Minako always knew that one day she would have to tell the truth. She would have to admit to what she had been part of a conspiracy to. Everyone would know what she had done.

Unfortunately she made the mistake of thinking that she would have the opportunity to come clean before anyone could confront her. It's easy to fool yourself into thinking everything was forgivable. It was less easy to convince others of that same logic.

Kunzite had looked her in the eye and vowed that he would always standby her.

So she started to tell him the truth.

Before she could finish explaining, he stopped her. She kept trying to speak over him, but he grabbed her and pressed his hand to her mouth effectively silencing her. Some of his words were lost in the sounds around them, but it had been clear that he didn't care for anything that she had done. He said that they would always do things his way. Then he simply said that he would be sending her away and the problem would resolve itself.

It was probably that moment where she realized that the threat from the north was not something that her father conjured, but rather something Kunzite had instead. How perfect that he would allow everyone to think she was involved to keep the guilt from falling on him.

Then the fight broke out.

They were nearly to the gate when they were separated. A guard had grabbed her to pull her away to safety and Kunzite had pushed his way into the melee to break up the drunks in the middle. When his back was turned, she took off along the wall, slipping in with a group of revelers who were leaving the palace. They walked along the wall heading west, laughing and singing a bawdy song, not noticing that their party now included one more.

As Minako glanced over her shoulder to look behind her, someone bumped into her. She looked at the red-haired man who laughed and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, resuming his singing. Her body relaxed as she allowed herself to be lead along. She only needed to make it away from the gate and disappear into the large caravan ahead of her. Although that really only got her out of her current bind - she had no idea what she would do after that.

Going back inside the palace would be futile. She had seen first hand that Endymion wouldn't punish Kunzite for anything. Even if she made it to Serenity, what could her cousin really do?

If she could make it to her uncle then she would be safe. He would be able to hide her.

She felt a pinch on her neck and she swatted at the affected area, waving away whatever had bitten her. The man continued singing along with the group, jostling her as they walked their slow pace. Then she stumbled.

He laughed and righted her, never missing a step.

"Damn it, Minako." She turned her head to see Adonis quickly approaching them. He grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the other man. "I told you not to leave the palace," he growled.

"I was with Kunzite."

"I said no matter what."

The man turned to face Adonis. "It's time for the bonfire, Dâni."

Adonis slowly pulled his eyes away from Minako to look at the man at her side. "What are you doing here, Rubeus?"

"I'm here for the celebrations, same as you." He paused then added, "Dâni."

Adonis looked back to Minako and ripped the mask from her face, cupping her cheeks in his hands. Her eyes seemed unfocused. "Are you okay, Minako?"

Her lips parted, at first no sound coming out. "I think so."

The crowd continued to move around them, parting and then rejoining. Bells tolled signaling the start of the procession. Cheers rang out from within the courtyard.

Adonis shoved Rubeus. "You weren't supposed to give her anything. He'll be angry when he finds out."

Rubeus pulled a cape from the bag that hung across his body and wrapped it around Minako's shoulders, covering her bright white dress and long blonde tresses. "She'll be fine. It only lasts a few minutes. He's been testing it on her." He looked back to Minako who seemed unaffected by the conversation. Taking her hand, he led her forward, out of the crowds and into a small walkway of the woods. The sun was low on the horizon and the trees blocked out most of the remaining light.

Small twigs cracked under their feet as they navigated the narrow walkway, Adonis being forced to walk behind them. After walking a short distance they emerged into a clearing. Trees and brambles mostly closed off access to the area.

Rubeus looked around, his hand tightening on Minako. "He's late," he growled. "Stay here with her." He dropped Minako's hand and disappeared into the trees, his dark cape masking his exit.

"What's happening?" she asked as she fell to her knees.

"I didn't want any part in this," Adonis said, his voice low as he knelt in front of her. "I tried to steer you away but you wouldn't listen. Why didn't you stay in the palace?"

"Kunzite wanted me to go with him." She shook her head, trying to clear the fog that made her mind sluggish. "Where are we?"

"At a crossroad."

"Help me. Take me to my uncle."

Unhinged laughter rang out in his head. Wouldn't it be wonderful if life were so simple? What if every moment could have been so easy? What if he hadn't kissed her that summer day when they were children and been forced to leave his post for one further away? What if he had never met Kunzite and climbed the ranks? What if he had fought back to keep himself from being part of all this. "There's no where to go, Minako."

"My uncle will help us. You know he will."

"He can't help either of us. You don't understand what's coming."

"I don't want to go to the northern kingdom."

"That is the least of your worries."

"What does that mean?"

"Yes, what does that mean, Adonis?" Zoicite asked as he slipped from the tree line and into sight.

"Go back to Kunzite, Zoicite," Adonis spat.

"Don't worry," Zoicite said as he closed the distance between them, hovering over the couple. "He's coming. I just got here first."

"I didn't want to be a part of this, Zoicite," Adonis said as he rose to his feet.

"You clearly did not put up much of a fight. Although you were never really one that could be trusted, were you?"

Adonis's mind flashed back to those months ago where Zoicite had stared down at him. Stared down at Esmeraude's limp form. How good it had felt to punch that arrogant man. "It was only a small matter of fate that put you ahead of me."

"You should never have advanced even this far," Zoicite said. "Every chance you had to remain loyal to Kunzite you wasted. Do you want to court another lover of his? Perhaps you think that if you act like him and love the same women as him that you will be him?" Zoicite took a step closer, his eyes narrowing.

A growl escaped Adonis's lips. For reasons he couldn't even begin to fathom, Zoicite's words struck home in a way that only Zoicite could make them and he snapped, lunging at the other man. They landed on the ground in a heap, either man trying to land a hit on the other.

Minako shook her head, fighting against the dizziness that clouded her thoughts. She couldn't remember walking here and her limbs still felt leadened. Kunzite had been with her. She ran away from him. Then what? There was a man with red hair who said that someone was late. Did he say a name? Was he there for Kunzite? Zoicite said that Kunzite was coming.

It was there that she really saw the injustice of everything. Zoicite had spun all those lies to Endymion for the sole purpose of covering for Kunzite. She never stood a chance against the two men.

She tried to push herself up and only succeeded in falling to her hands and knees. Small bits of debris dug into her palms. Mild pain shot up her arms, but not enough for her to know if she had injured herself or not. She had to force her body to obey. No matter how badly her muscles fought against her, she couldn't succumb. This was her chance to slip away from both men. If she could find a place to hide until morning, she would be safe.

With a final push, she shoved herself backwards away from the struggling men. Debris cut into her palms and scratched her legs as they dragged on the ground. The fogginess of her mind kept the pain to a dull sensation and she pushed on until she found herself pressed against a tree. Tears spring to her eyes at the sense of futility towards the her situation.

An arm wrapped around her and she realized that it was a person rather than a tree that had stopped her. "Rubeus was clearly too gentle with you," a man's voice said next to her ear.

She was too late. He was here. She looked around to see Zoicite had pinned Adonis to the ground, his elbow to Adonis's neck. Both men had stopped moving with the new arrival.

A hand came to rest on her shoulder, another pinch against her neck. "You'll remember everything this time, I promise, but I need you to sleep for a little while. Things are going to get very complicated and it's best if don't take part in this."

"Please," she begged, "let me go. I don't want to go north."

"I can't help the inevitable, but that is not your worry for many more months. For now, we will keep you here."

She forced her head to look up, expecting to see Kunzite's face next to her own. "Who are you?" Her eyes became further unfocused, dizziness washing over her. Voices echoed in her head making her feel like she was underwater.

"She has nothing to do with this."

"She has everything to do with this."

"We had an agreement."

"It's time for a new one."

"Give her to me first."

She tried to fight against the drug running through her body, her hands trying to get further purchase on the ground below her so that she could lift herself up.

Minako's eyes turned upward, following the lines of the dark uniform standing before her until she could see Kunzite's face. She tried to open her mouth, to say anything, but the only thing she was able to get out was, "the baby." Her body fell limp in the arms of the man holding her.

"Just give me your sword, Kunzite, and we'll be on our way."