Act 40

"I've made a decision. I'm going to stop singing."

Minako's words were resounding in Artemis' head as he ran through the streets.

"I was born to fulfill the mission of my past life. I live for that."

"There isn't anything else inside me than Sailor Venus."

Artemis knew very well this wasn't just about the mission. Since the night that he had told Zoisite where he could find Minako, Artemis had noticed the change in her. She had retreated more, and her sleep had become more restless than ever.

Whatever had happened between her and Zoisite that night was part of the reason for her decision.

"I'm going to stop singing."

No, no, no, Artemis thought, this can't be. Minako can not stop singing. It's all she has, it's her life. Even if she has forgotten that.

Artemis quickened his pace. There was only one person he could ask for help now. Only one person who could be able to make Minako remember how important the music was to her.

xxxx

"A hiccup is an involuntary contradiction of the diaphragm that may repeat several times per minute." Rei turned a few pages until she found what she was actually looking for: "A bout of hiccups, in general, resolves itself without intervention. Several home remedies exist that attempt to shorten the duration…"

She turned the page again when, suddenly, she heard a knock at the door. "Sailor Mars!"

"Artemis," Rei said in surprise. She stood up to let the white plushie in. He was out of breath and seemed to be very upset.

"What's going on?" she asked him, once he had calm down a little.

"It's about Venus," Artemis answered, "Mars, I need your help."

"What's the matter?"

"She… she has decided to stop singing."

"What? Why?" Rei wanted to know.

"Because… all that exists for her is the mission," Artemis said.

Rei closed the book that was still lying on the ground and put it back into her bag. She could take care of this later. Now there was something more important to do.

"She's wrong," Rei said, "Singing is her life, but she's so… obsessed with the duty of her past life that she has forgotten the present she's living in."

She sat down on the ground again and Artemis came up beside her.

"We have to find a way to make her remember, how much she loves the music," he said, and Rei nodded. She considered a moment, and suddenly she had to smile.

"I have an idea," she finally said to Artemis.

xxxx

Nephrite threw away the tray in frustration and looked at the door his so-called Master had stepped through.

It was over. The only chance, the glimpse of hope he'd had to go back to the Dark Kingdom, was gone. His Master wouldn't take him back there. He had been very clear.

"Forget it. You'll stay a human."

Nephrite clenched his fists.

"Here," Motoki said and pressed a mop in his hands. "You made the mess, now you can clean it up too."

Nephrite lifted the mop and looked at Motoki threateningly. "You..." he hissed.

"Save your energy for cleaning up," Motoki said, "It's the best way to cool down, believe me, Nephukichi-kun."

Nephrite was just about to lunge at Motoki, when the door opened again and two girls came inside.

"Welcome," Motoki greeted them and stepped quickly behind the desk. The two girls looked at Nephrite and giggled; finally they stepped before the desk.

"How long?" Motoki asked.

"One hour," one of the girls said while the other turned her head towards Nephrite. She smiled shyly and blushed, looking away again quickly.

Nephrite frowned. Just what was that supposed to be?

"You can use room number four. It's just over there." Motoki pointed at the door on the end of the short hallway to his right and the girls followed his direction. When they passed Nephrite they giggled again and one of them turned around.

"Could your... new employee bring us something to drink and some snacks?" she asked.

"I'll see what I can do," Motoki answered and finally they disappeared in the room.

"You're popular," Motoki said, smirking, and started to put two sodas and some crackers on a tablet. "But I think that for the moment I'd better take care of them. You obviously don't seem to be very familiar with this sort of thing. You'd better get this cleaned up, Nephukichi-kun."

"Stop calling me by that stupid nickname!" Nephrite shouted.

"Clean this up," Motoki repeated instead. "Don't worry, I won't tell our boss you broke something again. Otherwise I'm afraid you won't have any pay at the end of this month."

Nephrite looked after Motoki, who was carrying the tray towards the room the two girls had just disappeared into.

"You're popular."

Nephrite snorted and finally started to pick up the things on the ground and clean up the mess he had made again. One day he would make this man pay for making fun of him all the time. Popular? How could anybody ever like him the way he was now? He was weak, he was powerless, he was thoroughly unsightly. A human.

"I've decided to join the Dark Kingdom; Because it's obviously the only way to be with you."

Nephrite paused and sighed, leaning his head on the broomstick. Ami. She had been willing to change sides… for him. And now that they actually were on the same side, he still wasn't able to be with her. And the more he tried to forget her, the more he longed for her, the more the pain in his heart grew.

Maybe if he could just see her once…

"Are you sleeping standing up?" Motoki's voice resounded behind him.

Nephrite cringed and kept on cleaning up. Motoki shrugged and stepped behind the desk again to arrange some strange instruments. They looked like the star tambourines Nephrite remembered from the Sailor Senshis. But these were round.

"The two girls were very disappointed that it wasn't you who brought them their order," Motoki said now. "I think, after all, I should start to make you work more… visibly to our female customers. That might increase our number of visitors…"

Nephrite threw the mop to the ground and stepped before the desk to grab Motoki by his collar.

"Don't you dare to make fun of me, you…!"

Motoki only looked at him in surprise.

"I'm not making fun of you," he answered seriously, and after a short pause he said, astonished: "Don't tell me you don't realize how good-looking you are!"

"Shut up," Nephrite hissed.

"You don't," Motoki continued, "I can't believe it. You really don't know…"

"I said, shut up!" Nephrite shouted now and his hands started to tremble.

"Okay," Motoki said in a placatory tone, "It's okay. Just calm down now."

Slowly, Nephrite let go of him and finally continued to clean up the floor.

"But you know what, Nephukichi-kun," Motoki said after a long pause, "I do think you'll bring in more customers. Especially female ones. They'll be all over you, believe me. If I were a girl…"

It was very clear that he had said that on purpose, because Motoki ducked immediately when Nephrite threw the basket with the tambourines at him.

xxxx

"Ami, there's someone here for you."

Ami looked up from her homework to her mother, who was standing in the door of her room. "Who is it?"

Her mother stepped aside and Rei walked in. Ami clenched her fists. What could Rei want from her? Ami's mother hesitated for a moment, but finally she left the room, closing the door behind her.

"Hi," Rei said.

"Hi," Ami greeted back distantly.

"How are you?"

"I'm fine."

"I've been talking to Makoto," Rei told her.

"Really? So, I'm kind of the favorite topic of conversation now."

"Ami…"

"Don't," Ami cut Rei off. "Just let it be, Rei-chan, please. I... I can't anymore."

"Just let me say this one thing," Rei requested, "and then, I promise, I won't mention it again, unless you want me to."

Ami forced herself to look at Rei directly. "I'm listening."

"I wanted to tell you… that I was wrong about… Nephrite."

Ami winced when she heard his name, but didn't say anything.

"And I wanted to apologize. It was my fault… that this happened."

"What?" Ami asked, truly surprised now, "Why do you think that?"

"If I hadn't been so… stubborn, so hard-headed… I'm still asking myself if there wouldn't have been a way… I should have been able to find one."

Ami noticed how Rei rubbed her fingers behind her back. She's reproaching herself? she thought.

"It wasn't your fault that… what happened, happened," Ami said honestly.

"I never wanted this for you, Ami," Rei said with a trembling voice.

"Rei-chan," Ami said and stood up to embrace her friend. "I know that."

Rei wrapped her arms around Ami too, and for a moment the two friends embraced each other in reconciliation. "I'm so sorry," Rei whispered.

"It wasn't your fault," Ami said.

"But…"

Ami looked at Rei and grabbed her shoulders. "It wasn't your fault."

Rei didn't say anything, but then she nodded. Then they sat down at Ami's little table in the middle of her room.

"I came here for another reason too," Rei finally said.

"What is it?"

"I need your help. It's about Venus."

xxxx

Minako wrapped her arms around herself while tears started to run down her cheeks.

"Your problem is the present. Me for instance… if the possibility wouldn't be zero… I would get the operation."

Minako sobbed. What did Mars know anyway? To get the operation meant that in one second everything could be over. But if she went on as she did, she would at least still have some time. Maybe enough to fulfill the mission. And though she would never admit it… death scared her.

"Your problem is the present."

Who am I? Minako suddenly thought, Venus from the past? Minako, the pop-idol? Or am I just an empty shape? I'm the only one who hasn't been able to awake her senshi powers yet. I'm the leader. Wasn't I supposed to be the first to do so? What if the reason isn't my disease nor the fact that I'm singing, but that I'm not… worthy?

And suddenly Minako knew that now there was only one person she needed more than ever at this moment. The only one who was able to give her support. She took a deep breath and straightened up.

"Venus power… make up!" she called.

"Minako, what are you doing?" Artemis asked, shocked, but Minako ignored him. She started to walk and finally run down the street. Behind her she could hear Artemis scream her name, but she kept on running until she reached the building she had been aiming for. She stepped through the door and entered the big hall. It looked just like it had the day Mercury had come back from the Dark Kingdom.

Minako clenched her fists. Nobody knew where the Dark Kingdom was. It was outside the real world – another dimension - and couldn't be found. But there was something none of the other senshis knew—only Minako knew, and she only was allowed to know it because she was the leader: Once a door had been opened to the Dark Kingdom, it could be opened again. On that day, when Mercury had turned back to herself again, Kunzite had opened a very big portal.

It was strictly forbidden to reopen such a gate; but now, feeling so empty, so alone, Minako didn't care about nor fear the risk. She grabbed for her star tambourine and shook it.

"Venus crescent beam!" she shouted and aimed the point where she could still feel the small but discernible crack Kunzite's gate had left.

Her surroundings seemed to tremble and suddenly, just like a curtain, the gate opened and a cold wave came to meet her. Behind the opening she could see nothing but darkness.

This is completely crazy! a voice that was her own resounded in Minako's head. You've lost your senses, risking your own life!

Yes, Minako thought, but if I don't do this now, I'll lose myself completely.

She closed her eyes, changing back into her human form, and then she stepped forward, through the gate that led into the Dark Kingdom.

xxxx

Zoisite's gloves lay on the piano as he softly played Venus' song. Since he had left her, he'd tried everything to forget her; but the more he tried, the more images and memories crushed down on him.

"After all, we're on different sides."

Why did everything have to be so… complicated? There was nothing he wished more than to be with his love, but he also wasn't able to leave his Master. He couldn't break his loyalty. After all, he was the only Shitennou who still was aware of his duty.

Suddenly Zoisite felt that something was different. There was a prescence in his room that was observing him. And it wasn't a presence that belonged to the Dark Kingdom, though it felt very familiar anyway. He stopped playing immediately and turned around.

In the shadow of the door he recognized a shape. He jumped up and reached for his weapon.

"Who's there?" he hissed.

The shape moved slowly and finally stepped into the meager light.

Zoisite let his weapon fall in shock. "Venus?" he whispered unbelievingly. No, this couldn't be. His mind was tricking him the way it did so often.

She took another hesitant step towards him. "Zoisite."

"Venus!" Zoisite ran to her and took her into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his waist and he felt how her fingers bored into his back.

Yes, it was her, but nevertheless he wanted to be really sure. He looked at her, looked into her deep brown eyes and then he kissed her. Her lips parted immediately to grant him intake. And for a long time there were only she and he.

Finally he interrupted the kiss unwillingly and placed his forehead against hers.

"What are you doing here? You shouldn't be here. It's too dangerous."

Her grip became stronger. "I… I needed to see you."

"Oh Venus," Zoisite sighed and kissed her again. "Why didn't you come in your senshi form?" he finally asked. "Are you aware of the risk you've taken?"

"If I'd kept my senshi form, I would have been discovered immediately. It was easier to slip through the Dark Kingdom's protection net like this. After all, who would expect a human to find a way inside here?"

Zoisite couldn't help but laugh softly about Venus' logic. This had been one reason why he had fallen in love with her.

Suddenly he heard steps outside. He pushed Venus aside immediately, hiding her behind his back, ready to protect her against whoever would step through the door now. But the steps passed by and ceased.

Zoisite sighed in relief and finally looked back at Venus, who was shivering now. He took her into his arms again quickly. "Don't be afraid," he whispered, "I won't allow anyone to harm you."

"I'm not… afraid," Venus answered and he could hear her teeth chattering, "It's just… I feel so… cold."

Zoisite started to rub her arms, but she was still trembling.

Of course, as a human it was almost imposible to stand the cold of the Dark Kingdom, and though Venus could resist better because she was a Sailor Senshi, she wouldn't make it very long in her human form.

"We have to get you out of here, immediately," Zoisite said.

Venus gripped for his arm. "Please… don't send me… away," she said with a shaking voice, and she started to tremble more strongly.

Zoisite unbuttoned his jacket and opened it. "Come here," he said affectionately and opened his arms.

Venus wrapped her arms around his waist again and he covered her with the cloth of his jacket, warming her up with his body. Suddenly he heard how she started to sob.

"Venus, what's wrong?" he asked softly.

She looked up to him, with tears in her eyes.

"Do you think I'm an empty shape?" she asked.

Zoisite frowned. "Of course not. What gives you that idea?"

She buried her face in his chest. "I somehow feel like I'm losing myself. Who am I, Zoisite? Who am I really?"

Zoisite kissed her hair and tightened his embrace. He noticed in satisfaction that she wasn't trembling anymore. "You are you," he simply said.

Venus looked up to him again and, suddenly, she smiled. "Must you always be so cryptic?" she asked.

"What's so cryptic about what I just said?"

She shrugged. "Forget it." She stood on her tiptoes and gave him a long kiss.

"We can't stay here," Zoisite finally said, "Someone could come in here anytime and discover you."

Venus dug her fingers in his back again and a delicate blush appeared on her cheeks. "We could go… to my hotel room."

Zoisite smiled and kissed her forehead. Then he teleported away with her.

xxxx

"Stop crying already! What kind of man are you supposed to be?"

"I'm a disgrace. I can't even fight for real, not to mention use my powers to their full extent."

"And I've told you that I'll help you to improve your fighting and to use your powers. But now, for God's sake, stop crying like a little girl. That is what's disgraceful!"

Mars gave Jadeite a strong clap on his shoulder. He looked at her in surprise. "Why do you beat me all the time?"

She rolled her eyes. "I didn't beat you. It was just a clap. Don't be such a wuss. Come on, stand up."

Jadeite grabbed for his weapon; Mars was stretching out, and stood up.

It wasn't a secret that he was the weakest of the Shitennou. Nephrite was… impulsive, but still strong, especially in close combat, man-to-man. Zoisite was more the strategic type; he was able to foresee almost every move of his opponent. And Kunzite… was Kunzite. Strong, calm, clever. and maybe the best sword-fighter he had ever seen. But Jadeite… he wasn't just the youngest, but…

"Don't start again!" Mars' warning voice resounded now and Jadeite forced back quickly the tears that were accumulating in his eyes again.

This had been going on about a week now. Still, Jadeite couldn't understand why Mars had agreed to help him. She didn't seem like the kind of woman who normally associated with guys like him. Honestly, he had thought about asking Mercury in the first place. She seemed to be the most sensitive and accessible of the senshis. But she was occupied with Nephrite now.

It was really amusing. They tried to hide their relationship, but nevertheless everybody knew about it. Jadeite had to wonder once more how much his best friend had changed. Once so hot tempered and explosive even Kunzite had sometimes had trouble breaking him, Nephrite had almost become a lamb.

"Mercury has tamed the tiger," Kunzite used to say once, "Now he's as tame as a lap dog."

Though Jadeite missed the time with his best friend, was nobody else who deserved his good fortune more.

However, this meant Mercury hadn't been an option. Venus? He wouldn't have even dared to dream of asking her. She was the leader, and surely she had better things to do than to help a little loser like him improve his powers. And Jupiter… well that would have been an option, but for some reason… she scared him. Maybe because of her body size. She was indeed tall for a woman.

So, the only one left was Mars. And she was…

Two hands clapped before his eyes. "Are you daydreaming?"

Jadeite flinched. "I'm sorry."

She rolled her eyes and then, without any warning, she started to attack him. He dodged as best as possible, but she was very quick. Suddenly she stood firmly on her feet and stretched her hands.

"Akuryou Taisan!" she shouted and a fireball shot out of her hands, directly towards him.

Jadeite was so surprised that all he was able to do was to lift his hands to fend off the attack with his palms. He cried out in deep pain when the fire singed through his gloves, burning his hands. Then he fell on his knees.

"Jadeite!" he heard Mars call in shock. She ran towards him and grabbed him by his shoulders before he fell on his back.

"Jadeite, oh my god, I'm so sorry, I thought… Why in the world didn't you dodge, you… stupid man?"

Jadeite wasn't able to answer. The pain his burnt hands caused him made it impossible to say anything, unless to cry. And he didn't want to burst into tears in front of her again. So he bit his lips until he could taste his own blood.

"Let me see," Mars said and grabbed for his hands.

"I'm… fine," he was finally able to hiss.

"Just let me have a look at…"

"I'm fine!" he shouted now and rose to his feet.

"Don't be so childish!" Mars shouted back and grabbed for his hands emphatically. "Now, let me see this and treat it, before the wound gets infected."

Jadeite struggled a little, but one warning glare from her made him give up immediately.

She carefully took off his ruined gloves and turned his palms upwards. Gently she started to stroke the burnt parts, mumbling some incomprehensible words.

Jadeite couldn't take his eyes off her again. The way she stroked his palms, whispering those strange words… She was so… beautiful. Suddenly she smiled and looked at him.

"Look," she said.

He obeyed reluctantly and looked at his hands. There were no burns anymore and the pain was gone too. He looked at her in disbelief.

"How… did you do this?"

Her smile widened. "Fire with fire, or maybe magic, or…"

Jadeite didn't let her talk on. He took her face in his hands and kissed her. First she didn't react, obviously too surprised, but then he felt how she put her hands on his shoulders, and finally she reciprocated his kiss.

Jadeite started. He was sitting straight in his bed breathing hard, while his heart was pounding.

What had that just been? It hadn't been a simple dream. This had been… a memory. A memory of his past life, something he would never had thought that it could be possible.

He had been in love… with a Sailor Senshi!

"Damn Zoisite!" he cursed.

Because of his constant piano playing, memories were emerging now that he'd have preferred not to have. It wasn't enough that the ones about Master Endymion put his loyalty towards Queen Beryl in doubt. No. Now a memory of a woman had appeared, and he knew he wouldn't be able to forget again.

Mars, the senshi of fire.

His heart started to beat faster and, though he didn't want to admit it, Jadeite already longed for her. Maybe he still wasn't really aware of it, but his subconscious had remembered her at last, and this longing feeling wouldn't pass by.

Before he was really aware of what he was doing, Jadeite was already on his way to Zoisite's room.

He owes me an explanation, Jadeite thought, and as he is the one who's responsible for this, he'll have to do something against it.

He entered Zoisite's room, prepared to shout at him and demand his rights, but there was nobody there.

Jadeite frowned. He could have sworn that he had heard his piano some moments ago. Where could he be? All that remained were his gloves on the piano and...

Jadeite stepped inside the room and bent to lift up the object that lay on the ground, like it had been tossed aside carelessly.

"His weapon?" Jadeite whispered, and a strange feeling took hold of him. Zoisite wasn't the kind of man who would throw away his weapon like this. Jadeite stepped to the piano and put it beneath the gloves. Since when does Zoisite take off his gloves to play the piano? Jadeite asked himself.

Man, was everybody going crazy here? First Nephrite, then obviously Zoisite, and now even he with his weird memories.

Sailor Mars, she smiled at him.

Jadeite put his hands on his forehead, but it was useles. Her image had been burnt into his mind now, and he felt that he wouldn't be able to suppress his longing for her very long.

xxxx

Minako buried her face in Zoisite's chest, feeling the agreable warmth of his body.

Since he had teleported them into her hotel room they had been standing like this, holding each other. No words had been spoken. She sighed deeply and finally looked up at him. Still Zoisite didn't say anything, but his gaze was full of affection that told her more than thousand words.

Now he slowly bent down to unite his lips with hers, and though his kiss was as tender as always... this time it was still different. There was desire in it, an unspoken question for permission...

And Minako knew that she would let him. She wanted it too, she wanted him. She wanted to be as close to him as a woman could be to a man. Just for tonight, she wanted to forget her mission and her duty and only be... Zoisite's woman.

And so she wrapped her arms around his neck, reciprocating his deep and passionate kiss, while his hands slid under her shirt to caress her bare skin.

xxxx

Ami sat in her bed and looked at the shining silver moon in the night sky. Was it because in her past life she had been an inhabitant of the moon that its light somehow gave her a feeling of… peace? Or was it the day that had caused this?

The truth was that, after all the days since… that had happened, today she had been finally able to laugh again. That moment at the TV studio… she couldn't remember when she had been able to have so much fun.

Rei-chan, she thought now, did you do this… for me too?

Ami knew that, most of all, it had to do something with Aino Minako. That was all she knew. But nevertheless she couldn't shake herself of the feeling that somehow Rei had done it for her too.

She sighed and lay down. Maybe after today, she could finally move on somehow…

A pair of deep blue eyes appeared in her mind and she winced.

No, Ami thought, it isn't that easy.

Because the pain returned immediately into her heart. Nephrite. Ami knew that she would never ever be able to forget him. But maybe - slowly - she could find a way back to life again.

She closed her eyes and for the first time in awhile, she fell asleep immediately.

xxxx

The soft dawn at the horizon announced the beginning of the new day.

From the top of the hotel, Zoisite could see the sun mercilessly rising. He held Venus in his arms, unwilling to let her ever go. He looked down at her and kissed her again, the way he had done so often since she had gotten up with him about half an hour ago.

He still felt unable to leave, but as the day became brighter he knew that it meant the end of his time with her.

Last night… Zoisite knew that she had given him the most precious gift a woman could give to a man. It felt so right to hold Venus in his arms. He tightened his embrace as if it could somehow keep his heart from breaking.

"I love you," he said.

She smiled at him and gave him a soft kiss. "I love you too."

He kissed her again, long and deep.

"Venus…" he started to say, but she placed her fingers on his lips.

"Don't," she said in a soft voice, "Please, just… let's pretend that there is no Master nor princess, no mission, no… battle. Only you and me. Let's pretend that we are just normal, ordinary people who will see each other again tomorrow."

He nodded and kissed her fingers; then he placed his lips once more on hers. He felt how her fingers bored into his back and he knew that, despite what she had just said, she knew, too, that their time together ended now.

"So, see you tomorrow," he finally said.

She nodded and smiled, despite the tears that were glistening in her eyes. "See you tomorrow."

Zoisite kissed his love for the very last time, long and intensely, and finally released her to teleport away.

Back in his room, he sat down at his piano and started to play. He played a melody he knew he would never ever play again, for it expressed all his feelings for Venus. The love he felt for her, and the pain that he would never be so close to her again.

He closed his eyes, remembering the joy and pleasure she had given to him last night. Her soft skin, her scent, the warmth of her body, the way she had sighed his name…

Zoisite played and played while tears were running down his cheeks.

Yes, he would never play this melody again; because once the last note had faded he would lock his heart again, together with the hope that one day he would be reborn in a world where nothing could keep him from finally being with his one and only love.

The tones of the piano resounded through the Dark Kingdom until the last note echoed through the tunnels.

Then there was silence.

14