Forever Isn't Long Enough
Part 1He stood looking over his kingdom. Long white hair dancing across his bare tan shoulders as a breeze passed through the air. The Egyptian sun beat down on his tanned skin as he observed the people scurry around. His stomach churned as he watched the favoritism and hatred humanity never seemed to let die. He balled his hand into a fist, his lands were no place for the evils that humanity ensued, and he swore by the numerous gods that his people worshiped that one day he would witness a perfect world exempt from chaos.
"Kunzite, Pharaoh of Egypt and proclaimed Son of Anubis," a voice purred behind him breaking his line of thought, "I have a proposition for you."
He turned to see a sickly looking woman with an insane mop of red hair, "Beryl? What is the meaning of this?"
"I'm here to offer you power, safety," she grinned a horrible cat like grin. Her features twisted and full of darkness and hatred making her appear more witch-like than the woman that he had known for almost a lifetime.
"I'm not interested Beryl," he said coldly crossing his arms over his broad chest. I don't know what she's playing at, but I sure as hell don't like this at all.
"Really Lord Kunzite?" she purred advancing toward him, "You would give up power? Sacrifice the safety of your brothers in arms? Sacrifice the lives of safety of the Senshi and the people of the Moon Kingdom?"
His heart did a twisted somersault as a dark cloud sank over his sense of assurance. She watched him; her eyes were a bright orange instead of the dulled violet that they had been the last time that he'd seen her. "I'm not interested Beryl," he managed to say without a hint at emotion.
"So be it," Beryl laughed as she disappeared in a puff of black smoke. Kunzite looked at the Sandstone floor. Something's gone horribly wrong, he thought as he leaned against the sandstone rail of the balcony. A shudder shook his spine, a new evil was approaching, and it was far more powerful than any mortal force could defeat. He stood there for some time watching the people of his kingdom. As the white sun set on Egypt, a black cloud of fear and suffering crept through his mind.
"Kunzite?" a woman's soft voice said from behind him. He turned to see a petite blonde woman in a long golden dress stood in front of him. Her bright blue eyes and pink lips spoke volumes of the world's beauty. She was the embodiment of Venus, and the most powerful Soldier of the Silver Millennium.
"Kunzite, what's wrong?" she asked wrapping her thin arms around his waist. "I've never seen you look this worried."
"There's something evil threatening the peace of Earth," he sighed as he held her around her slender shoulders.
"Queen Serenity said the same thing," she said letting her proper demeanor fall and show how young she really is, "She even forbade the Senshi from coming back to Earth, but I just couldn't. I had to see you, at least one last time."
"Venus," he said looking into her blue eyes as they filled with tears, "You know that no matter what happens, I will always love you."
He held her close as he felt her warm tears fall onto his bare chest. This would be the last time that he saw her, the last time that he held her, the last time that they would be who they are. He didn't know how right his feelings of dread were.
In a dark corner, hidden behind the giant sandstone leg of the Egyptian god of death, hid a purple black mass of energy, watching. It out reached its powers to consume the man's being, but he was strong, every fiber of his heart, soul, and conscious mind threw the energy back. It was like the man was in a bubble of protection, entirely unaware of the darkness that sought to conquer his mind. The shadow retreated, it would win today, the man was far too strong, and it would wait until his moment of utter weakness, then he would be in the grasp of darkness.
Venus pushed away from him softly, almost like she didn't want to move at all. She looked up into his lavender gray eyes with a painful look. "Kunzite, I have to leave now," she said a sob breaking free, "I don't know if I'll ever see you again."
"I know Mina," he said pulling her close again.
She returned his embrace tightly and began to push away. "Tell Queen Serenity that Earth is in danger, and no one's safe," he whispered in her ear so that whatever was hiding in the shadows couldn't hear, "The next time we meet, we may be enemies. I need you and the Senshi to be ready for that."
She shuddered in his arms as he spoke, but she held together, he needed her to be strong, and so she was. He let go of her and looked into her now darkened eyes. "You're a strong warrior Venus, you'll always know what to do when the time comes," he said cryptically as he felt the pressance of another being on the balcony.
With a nod Venus disappeared back to the Silver Millennium where she would be safe. Kunzite turned to see the beaming Nephrite standing in a dark gray suit with yellow lining and red jade details. Kunzite straightened in poster as the younger man walked closer to him.
"Very touching," He said, there was a new gruffness to his voice that Kunzite had never heard before, he was certain that he was in Beryl's control.
"You've come to persuade me to follow Beryl to the Damnation of Earth aren't you Nephrite, now former King of North America, and once hopeful heir to the throne of Jupiter," Kunzite said with a harshness in his tone that he reserved for those who brought shame to their titles.
"Hehehe, you assume much Lord Kunzite," he laughed bitterly with a spreading aura of arrogance, "I have not given my titles away, I've secured them further."
"You are a fool Nephrite," Kunzite yelled out, fists balled tight in rage, "But it seems that the only choice I have is to follow you into this darkness that Beryl has created, isn't that the case?"
"You always were the better man," Nephrite scoffed, "But that's going to change."
"Change, perhaps, but I am not a fool like you Nephrite, I know when to give in," Kunzite said roughly.
"If you know when to give in, then come with me to Point D," Nephrite outstretched his hand, a gesture that Kunzite knew meant that he had to follow peacefully, or be killed on the spot.
"So be it," he spat, as he disappeared in a cloud of black smoke with Nephrite, leaving his beloved desert behind, to hid far from the watchful eyes of the Queen Serenity and her loyal court.