Zoisite's Reawakening (Act 22)

Zoisite blinked and frowned. What happened? The last thing he remembered was teleporting before the united Sailor Senshi to fulfill his duty.

To kill the Princess for Queen Beryl.

The Princess? No, that hadn't been the Princess, that…

He started, placing his palm on his chest, where her crescent beam had hit him.

"Master Endymion."

Yes, he had been there too. His Master. Yet he hadn't been the one he'd wanted to reach at that moment. It was someone else. Someone… much more important.

Following a sudden impulse, Zoisite stood up and walked to the opposite side of his piano. He really didn't know what was pulling him over, but he knew that he would find it there-whatever it was.

He put his hand inside the piano almost automatically, and felt it there. He removed it slowly, his heart beating strongly in his throat. He knew that if he took it out, it would spark something irreversible in him.

Finally, Zoisite removed his trembling hand from the hiding place and gasped when he looked at the precious white box he was holding. He knew that box. His heart started to beat faster and a light numbness took hold of him, summoning a memory.

He raised the lid and the soft, sweet music resounded as if it had not slumbered for thousands of years inside that box.

"It's all that remains, and I want you to have it. I want you to be the owner of the most important thing I have left."

"Venus!" he called out. How could he have forgotten her?!

The memories crashed down on him now mercilessly. Her voice, her smile, her tenderness, her beautiful face, the sound of her laughter…

His legs gave way and he fell to his knees, placing his free hand on his chest again as he remembered how…

"Venus," he gasped, "Oh… no. Please…"

He had tried to kill her. His one and only love. The woman to whom he had sworn eternal love for all time. He had forgotten her and tried to kill her!

No matter what curse lay on him, he should not have forgotten her. Never.

As the numbness faded he slowly stood up and walked back to the piano bench, the music still playing. He sat down and placed the box very carefully on the piano.

"Oh, Venus," he whispered in grief. "My love. Please, forgive me."

The pain in his chest increased as, at the same moment, he realized something else all too clearly. He wasn't a free man anymore. He belonged to the Dark Kingdom now.

And as he remembered Venus' face when she… killed him, the determination in her eyes without any sign of recognition in them, he was certain that she had forgotten him, too.

Nevertheless, every cell in his body urged him to teleport right away from that dark place to his true love. And that desire caused the pain in his chest to increase tenfold.

No, he couldn't do that. It was over. She had forgotten him. He had seen it clearly in her eyes, and he knew her better than anyone else. And he, he was forced to be on the Dark Kingdom's side. He could feel the power of Queen Beryl's curse lying on him like a heavy blanket.

Zoisite closed the box to stop the music and stroke it once tenderly. Then he placed his hands on the piano's keys… feeling completely unable to play.

"It's all that remains…"

Yes, my love, this is all that remains now, Zoisite thought sadly, trying to handle the devastating pain of his loss.

All he could do now was carry on his true mission:. Protect his Master from the Princess, and thus prevent the disaster from the past.

Finally, after whatfelt like decades, he started to play, hoping that it would help to lessen the grief in his heart.

Though there was no time left. He had to make the connection with his Master. Queen Beryl was surely now also aware of his reawakening.

The reawakening to his personal, painful nightmare.