Act 32

She had dreamed of it again. It had been the same melody. A melody that brought back memories that were good, full of happiness; and because of this, they made her so sad.

Minako sat in her bed, trying to suppress her body's trembling. The music she had dreamed of echoed in her head.

She placed her hands on her ears. As if that would help...

"Stop," she whispered, a single tear running down her cheek, "please, stop."

Slowly, it grew quieter until it finally stopped. Minako sighed in relief.

She looked at Artemis, but the plushie was sleeping peacefully at her feet. Lucky devil.

Minako got out of her bed and stood before the window.

Jupiter had finally awakened her senshi powers too. That was good. Now their memories could come back any moment.

Although sometimes it is better not to remember everything, Minako thought.

She placed her forehead on the cool glass of her window, staring into nothingness.

What would she have given to erase some of her memories? But it wasn't possible to choose which ones you wanted and which ones you don't.

They were good memories, full of happiness, laughing, colors and music—that music! But this was why Minako wanted to forget them again: Because she knew that all that could never happen again.

It was over and there was no turning back.

But the problem was, the more she tried to erase those memories - the music - the more her heart – she – longed for those moments. The desire began to grow so strong that she became really desperate.

"No, it's over," she whispered, "once and for all."

And she forced her heart to accept the truth.

"Jadeite, report to me!" Queen Beryl demanded.

Jadeite was kneeling before the Queen, all devotion.

"My Queen, there was a presence in Zoisite's room just now."

"So? Who was it?"

"They called him... Master Endymion."

Hearing this name, the Queen winced and looked straight at Jadeite.

"Endymion!" she shouted, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, my Queen."

Jadeite couldn't avoid feeling a sudden jealousy when he saw the great interest the Queen seemed to have for this man.

"Where is he now?" she wanted to know.

"I don't know. He has disappeared again."

"Call Zoisite, he shall tell me everything!"

"Yes, as you command."

He stood up, but still hesitated to leave the room.

"What?" she asked.

"My Queen, it's about Nephrite."

"What is it? Has he finally died?"

"Actually, he's behaving kind of strange lately."

"Strange? What do you mean?"

Jadeite suddenly felt uncomfortable, as if he was betraying a friend. He shook off this strange feeling. Anyway, it was too late now to make a retreat.

"He's disappeared several times; and, also, his temper has changed. He's not that... hot-tempered anymore."

"What's the reason for this change?" the Queen wanted to know.

"That, I don't know."

Beryl took a few steps to one side, and then to the other. Finally, she looked at Jadeite again.

"Keep an eye on him. If he really is up to something suspicious, you will let me know immediately."

"Yes, my Queen."

"And now, go and get Zoisite."

Jadeite bowed and left the room.

"What a failure!" Nephrite shouted out, "I came to you to remember my past life and all I got was... nothing." He hit the wall and looked at Zoisite in reproach. "All I know about is the existence of this Master Endymion. That's all."

"It's a start," Zoisite said.

"That's rubbish!"

"Tell me, Nephrite, are you really focused on your past life as a guardian of our Master, or is it... something else?"

Nephrite avoided Zoisite's gaze. He was right of course, but this didn't change the fact that, even with the appearance of Master Endymion, he hadn't gotten even a little bit of a memory back. How frustrating!

Once again, there was rage awakening inside him. "I'm worthless," he hissed, "unable to even remember my past life." He clenched his fists, but suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Why don't you get some... air to cool down," Zoisite said, and looked at him meaningfully.

"What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean, my friend."

Zoisite let go of him and took seat behind his piano again.

"Go," he repeated, "rest assured that I won't tell anybody."

...

Zoisite felt Nephrite disappear and suddenly had to smile.

The calm senshi of water tamed the most hot-headed of the Shitennou. Wasn't that ironic?

He interrupted his playing when he became aware of the melody he just had been playing.

"Again," he whispered.

For a long time he sat motionless. Then he finally stood up and walked over to the other end of the piano. From a secret hollow inside the instrument, he took out a white-transparent small box. It looked like a jewelry box; but when he opened it, it was empty and started to play a single sweet melody.

Zoisite listened to the pleasant music and a sad smile appeared on his face. He started to caress the small box softly.

This music box, and how he got it, had been the first things he had remembered when he had awakened again.

Since then, he had taken it out every day to listen to this sweet melody that reminded him of all the wonderful moments he had had in his past life. Those short but intense moments full of felicity.

"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."

Zoisite closed the box in the middle of the melody.

That's all over, he thought, ignoring the pain in his heart, because everything had changed now.

He put the little box back in its hiding place.

Jadeite stepped into the room.

"What?" Zoisite simply asked, although he already knew very well the reason why the blond Shitennou was looking for him.

"Queen Beryl demands your presence," Jadeite confirmed his guess.

Well, he had to go through with it now. He would do anything to protect the Master's life.

Yuuto stepped out of the back exit of his hotel. He sighed. Luckily there were no fans here. Although he loved to be an actor, sometimes those screaming and jumping girls could be very annoying.

He looked to his right and to his left, then took out a cigarette and ignited it. Actually, he had promised Daisuke, his manager, that he would stop smoking. But sometimes it was the only way to calm down his nerves.

He took a few pulls, and then sighed again in relieve.

A sudden noise from behind the garbage bins caught his attention.

"Who's there?" he called, but nobody answered.

Yuuto waited a few minutes and then shook his head. But just when he decided that maybe he had just imagined all, he heard the noise again.

"Daisuke-san, is that you?" he asked.

A big shadow appeared behind the bins. It looked like the monsters that always appeared on television.

"C'mon man," Yuuto shouted, "cut the crap!"

The shadow moved and stepped into the light. It was a brown monster with claws and prongs on its head, its right shoulder and on the left side of its waist.

Now it started to approach him.

"Hid... hidden camera, right?" Yuuto stuttered, "all right...you got me. Now...stop it!"

The brown monster kept coming towards him.

Yuuto began to sweat, and let his cigarette fall. Then he quickly turned around to hurry back into the hotel and scream for help.

But suddenly the creature appeared before him, and then everything happened very quickly.

It leapt towards Yuuto, who screamed; and then everything went black.

"Dear passengers, we will be landing in a few minutes. Please sit back in an upright position and fasten your seat belts."

Mamoru fastened his seat belt and looked outside the window.

He had left London in such a hurry that he hadn't been able to tell even Motoki that he was returning. His best friend would certainly be worried to death.

He started to nervously tap on his chair back. If he could, he would have jumped out of the airplane, to be faster. He didn't know why, but for some reason he was worrying about Usagi. It was as if something told him that she was in trouble.

Finally, he felt the airplane start to descend.

"I've decided. I won't run away anymore."

Yes, the reason he'd gone to London had been his cowardice. He'd wanted to ignore who he really was.

Although he believed in Zoisite's words, that he was still himself, Mamoru knew that he'd also have to carry the past.

And Usagi, the princess, was part of his past... and his present.

He knew he hadn't fallen in love with her because he was Prince Endymion and she Princess Serenity.

He'd done it as Mamoru. He fell in love with Usagi.

Because of the past? Maybe. Would this cause the planet's destruction again?

Mamoru wasn't ready to believe this. He was sure that the reason why he'd been reborn was to change the present. To prove that the past could be overcome.

The houses below were growing, and he could see the landing strip now.

Usagi, he thought, please, hold on. I'll be right there.

Mio smiled as she watched Minako walking away.

"Don't worry," she said without being overheard, "she won't go to London."

Then she turned around to go back to the studio.

Her plan was just perfect. Usagi was all alone with Yuuto now. Now it was all up to the Youma, who had taken possession of him. It would be an easy thing to kill her.

Then the biggest obstacle to Endymion's heart would be eliminated.

Queen Beryl will be glad, Mio thought.

As her shadow, she was part of the Queen, and she felt the same passion for the Earth's Prince as the Queen did. She hated Usagi, the Princess, more than anyone else.

Until now, all her attempts to harm her had failed; but this time, there was nobody who could save her.

Today she would finally die.

Ami entered the kitchen and put her bag on the table. She sighed.

What a day. First Chiba-san's disappearance, and then Usagi's intention to go to London to look for him. Though Ami really could understand Usagi's desperation. Maybe more than ever.

She asked herself what she would be ready to do to save the person that meant so much to her.

Anything, she thought.

She opened the refrigerator to take out the food her mother had left for her and put it into the microwave to warm it up. Meanwhile she wrote back to her mother, telling her that they had had an exam at Alto Seminar and that she'd gotten a perfect score. She fixed the exam with a magnet on the writing board so her mother could see for herself.

The beep told Ami that her dinner was ready. She took it out from the microwave, and with a book in the other hand she sat down to eat. But she wasn't really able to concentrate on what she was reading, and finally she gave it up.

"Soon."

That's what Nephrite had told her. But what did that mean?

It had been two days now since they had met. Was he all right?

Ami still couldn't remember anything about the Dark Kingdom, but just thinking how it could be there made her tremble.

Nephrite, she thought, are you all right?

So this was how Usagi felt about Mamoru.

Ami stood up to clean her plate. Then she put some milk on the stove. This was definitely a situation for some hot chocolate.

She poured the hot milk into a mug, put some chocolate powder in it, and took a first sip.

Her heart began to beat faster and she smiled.

"I thought you said that night that you'd come here for the last time," she said, and turned around.

Nephrite was standing only a few steps away from her, and he smiled.

"Well, things have changed since then," he answered.

For a moment there was silence, and they only looked at each other.

"Hi," was all Ami was finally able to whisper.

"Hi."

She put her mug on the table and walked toward him.

"Are you… are you all right?"

"You were worried about me?" he asked, frowning.

She leaned her forehead against his chest and shyly put her arms around his waist.

"Of course I was."

He returned her embrace.

"You don't have to be," he said.

She looked up at him. Yes, his gaze was still as incredible as it had been the last time she saw him, and the hardness had disappeared from his face.

He lifted one hand and caressed her cheek.

And there it was again. Ami felt the same connection she had before, when they had looked at each other that night in her room. Did he feel that too?

He sighed and let go of her.

"What… what is it?" she asked.

"Do you… remember anything about your past life?"

Ami looked at him in surprise. Why did he ask her that?

"Well…," she started and while she was thinking about it, she reached for her cup to take a sip, "not really."

"And the others?"

"Venus does. Rei-chan and Mako-chan, I mean Mars and Jupiter, do have a feeling. As for Usagi… she doesn't remember anything."

Suddenly she became really aware of what she'd just told him. She had just given some important information to somebody whom the others considered their enemy. But Nephrite seemed to be lost in his own thoughts.

He's not the enemy, Ami thought. Not anymore.

"Does it bother you?" he wanted to know, "Not being able to remember?"

"I… I don't know. Not really. I believe that the memories will come back in their own time."

He nodded.

"What about you?" Ami asked, "Do you… remember?"

"Nothing," he answered, "I tried to get some memories back but… it didn't work." He looked at her and put his hands on her shoulder. "If I… if I'm not ever able to get my memories back… would that be a problem for you?"

Ami had to smile at his question. Had he just indirectly asked her if she cared about him?

"Not at all," she answered honestly.

Time stood still once more when they looked at each other.

Ami felt herself blush as she suddenly realized the situation. There she was, home alone, with a man in her department! To cover her insecurity, she took another sip.

Nephrite was watching her with interest. "What's that?" he wanted to know.

"This? It's hot chocolate. You wanna try?"

The gaze Nephrite gave her made Ami laugh out loud.

"You're looking at me as if I had just offered you rat poison." She handed him the cup.

"Go ahead; I'm sure you will like it."

Hesitantly, he took the cup and smelled it suspiciously, which made Ami laugh out loud again.

"It won't harm you," she assured, "It tastes really good. Go ahead."

And then Nephrite finally took a sip, placing his lips exactly on the same place she just did.

Ami felt how the heat came back into her face, and she knew that she had turned all red.

"Well, it's not terrible," he said; but Ami noticed that he didn't even think about handing the cup back, and she knew that it was more than just "not terrible". She smiled and took out more milk to make another cup for herself.

"So, what do humans usually do, when they spend time together?" Nephrite suddenly asked.

Ami looked at him in surprise, but he was all sincerity.

"Well, when I'm with the girls, we hang around at Crown. That's a karaoke center." She paused and looked at him. No, this was definitely nothing that suited him. Honestly, it seemed somehow surreal just to have Nephrite, a Shitennou, in her kitchen with a cup of hot chocolate in his hands. "Or we go to a cafe to have some cake."

They looked at each other, and Ami knew that they were thinking exactly the same thing: going out together was definitely no option. And as she had no television, there was only one more thing that came into her mind.

"How about a game of chess?" she proposed.

"Chess?" Nephrite asked.

Ami smiled. That was going to be interesting.

Minako watched the prince and the princess embracing each other.

"I swear," the prince said, "the planet won't be destroyed."

"Fate... can't be changed," Minako said softly, and turned around to walk away.

"Aren't you going to do something about this?" Artemis asked as he walked by her side.

"What should I do? He came all the way back from London just to be with her. It's not a Youma I have to fight."

There was nothing Artemis could say.

"And what about you?" he suddenly wanted to know.

"What do you mean?"

"Isn't there something you want to tell me?"

Minako felt a shiver running down her spine. "I don't have anything to tell you," she answered harshly.

Artemis jumped in her way. "You can't fool me! I know very well what's going on!"

Minako stood still, incapable of denying anything. "How...?"

"You talk a lot, when you're asleep," Artemis said, and his voice became softer when he asked: "Can't you just try... to forget?"

But this was what she had been trying to do the whole time! She wanted to forget. Remembering only caused her pain.

Minako sat down when the pressure in her head started again.

"Minako, are you all right?" Artemis asked, frightened.

But she was nearly unable to hear his voice. The music had started to play again in her head. She pressed her fingers against her temples and closed her eyes.

"Minako!" Artemis shouted, and all of a sudden, it was as though the music had been turned off. She sighed in relief.

"I'm okay," she whispered.

But they both knew that this was a lie. It would never be okay again. Not when everything good had turned bad. Not when the Dark Kingdom had taken the only one that had ever meant something to her.

And not when that fact was breaking her heart slowly.

11