It had been months since the last monster attack, leaving them both monster and Bryan-less.
To everyone's surprise Lita never got another boyfriend, or even looked, choosing instead to work in the high school's gardening club during her free time.
Everyone watched their friend as she sulked, sipping her soda.
"No more sulking my friend!" Mina announced as she neared their table.
"Huh?" they asked completely confused.
Placing a poster onto the table they glanced at it. It was a poster announcing a masquerade public ball, costumes are required, at the bottom were locations where you could get tickets and that you couldn't get them after the day before Halloween.
"And look what I got us." Mina told them placing tickets onto the table. "That means we need to get you a decent costume!" after they paid for their food she began to tow them over to the mall.
Mean while with Bryan… was walking down the empty street just for a poster to blow onto his face. Tearing it off his face, he read it.
Emerald eyes narrowed in thought as he tried to remember the last party he had gone to.
His mind came to a party that he had attended on Jupiter; they were celebrating the princess's birthday. He wore a mask that was made by a great artisan from a material mined from one of the moons of Jupiter.
It was one of the few times he decided to dress up.
When he walked into the ballroom he found couples waltzing the night away; leaving one to herself, in her green dress.
On instinct I found myself taking one step after another to her finding himself by her. "May I have this dance?" he asked her as he held out his hand for her to place hers in.
Nodding she placed her hand into his. Quickly before she could change her mind, he spun her into the multitude, easily leading her gracefully across the floor.
"You dance very well." he told her leading her into a spin.
"Thank you. I have a very good teacher." she told him smiling, enjoying the moment as her eyes sparkling happily in the light "I thought that no one wanted to dance with me." she admitted blushing under her mask…
Slowly the memory faded leaving him in the silent drippy street. Shrugging he told himself "Might as well…"
Closing his fist he crumbled the paper he threw it over his shoulder and began to search for his costume.
Looking into a nearly abandoned store something white caught his eyes. Walking over he pushed the door sending a ring echoing throughout the silent store.
"How may I help you?" an elderly lady asked him coming out from behind the counter, her white hair was curled into a tight bun giving her face a stretched look to it.
"I'm just looking right now." Bryan told her and began to look at the masks on display. Soon he found what had caught his attention.
Reaching out with his callused hand he gripped the porcelain mask; it had a red mouth that was in a thin smile with a green lightening bolt going through one of the eye holes. Running his fingers over the colors he could sense something but couldn't quite place what it was. And it hit him.
It was a surviving Jupiterian mask. How it survived he had no idea but he knew he had to save it from this place
"Hmm…" Walking up to the old lady he asked her "What can you tell me about this mask?"
"I can't tell you very much. A lady sold it to me yesterday… Normally I just sell masks, but she was in rags and was obviously starving. I took pity on her and bought it from her."
"How much?" he asked.
"$100 please." she told him, he thankfully paid for it. Placing it under his arm he walked out whistling a tune.
Weeks later on the night of the Halloween dance; Lita had laid out her costume onto her bed. It was a simple red skirt down to her knees, a white blouse, a long red cloak, a red mask that concealed enough of her face to keep her identity a secret but not covering most of her face.
Dressing herself she looked in the mirror. To finish the look she let her hair down and loosely curled it, adding lip gloss and a light smoky eye shadow. Hearing the door bell ring she rushed to the door to find her friends dressed up in various costumes; Amy was Frankenstein's bride, Raye was a witch, Serena was a spirit, and Mina was Helen of Troy.
"Osamu and Darien are going to meet us there." Raye told her noticing her sweeping look as she searched for the boys.
"Are you ready?" Amy asked shifting from foot to foot.
"Just let me grab my mask." Rushing back in, she grabbed her mask. Walking out, she locked her apartment and joined her friends.
Catching the bus, they rid till got off at their stop. Walking down the street they got in line to get in. After half an hour of waiting they finally got to the front and to the bumpers.
Giving their tickets to the bumpers they walked in finding a crowd already moving to the DJ's beat. Giggling they rushed in and joined the mob and began to sway with them.
"I can't believe that your parents let you come!" Mina told Serena as they danced.
"When I told them I would be with Darien they were all for it." she told them as she wobbled. Almost on cue Darien and Osamu had joined them; Osamu was dressed as a demon complete with the flaming hair and hands, while Darien dressed as a priest.
Wrapping his arm around Raye, Osamu kissed her and whispered "I'm sorry I'm late Raven. My clubs kept me later than I thought."
Lita sighed wishing listfully that someone would talk to her like that. Just as she thought that the DJ had put on a slow song. Couples began to unhurriedly form slowly dancing pairs.
Soon the only ones with out a partner were Mina, Amy, and Lita. Sighing they headed to a table and watched as the couples swayed to the beat, lost in each other's eyes.
Feeling something poking her side she turned to find Mina elbowing her and pointing infront of them. Looking forward she found a man in simple peasant clothes wearing a white mask that was plain except for the thin red smile and a green lightening bolt going this eye hole; even that couldn't tame his wild brown hair as it rushed past hiding the top of his mask.
He was shifting from foot to foot as he waited for her to notice him. Seeing that she had noticed him he held out his hand and asked "Can I have this dance?" nervously as he wiped his other hand against his rough pants.
Smiling she grabbed his sweaty hand and walked with him to the dance floor. Warmth flooded her body from her heart.
Mina watched eyes alight as he led Lita onto the dance floor. She almost didn't catch what Amy said.
"Do you think it'll work?"
"What'll work?" Mina asked innocently.
"Mina, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that you joined the planning committee and got us all tickets to get Lita to be happy again." Amy told her as she began to study.
Mina blushed at being caught so easily "Well someone had to do it."
Looking back to the couple she found that Lita's eyes had a light that she had lost months before.
She certainly didn't need to be transformed to feel the love developing between the two of them, even if they didn't notice it themselves.
They moved gracefully as they made their way through the multitude, like they knew each other's inner beat. Sighing contently she sat back and let nature take its course.
Mean while with the dancing couple they moved in bliss.
Bryan's eyes rested upon hers and he found himself taken aback. Though he could see her smiling mouth he was taken aback by the mini galaxies shining at him from her eyes. As they moved they too seemed to dance with them. Noticing that he was quiet for too long he asked "So… are you enjoying yourself?"
Nodding she told him "I don't get asked very much because I'm tall."
"Well you certainly haven't dated a basketball player." he joked smiling at her blush behind his mask. In his good mood he began to hum along to the wordless song. Her mouth quickly turned into an o along her eyes going wide.
"What's wrong?" he asked concerned.
"You have an amazing voice." she told him her eyes still wide.
"I wouldn't know." he told her "I don't sing very often."
"You should. You sound happy when you do."
'… happy? Sure there was always honor and duty. But what of happiness? The closest time of him having happiness was with his princess… but she can't even remember him anymore. Maybe it was time for him to forget his past and search for future happiness… It was something worth considering when the dance was over.' Bryan thought to himself as they danced.
The man's eyes were clouded in thought as they danced. She had no idea what to say to him to draw him out of his thoughts.
A second later he had come out seemed a little more happy as they danced he began to hum again.
Soon other couples had begun to stare as they could hear his voice. Noticing he had caused a commotion he stopped and waited for them to stop staring. But by the time that they had dispersed the song was over. "I'm sorry that you had a rotten dance." he told her.
"No! I really had a good time." told him grabbing his hand "Maybe at the next slow song we'll dance again?" she asked hopefully.
"Of course 'til the next slow song." he told her squeezing her hand gently and disappeared into the crowd.
"Who was that?" Mina asked sliding in next to her, quickly followed by Raye, Serena, and Amy.
"I don't know I didn't get his name."
"That's a very bad idea Lita." Amy told her "You shouldn't dance with people you don't know."
"I know but…" Lita's cheeks began to enflame. "…he's like my old boyfriend."
Mentally Mina jumped in the air and cheered that Operation Make Lita Fall For Someone was successful.
Ten minutes later the DJ began to play the Monster Mash; a strange energy began flood the room. The only ones who sense it though, out of the hundreds of people there, were eight people.
Osamu stopped swaying; quickly Raye also stopped and felt it immediately. Soon the entire group had stopped and was searching for the source of the energy. Unknown to them someone else was also searching for its source.
Bryan's eyes searched the room from behind his mask searching for this threat. He quickly realized that the walls were shuddering along with the roof. Standing he rushed from his table; he began to search for his earth-bound angel amongst the crowd, hoping to save at least one person from the massacre that was going to happen.
Seeing her and her friends he blinked… and blinked again, taking a double take. They were looking around like they could feel what was going to happen. That just doesn't happen. This kind of attack was made to be discreet, to the point where it could fool a senshi if they weren't careful. And here there's innocents noticing it. Did I mention that just doesn't happen?
In a normal situation he would watch for a while but it's not the time.
"You need to get out of here now!" he told her worry filling his voice as he grabbed a hold of her arm, a blast of energy went up both of their arms.
"Why?" she asked stunned by the energy.
"I-I can't tell you." he stammered out "But please listen to me! It's dangerous here! If you need to, take your friends with you, but please leave!" behind his mask his eyes begged her to do what he asked.
Almost to echo his words the room began to shake. Looking around they found everyone was on the ground unconscious. Turning around she glared at him "Is this your doing?" she demanded her eyes flickering with anger.
"N-no! Never!" he told her taken aback. He quietly added "I just hoped to save at least one life from this massacre but it's already too late."
"What do you mean?" Amy asked.
When he looked at them his eyes were filled with anger and yelled "Don't you see it?" as he gestured to the walls and ceiling. Their eyes widened when they found it was trembling but nothing was breaking. "It's too late to get out! I hoped that I could save someone but…" after that his voice died down.
He shook his head and sighed, putting his hand gently against the mask he told her "I'm sorry… it's not your fault, it's mine. I should have seen the signs earlier…"
"Pretty words, now I need to remove your masks to find which one of you I'm seeking." A voice told them. Soon a man with wild red hair with two swords on his side appeared, with a motion of his hand daggers of darkness appeared beside him. "I don't need you girls… unless you want me." there was a glint in his eye as he waited for their answers… but none came.
"Ahem. Then to business." and with that the knives made quick work with masks of the people on the ground, while killing the females. Looking each one over the man gave off a sigh "He's not one of them." The knives began to kill the remaining humans. Looking towards them he motioned and the daggers dove towards Lita.
"NO!" Bryan launched himself infront of his earth-bound angel and smiled as he could feel the daggers slide smoothly into his body.
*THUD* Red blood made quick work of dying his once rough plain shirt. He laid there as blood pooled around him giving the air a rusty salty smell, slowly his eyelids slid closed.
Lita dropped to her knees, eyes wide "Wh-Why? We don't even know each other very well."
His pain glazed eyes opened to look at her "We may not have but I feel like I've known you for years. I may not know who you are... but I'd like to know your name at least before I die."
"My name is Lita." she told him tears dancing in her eyes.
"Lita… what a beautiful name." he whispered before he passed out from loss of blood.
Slowly… ever so slowly with shaking hands she removed his mask. Her tears fell down her face when she revealed it was Bryan… It was Bryan who she fell in love with, Bryan who was going to die for her without knowing who she was.
"Oops. Looks like I'll be in trouble with Queen when she gets her hands on me." the man groaned as he slapped his forehead leaving a red mark.
As the man walked towards them Lita hissed "Stay away from us!"
The man stopped but still had his eyes on Bryan "If he doesn't come with me he will die and that would be a waste of his talent."
"Talent?!" she spat at him rage catching her arms on fire. "What about him?! He is his person! Not a puppet! Why do you want him anyway!" she demanded.
He stared at her in shock "You mean you haven't heard of his legacy?"
Mutely they shook their heads no.
"For shame! I'll educate you then." he told them crossing his arms "After the great war that took down the Moon kingdom he began to roam searching for a new meaning for his life. In search of it he single handedly took down hundreds of empires when their leaders scoffed and/or mocked his princess's memory." At hearing that Lita blushed a dark red.
"It is said that he can communicate with the essence of the planet Jupiter, his home. I swear the rest is just myth but I'm not sure." he told finished with his fist against his chin in thought.
"You can't have him." Jupiter told him eyes flashing.
"I'm sorry toots but I have orders." with that Bryan disappeared and reappeared in the man's arms.
"Hey you!" Charging Jupiter began to throw punch after punch at the man, but the man kept dodging them even with Bryan's dead weight.
"Who are you?!" Raye demanded.
"I am Knight." he told them and began to fade from view.
"Stop!" Jupiter cried after him, but to no avail. Ignoring the order he disappeared from view leaving behind the mask in Jupiter's hands.
Sirens whined as they could soon hear when everything stood still. Transforming they fled from the bloody scene.
When Jupiter returned to her apartment, detransforming she dropped to the ground sobbing as she held the mask to her chest trying to find any warmth in it. "Where are you Bryan?"
