrin had said earlier, Kareem really had no bonds to the land of his birth save the matter of his inheritance. If he could learn the true use of his magic as well as stand by the crown prince without losing his own title, why shouldn't he?
"What is it you want me to do for the prince?"
"You will join him?"
"Perhaps. I cannot give a final answer until I know more."
"He will need guards as he grows older. He will also need those loyal to him on the great thrones of the regions, as you will one day inherit the Middle East. The five of you with magic could form a level of power the Earth has not seen in generations."
"You wish me to be a knight in his service."
"When the time comes, yes. Later you will be more; I would be very surprised if one day you did not advance through the ranks until you were a general as well as a wizard-king."
"And I will still inherit the Caliphate?"
"And much more. The entire territory will be under your sole leadership."
Kareem tilted his head slightly, assessing the king for the first time. His expression was entirely honest. Before he could respond, the little prince toddled over and used Kareem's shoulders to regain his balance. His still-chubby face lit up when the older boy smiled at him.
"A new friend!" little Endymion said ecstatically. He began to circle Kareem's kneeling form, occasionally reaching out to pat his strange white hair. "Soft…"
The young caliph smiled again as he watched his new charge. "I accept, then. I will serve Prince Endymion as the master of his men and leader of his forces. I will protect him no matter what the cost to myself."
"You are leaving your old life behind, you realize."
"Yes. I have no regrets."
"Then you need a new name for a new life, one that sets you apart from the rest of the world while uniting you with those still to come. We will call you Kunzite."
"Kunzite?" he repeated, tasting the unusual syllables.
"It is an ancient tradition that those using Earth's magic carries a name of one of its minerals. It will serve as both a name and title, forever marking you as something more than an ordinary human. It will define you for as long as you live; you will never truly be Kareem again. He is gone as surely as if he had died."
For a moment Kunzite was ready to object, thinking of his mother's choice as a way to keep him strong, but he stopped to think. Kunzite would always be known to be strong because it was tied fundamentally to magic and the prince and the future. He would always remember his mother and his life as Kareem, but it had ended with her death. Once she had gone Kareem had been a placeholder, a manner of address that was convenient and nothing else. She would not begrudge him the change.
"Kunzite it is. From this day on, I swear myself and my strength to Prince Endymion. I will be his guide and guard, his sword and shield."
He would have continued, but King Tarin rose. "There will be time for more formal oaths when you are older, Kunzite. Now is the time for learning and growing. The tutor of the Silver Queen will be arriving within the day; you should bring your things to the palace. The academy is no longer the place for you."
"Sire, who is the Silver Queen?"
"You would know her from your studies as the moon goddess, but in truth the Silver Queen, Serenity, is the mistress of the Moon Kingdom at the heart of Silver Millennium. She and her people safeguard Earth from our more violent neighbors, and when she came to greet my son she saw you and those like you and knew your time was coming."
And maybe it was, Kareem – now Kunzite, the future lord of the Shitennou and master of the Middle East – thought, looking at the child that was now his charge. He dared to imagine a happy future for the first time since his mother's death.
88888888
AN: Obviously, this was the chapter of Kunzite. That was clear, right? That I was dealing with the greatest of them first? He's always fascinated me – a man his age is normally impulsive and rash, but Kunzite as he's grown in my stories is very quiet and subdued. Something had to happen to cause his unbelievable control and to make it so difficult for him to get close to others. That's what this goes into. I hope everyone enjoyed it, and I'd love to hear what people think. Till next time!