"Feeling better, I trust," a voice came out of the near-darkness that enshrouded the room. Xantha groaned, putting her hand to her head. "You fainted as I brought you through the portal. I had the idea you were a lot stronger than that." Malachite grew visible as he walked toward her.
"Damnit! I had hoped it was a dream." Xantha snapped, sitting up quickly. Too quickly! She yelped in pain as she hit her head on an overhanging ledge. Malachite smiled as he watched Xantha pressing both hands to her head. Strangely, the smile wasn't malicious. Xantha noticed that. "How come you aren't laughing at me?" she demanded, as she took her hands away from her scalp. A quick glance at her fingers assured her she wasn't bleeding.
"Hardly seems appropriate," Malachite replied. "That bump amounts to nothing beside what you're about to receive!" There was a peculier hesitatecy in his expression. However, Xantha wasn't concerned about his face – she was more worried abut the dark fire surrounding his hand. As if in response to the flame, exarcerbating her fright, her crystal pendant began to glow as it rested against her chest. Malachite reached out toward it. "I'm sorry for what this will feel like," he said, quiet regret in his voice. Then he pressed his hand against the pendant. Xantha screamed.
"Huh?" Darien jerked his head erect. He had sensed Xantha. He knew he had. She was in pain. But where was she?
"Ohhh…I never want to do that again," Malachite mumbled groggily, stumbling toward the wall. He hadn't realised the amount of power that his plan would have sapped out of him, and now felt like he'd been wrung out and left to dry. He leant one hand against the wall, as his legs felt as though they wouldn't be able to support him unaided for much longer, raising the other hand to his eyes exhaustedly. "That was…a really…unpleasant… experience," he asserted, relenting to the exhaustion in his limbs, falling to his knees and burying his face in both hands.
"What about the end result?" a female voice asked him. He wearily raised his head and looked over his shoulder at the source of the voice. "Are you telling me I'm worthless?" she continued. The power of the Negaverse was already swirling into Malachite, revitalising him. He smiled and, rising to his feet, crossed the room to the dark-haired young woman.
"No, from what I can see, you're worth this headache ten times over," he replied, extending his hand to her. "Will you permit me to assist you, my lady?" he offered with a grin. She grinned back at him.
"Who says I need assistance to stand up?" she replied, ignoring his hand as she rose to her feet. Her raven hair was as straight as a plumb line apart from her fringe, which was swept loosely to one side across her forehead. She wore the uniform of a Negaverse general, the trim lilac. /There's certainly a difference, Princess/ Malachite thought, looking her up and down with an approving smile. /But I most definitely didn't expect one like this!/ "Do me a favour, Lord Malachite?" she asked, interrupting his thoughts.
"Yes?" he responded.
"Stop staring at me!" she replied. Malachite laughed at the short command.
"Merely wondering what to name you. 'Your Highness' doesn't really seem appropriate," he replied cheerfully.
"I beg your pardon!?" the young woman responded, her eyebrows disappearing under her fringe. "I don't know what royalty you're thinking of, but I am certainly not them!" she replied to his statement. "But you name me? I do happen to have a name!" she continued in an offended tone.
"Oh?" Malachite replied, surprised. "What is it?" She looked briefly at him and he noticed that, for all the changes, her face was still Xantha's.
"Kunzite." Malachite laughed at the abrupt manner in which she said it.
"You forgot your title," he gently scolded her. "It's not just Kunzite. It's Lady Kunzite." Kunzite grinned.
"Whatever…" she responded with a mock sigh. Then her face slid into a smile. A very different smile to Xantha's. "Well, Lord Malachite, I can see that something apart from a headache is bothering you. May I ask what?" Malachite had stepped back from her smile. The expression had reminded him of Zoisite's smile – chill amusement, rather then open cheer. Then he smiled in satisfaction. That type of person was what he had been aiming for.
"Of course you may, my lady," he responded to his new ally's question. "Sailor Moon is what's bothering me. Sailor Moon and her team of Scouts. They are what's giving me a headache…" he fumed. Kunzite had come up to him during this. Laying a finger to his lips, she smiled at him.
"If that's all that is annoying you, my lord, you can set your mind to rest. I'll deal with them. Now take that grumpy look off your face." Malachite looked appraisingly down at her. Kunzite's eyes were half-closed and the smile on her face was a smile of anticipation. Her mind was obviously miles away, already imagining the hunt. Malachite grinned suddenly.
"As my lady commands, Kunzite," he replied and, acting on an impish whim, wrapped his arms around her, claiming her mouth in a kiss. Kunzite's eyes snapped open and she resisted for a brief moment, before responding, kissing him back. When they broke away from each other, Kunzite smiled slyly.
"You certainly don't wait around, do you, Lord Malachite?" she purred, turning away from him slightly. Malachite fought down the pang of lust that swept through him. He placed his hands on Kunzite's shoulders, amazed at the strength of the dark aura he felt surrounding her.
"Kunzite, you must remember that the Scouts are a powerful adversary. They defeated the other three Shadow Generals and myself, and they destroyed Beryl and Metallia."
Kunzite turned, her eyes blazing. She grabbed Malachite by the neck of his tunic and pulled him toward her. "Lord Malachite," she snarled. "I know they are powerful. That just makes the hunt more interesting. Don't ever make the mistake of treating me as though I'm foolhardy, do you understand!?" Malachite nodded, too surprised by the sudden change in her to say anything. "Good," she whispered, her voice frightening in its intensity. "Oh, by the way, Lord Malachite…gotcha!" she murmured, sliding her hands around his neck and bringing his head down to meet hers…
"Darien, are you sure she was in pain?" Serena asked, worried.
"I'm positive, why?" Darien replied, pacing restlessly down the middle of the floor, his brow furrowed in thought and worry. Lita shook her head and closed her eyes.
"Going up and down like that, he's making me dizzy," she muttered to no-one in particular. Luna heard her and glared in her direction.
"Lita, that doesn't help. If you don't have something constructive to add, kindly remain silent!" she commanded. Lita held up her hands, as though shielding herself from the reprimand.
"Relax, Luna. I'm not trying to be hurtful. I deal with stress and worry by trying to lighten the atmosphere. You know that," she replied. Luna nodded,
"Yes, I apologise. I'm very worried though. I believe that Artemis and I know where Xantha is."
"WHAT!?" came as an exclamation from everyone but Serena. Darien rounded on her, his face taut.
"I'm guessing Luna told you!" It came out as an accusation more than a question. Serena nodded reluctantly.
"Uh-huh. On the way here. They think she's in the Negaverse. Negative energy showed up on the night of the party. Darien…" Serena pleaded, as he turned away from her. "I only knew ten minutes ago!"
"It's not her fault, Darien," Artemis told the young man. "Luna told her so that she won't be caught by surprise if Malachite shows up."
"Why didn't you tell me!!" Darien demanded, anger in his voice.
"Darien, please calm down. We were going to, and we still aren't sure if we are right. But Serena had to know – no matter how slim the possibility. She would be the first to be targeted by Malachite…" Luna was interrupted by the glass doors onto the balcony shattering, spraying the room with razor-sharp fragments and splinters.
"True, furball; although Lord Malachite won't be the one doing the job of collecting Pigtails there. That is my duty…and my pleasure!" a female voice commented calmly. Everyone gaped in amazement at the figure on the balcony. Kunzite sneered at their expressions of shock. "What's the matter? Never seen a Shadow General before?" Raye was the first to recover.
"We destroyed all the Shadow Generals," she replied flatly. "Malachite somehow has come back, but I've never seen you before." Kunzite threw back her head and laughed.
"I'd be surprised if you had, Sailor Mars. I'm a new warrior of the Dark Kingdom… and not as easy to defeat!"
"Prove it!" Lita challenged. "You better let Xantha go, if you know what's good for you!" Kunzite sprang lightly up to stand on the balcony rail.
"You want her, you're gonna have to find her!" she replied, and leapt down to street-level. The apartment immediately glowed with a rainbow of light as the girls and Darien transformed.
"Come back here, coward!" Sailor Venus cried, dashing out onto the balcony. Tuxedo Mask came out behind her.
"Never mind the name-calling, let's just take her up on her offer," he snapped, vaulting over the rail and down onto the deserted street. Kunzite grinned, her hair gleaming in the light of the street lamps.
"Lord Malachite wants the Scouts alive," she informed him conversationally. "But you, handsome…you're mine!" She smiled again at him, the expression one of pure viciousness, as the Scouts landed around him.
"If you're from the Negaverse, you're our enemy. Don't expect any mercy!" Sailor Mars snarled. Kunzite seemed amused at the threat. Amused…and full of anticipation.
"Alright. Come on!" she challenged.
"MARS FIRE IGNITE!"
"JUPITER THUNDER CRASH!"
Sailor Mars and Jupiter launched their attacks simultaneously, hoping to catch her between them, but Kunzite leapt above the energy, and with a simple backflip, landed beyond the scorched ground.
"Is that the best you can do?" she jeered. "Try this, Sailor Scouts…NEGA-BOLT!" A beam of jet-black energy shot from her hand toward the group, and they scattered to avoid being hit. Kunzite shook her head, "Pathetic! Why I am wasting my time on you, I don't know. Train hard, you weaklings, then I'll face you again." With that final insult, Kunzite turned on her heel and raced off in the direction of Mikanna Park.
"Come on!" Sailor Moon exclaimed, setting off after her. "We have to get Xantha back!" The other Scouts and Tuxedo Mask took off after the two girls.
Reaching the park, Sailor Moon saw Kunzite open a portal and calmly step through into the Negaverse. Hearing a sound behind her, Sailor Moon glanced over her shoulder to see the Scouts and Tuxedo Mask coming up to her. She jerked her head toward the portal and received nods in return. They dived through the portal just before it shut. Now they had to pray that they would find Xantha, and that she would know how to open it again.