Saphir tucked himself into a corner of Wiseman's chamber and waited. Veneti and Aquatici had warned him that Wiseman had been acting strange since the prince and Black Lady left, and Saphir thought he might give himself away. He was alone for almost an hour, but Wiseman appeared suddenly in the center of the room. He looked the same as he had the day they'd met, though it would be difficult to find any changes. He'd never seen the advisor without his hooded cloak.
"Yes…" the old magician rasped. "Soon the Dark Gate will open. The powers of my Jakokuzuishou will pour through the Earth of the past, and it will be destroyed."
Destroyed? Saphir wondered. The plan has always been to emigrate to the more fruitful Earth, to forsake Nemesis entirely. To destroy it would be contrary to our goals.
"Black Lady is fulfilling her role admirably," Wiseman continued. "Diamond will be distracted by her presence and will not see the truth until it is too late. I will be rid of his nosy brother and will control him completely. The Death Phantom shall have the destruction he craves."
That was enough. Saphir teleported from the room.
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"Death Phantom," he repeated as he hurried to the Jakokuzuishou's control room. "I knew Wiseman did not consider my brother his master."
Waving one hand, a tile in the floor lifted and opened, revealing a glowing card. Saphir plucked it free and the Jakokuzuishou's reactor dimmed. He placed the chip in his pocket and prepared to leave, but when he turned Wiseman was there.
"Replace the control chip, Saphir," Wiseman ordered. "You will not like the consequences if you do not."
"You already intend to kill me," the young prince answered. "There is little else to threaten me with."
Eyes glowed beneath the hood. "There are worse fates than death. Consider that and return the chip quickly. You do not know who you trifle with."
"The Death Phantom," Saphir said recklessly. "I heard you, Wiseman. I heard everything. Your plans to control my brother. To destroy Earth. I will not obey you."
The first blow was too sudden to evade and threw Saphir to the wall more than ten meters away. Wiseman was ready to attack again, but Saphir was strong despite his injury. He vanished through space and time and the energy bolt that would've killed him exhausted itself against a wall.
Wiseman stared at the place where Saphir had so recently been slumped. "Then it will be death. Your brother must remain blind."
He did not notice when two droids left as well, following their master.
88888888
Saphir tumbled to the ground when he left the Time corridor, coming to rest beneath a massive oak tree in the center of a green field.
"A park," he breathed. His hand brushed a few flowers. "It's beautiful." Sharp pain lanced through his left side and he groaned, falling over. For a moment he saw himself and Diamond as boys, looking at the one flower Nemesis had. Diamond promised that someday he'd be able to go to Earth and see real flowers. "Nii-san…" he whispered as he passed out.
888888888
"Saphir-sama…" Saphir stirred fitfully, unwilling to wake. He was in bed and his body hurt less if he didn't move. He could feel the ridges of bandages against his chest and head. "Saphir-sama?"
Slowly the young man opened his eyes. "Petz?" he realized.
"You're awake. We've been worried."
"Where am I?"
She sat by the bed. "This is my and my sisters' apartment. We moved here after Sailor Moon saved us. Sailor Mercury gave us papers so we could fit in here."
It was plain, he thought, but so full of light. A glass door led to a balcony and there was a large window besides. In a way it was more lovely than any home he'd ever seen before. His jacket and shirt hung on a nail nearby.
"What happened?" Saphir asked.
"I don't know," Petz answered. "I was walking in the park enjoying the sunlight and you were under a tree. It seemed like you'd been attacked, so I thought it would be best to bring you here."
"Wiseman attacked me. He wants to hurt nii-san. I have to warn him."
"Prince Diamond is here?"
He nodded, trying to sit up. "Yes."
"Saphir-sama, you can't go anywhere!" Petz cried, pushing him down. "Your wounds still aren't healed."
"The Senshi…" Saphir realized. "Have they returned? They could warn my brother. Or Veneti and Aquatici."
She shook her head. "I have not seen Aquatici or Veneti, Saphir-sama, and I do not know if the Senshi have returned."
"Then I have to."
Petz threw her arms around him. "You can't! Wiseman will kill you! I remembered a great deal after we were freed by Sailor Moon," she explained, voice muffled. "If he finds you, you won't stand a chance."
"I escaped him once."
"Do you think he would let you get away again? You are a threat to him as long as you survive."
Saphir set his hands on her shoulder. "I cannot abandon Diamond because of it. He has to be warned that Wiseman is an enemy."
"My sisters or I could go. We could wait for the Senshi to return, or for your droids to find you."
"He would destroy Veneti and Aquatici without a thought, and nii-san will not believe the Senshi. You and your sisters are traitors." She stiffened, but he pressed on. "By our laws you would be killed. My brother will listen to me."
"He would listen to Sailor Moon," she whispered. "She could reach him."
"I would not ask her to. I love my brother, but I do not approve of what he did to her. No, it is best if Sailor Moon is kept away from him."
Calaveras rapped on the door before stepping in. "Onee-sama, we just heard from Mercury. They returned last night and everyone is in good health."
"Did you tell them Saphir-sama was here?" Petz asked.
"I didn't want to say without knowing why. I have other news. Esmeraude is alive; Sailor Moon saved her."
"Esmeraude is?" Saphir repeated in shock. "We saw her die."
Calaveras shook her head. "I don't know the details, but Mercury says she is doing well and remains in the safety of Crystal Palace."
"Excellent news," Petz said with a smile. "Anything else?"
"Yes. The Rabbit has fallen under Wiseman's control."
Her face fell. "Oh no."
Saphir nodded. "Black Lady. I suspect she is very powerful." He eased into a seated position and this time his caretaker did nothing to stop him.
"What do we do?" Calaveras asked her elder sister. "We have no power to fight them. What if they decide to punish us?"
"I don't think we have to worry about that," Petz answered, eyes on the blue prince. "Saphir-sama?"
He shrugged. "Nii-san seems to have forgotten you are gone, and Wiseman is not concerned with you. I do not think you know enough to be a threat to him."
"And you?" Calaveras demanded.
"I will do nothing to you," Saphir replied. "I know you are far better off. More, I am now Wiseman's enemy. I do not have the power to act against you. Petz, please help me up. I have to get to my brother."
She assisted but could not silence her protests. "It is too soon for you to be out of bed. You should rest; Wiseman will not act against Diamond-sama so soon."
"Perhaps, but he will go to nii-san once he arrives and declare me a traitor. Nii-san may not listen to me then."
"At least call the Senshi," she pleaded. "You mustn't go alone."
Saphir relented. "I suppose. I do not have the strength to fight."
Calaveras slipped out of the room, rejoining Berthier and Koan.
"What did they say?" Koan asked. "Is Saphir here for us?"
Calaveras shook her head. "He's here for Diamond-sama."
"Can we trust him?" Berthier wondered. "He's injured and needs us now, but what about when he's healed? Will he still not care we're traitors?"
Their elder sister frowned. "He would never hurt Petz-onee-sama that way. You should know that, Berthier."
The younger woman inclined her head. "I had to be sure for all of our sakes."
"Why would he not want to hurt onee-sama?" Koan asked.
"You didn't know?" Calaveras said. "Onee-sama and Saphir-sama were together once. She still loves him."
The door opened again and Petz and Saphir stepped out. He had his shirt and shoes on, his jacket draped over one arm. The other was on Petz's shoulders as she supported him. She began to help him put it on, but he stopped her.
"Keep it," he directed quietly. "I will come back after this is resolved."
"Saphir-sama…"
"Berthier, please contact the Senshi," Saphir asked. "I would like them to join me."
"Certainly," she responded. "Where would you like them to meet you?"
"The park you found me in is not too far from the Black Crystal my brother is growing?" he asked Petz. She nodded. "That place would suffice. I can make it there."
"Should you go alone?" Koan questioned. "You…"
"I am very weak, but I can walk so short a distance. I know the way."
He was being quiet and distanced, giving no hint that his chances of returning alive were very low. He knew Wiseman had arrived and would not hesitate to kill him before Saphir could warn Diamond. Sighing, he brushed those fears aside.
"I'll just call Mercury," Berthier murmured before walking to the phone. Lifting it, she dialed a number and waited. "Ah, Ami-san? Berthier. Can the Senshi go to the park? It's important." There was a pause as the icy Senshi replied. "I know it's very close to the Black Crystal. Saphir-sama needs to reach his brother, but he's afraid Wiseman will kill him before he gets a chance."
She offered Saphir the handset silently. The young prince accepted it. "Yes?"
"Saphir? Diamond's brother?" Ami questioned.
"Yes. I am not here to harm you if that is what you are afraid of. I need to warn my brother, but after that I have information you might find useful."
"Sailor Moon says you can be trusted and I believe her, but this sounds like a trap."
"If you choose not to come, I will understand. I would not ask save that I believe I have the best chance of reaching my brother alive if I do not go alone, and Petz and her sisters no longer have the power to fight."
She didn't say anything for several beats, but finally she sighed. "We'll be there. Be careful; if Black Lady senses you she'll kill you. She's entirely Wiseman's creature, and he'll have told her you're an enemy."
Saphir closed his eyes. "You have encountered her then. I am sorry I was unable to prevent Wiseman's plot; please tell Sailor Moon that."
His words seemed to reassure the girl. "I will. Be careful, Saphir. We'll get there as soon as possible."
She hung up, and Saphir set the phone in its base as well. "They will meet me."
"One of us could accompany you," Petz offered.
He shook his head. "Nii-san or Wiseman would know you, and I think Black Lady would as well. You would only be killed. It is best if I go alone."
"I don't know if you can make it," Berthier contributed. "I bandaged your injuries, Saphir-sama; I've seen the damage. A head injury is nothing to trifle with."
"I know, but I have no other choice. I appreciate the concern."
"Saphir-sama…"
"I'll come back, Petz." He straightened, standing on his own. "I have to."
88888888
The trip was hard. His entire body trembled with exertion, and his head throbbed each time he took a step. Pained tears blurred his vision, so Saphir depended on his sense of the massive Black Crystal to direct him and prayed he wouldn't run into anyone before he reached the Senshi. Fortune was not on his side.
Black Lady appeared, floating with one hand beneath her chin. "So you came here on your own. You've saved me the trouble of looking for you."
"Out of my way, Black Lady!" he ordered, though he didn't expect her to obey. "My business is with my brother!"
She shrugged. "Oh, really? But you're going to die now." She grabbed Luna-P and prepared to throw it as he braced himself.
"Hold it right there!" Sailor Moon shouted. "Don't do it, Chibiusa! You can't hurt that man!"
"Sailor Moon…" Saphir whispered. The Moon Senshi gestured and Mars and Jupiter took up defensive positions in front of him. "You came."
"You asked us to," Jupiter responded, "And you said you were sorry for what happened to Chibiusa-chan."
"If this is a trap, it's a brilliant one," Mars added.
"You're being manipulated!" Sailor Moon shouted. "Why can't you see that?"
"You're mistaken there. I'm acting of my own will!" Black Lady answered.
"Please snap out of it!" she begged. Saphir could see the pain in her eyes, and the fear. That she was willing to stand against Black Lady through it only increased his respect for her.
"Enough!" their opponent yelled. "Luna-P! Transformation!"
A small magnifying glass marked with the black crescent appeared in her hand. Holding it before the Black Crystal, an energy bolt condensed and fired at the Senshi. Mercury pulled Sailor Moon away as Venus went on the offensive.
"CRESCENT BEAM!"
"Not good enough!"
The attacks collided midair and Venus screamed as the force of it threw her back.
Mercury acted. "SHABON SPRAY!"
A blanket of her fog filled the air and Black Lady cringed as its cold touched her.
"This is your chance, Saphir!" Mars called. "Get to your brother and explain!"
Black Lady scoffed. "Do you think you can stop me with this?" Her glass vanished, replaced with a huge fan. She swept away Mercury's Spray in one easy motion.
"Chibiusa, go back to your old self!" Sailor Moon called. Her Ginzuishou appeared. "MOON CRYSTAL POWER!"
It wouldn't work a second time. The fan became the umbrella Black Lady had used before, the power breaking to either side. Luna-P turned to a badminton racquet and birdie. She hit it at them.
The leader of the Senshi reacted at once. "VENUS LOVE-ME…"
The birdie stopped and spread open in midair, and everyone paused. Venus didn't finish her attack. It formed an energy dome around her, Mercury, and Sailor Moon. They screamed as its power tore into them.
"Everyone!" Mars and Jupiter said together, taking a step toward their beleaguered friends before remembering Saphir.
He shook his head. "Help your friends."
"But…" Mars hesitated.
"You do not have to worry about me. I found the person I wanted to talk to." In the midst of the chaos Diamond had appeared, hovering behind Black Lady. His gaze met his brother's. "Now hurry!"
Jupiter nodded. "Okay."
"Saphir…" The younger prince stepped forward, not willing to act weak in front of his brother. Instead he stood proudly and waited. "Saphir, why did you betray us?"
"I did not betray you!" he argued. "Nii-san, we have been deceived by Wiseman!"
Black Lady took advantage of their distraction to imprison the last two Senshi.
"What idiocy is this?" Diamond demanded. "Saphir, anyone who gets in the way of this operation, even you…"
"Nii-san! This operation itself may be a huge mistake. This was not what we were trying to accomplish!" He gestured to the Senshi on the ground. Sailor Moon looked up at him. "We are just being used! Nii-san!"
Diamond paused, and his gaze for a single moment touched the Moon Senshi's before returning to his brother.
"You are such a noisy man," Black Lady sneered, turning. "Die."
She lifted another birdie but it was thrown from her hand as the two domes were destroyed, freeing the Senshi. Tuxedo Kamen and Kunzite had arrived, though the general kept out of sight.
"This rose!"
"Stop it, Chibiusa," the hero said calmly. "Diamond, listen to what Saphir has to say. Hear what your little brother saw in the future."
Though Diamond resented being ordered around by his rival, he did. "Saphir, just what happened in the future?"
"Nii-san," he whispered, relieved, but his eyes widened in horror a moment later.
An attack flew from behind Diamond and crashed into the injured man. He threw up his arms to shield his head, screaming. When it ended, he sank to his knees. The pavement around him was destroyed.
"Saphir!" Diamond called, a frightened expression on his face. He spun to face the culprit. "Wiseman!"
"Traitor Saphir, there is no need to trouble the prince with your execution."
"Nii-san," Saphir gasped. "Wiseman means to erase the future! His goal is…"
Wiseman was about to attack again and Sailor Moon reacted while all eyes were on the prince. The Ginzuishou flared and a shield settled over Saphir- invisible to anyone but her. She prepared the crystal for one more thing.
"Die!"
"Wait, Wiseman!"
The order was disregarded and the bolt flew, catching Diamond at the edges. It wasn't enough to harm him, but it would destroy the already wounded Saphir. Sailor Moon was ready. Her shield absorbed the attack, converted it to her energy, and used it for the second part of her impromptu plan. The illusion-Saphir screamed.
"Saphir!" she cried for form. Her Senshi gasped.
"Nii… san…" Illusion-Saphir whispered, collapsing. Smoke curled around him, and his shirt was blackened.
"SAPHIR!" Diamond screamed.
The control chip rose and settled into Wiseman's hand. "Foolish Saphir. Deceived by the Sailor Senshi and speaking such nonsense. Black Lady and Diamond, we will settle our fight with these girls another time." Diamond rounded on him, but he vanished.
Black Lady sneered. "Understood." She disappeared as well, following her master.
Tuxedo Kamen held the still form and sensed life in him. Looking at his mate, he understood what had happened.
"Saphir…" she whispered, stepping over to his side.
"I'm sorry; I wasn't able to protect him."
"Petz, I'm sorry," Saphir whispered. Sailor Moon, gazing through the protective barrier of her illusions, watched as his eyes closed. She'd saved him, but whether he would survive was hard to say. His head bandage fell away and the black insignia of his clan disappeared.
"Saphir! No, you can't die!" she cried as the Senshi looked away. "Saphir!" Diamond came to the ground and approached his brother's body. Tuxedo Kamen tensed but otherwise didn't react. Sailor Moon leapt to her feet. "Don't touch him," she hissed.
The prince paused, uncertain, as she pulled Saphir back. "Sailor Moon," he began, but she cut him off.
"No! Leave him alone! He's suffered enough for you!"
"I just want to take him home."
Sailor Moon shook her head. "He'll stay here! He was loved by someone here, and there'll be flowers and grass and sunlight on his grave. He deserves that!"
"I-"
"No! Jupiter!" Jupiter ran to her princess' side. "Take him to Petz. Now!"
Stunned by her behavior, the stormy Senshi nodded nonetheless, lifting Saphir and running off. Diamond watched without moving, tears in his eyes.
"Why?"
"Because here I know someone loves him," she answered. "He won't be used here."
He could've gone after Jupiter; they all knew it. Instead he inclined his head and disappeared as his tears fell. Sailor Moon's knees hit the ground as she gasped for breath, sprays of energy dancing across her skin as she pulled her power back. Tuxedo Kamen was there at once.
"He's alive for now but we have to help him," she babbled.
"I know," he soothed. "Still, you could've hurt yourself. You have to be careful, Sailor Moon. You shouldn't use the Ginzuishou so often."
"Saphir couldn't- I wouldn't-"
Tuxedo Kamen sighed and looked at the others. Kunzite had appeared and was hovering at Venus' back. "Take them to Petz's apartment. Jupiter will probably be there with Saphir already, and she'll want to know what's going on."
"You and Sailor Moon?" Kunzite asked.
"We'll be right behind you." The general took Venus' hand as she reached for the others and they disappeared. Tuxedo Kamen turned back to the trembling Sailor Moon. "Usako, it's okay. He's alive."
"Diamond wanted… and I…"
"You did what you had to do." He picked her up and leapt to the top of the nearest building, heading in the direction Jupiter had gone. "Saphir is what matters now."
The rest of the trip was passed in silence, and they landed on Petz's balcony within minutes. The others were clustered around the bed as Mercury worked to save his life. Kunzite was nowhere to be seen, but Petz and her sisters stood in the doorway. Sailor Moon noticed the eldest sister holding a familiar blue jacket against her chest.
"How is he?" she asked Mercury.
"It doesn't look good. Wiseman did a lot of damage. He was already injured when we got to him, too. I don't know what else I can do to help."
Sailor Moon looked at her mate. "Mamo-chan? Can you save him?"
"I can try." Mercury fell back as he pulled off his gloves and set them against the head wound. "The dark magic in his injuries is resisting me."
"Can you work around it?" Berthier asked.
He shrugged. "Maybe. Mercury, let's try together. Sailor Moon, do you think you have enough energy left to pull out the negative power?"
She shook her head, looking desperate. "I don't think so."
Mars stepped up. "I can. One of my charms should be able to get rid of it if it's only lingering from the attack. It's not him we have to purify."
"Then do it. It can't hurt." She pulled out the paper and focused. The charm flew from her fingers and pressed against his forehead before flaring. Tuxedo Kamen blinked. "The dark power is gone."
"Work fast," Mercury reminded. "He's starting to slip." The healers bent over the patient, but their expressions were grim and edged toward panic as the minutes passed. Mercury cursed. "Jupiter! His heart stopped!"
The Amazonian Senshi didn't ask questions or hesitate. She leapt forward, hand splayed on his chest. "SUPREME THUNDER!"
A jolt ran through Saphir's still form, but there was no response beyond that.
"One more," Tuxedo Kamen ordered.
A second burst surged into his heart, and it continued to beat on its own. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
"Be ready to do it again," Mercury warned. "We have a long way to go."
"Everyone, wait outside," Tuxedo Kamen said. "This'll take a while. If someone sees Kunzite though, could you send him in? I'm running out of energy."
Venus nodded and headed out, the others slowly following. Petz trembled as she sank down on the couch, the jacket still in her arms.
"Petz…" Sailor Moon began. "What happened?"
"I found him in the park," she whispered. "He was hurt, so I brought him here. Wiseman had attacked him. He said he had to warn Diamond-sama. Berthier called you and he left. A few moments before Jupiter brought him in, I felt something. Like I'd been hurt, but I was fine. His jacket fell. I thought he was dead. Now he might die after all."
"You can't give up," the Moon Senshi urged. "He did the hardest part himself by breaking from the clan. We're doing everything we can."
Venus walked into the room. "Kunzite went to help Tuxedo Kamen-sama. He says he'll tell me if anything happens."
"I guess all we can do now is wait," Mars said.
88888888
When everyone emerged from Saphir's room, Sailor Moon was sleeping with her head in Berthier's lap. Venus and Calaveras were talking in the kitchen while Mars and Koan spoke softly on the other couch. Petz stood on the balcony staring out over the city. Berthier shook the Moon Senshi awake when they came in.
"Well?" she asked. "Did Saphir make it?"
"It was close, but yes," Mercury answered. "If he lives through the night I think he'll survive."
"But we're not sure yet," Jupiter continued. "His heart stopped twice after you left."
Tuxedo Kamen faded, Mamoru too exhausted to sustain the henshin. He dropped to the couch beside Sailor Moon. "I had to hold him for more than a minute before we could pull him back."
Venus touched Kunzite's shoulder, seeing the pallor under his tan. "You're tapped out. Sweet goddess, Kunzite, how much energy did you use?"
He turned his head just enough to see her. "I did what had to be done."
She sighed. "You need to turn in. Everyone, go home. We'll meet again tomorrow to see what happens. Berthier, you can watch Saphir, right?"
Berthier nodded. "I'll contact Mercury if he worsens. Is that all right?"
"Of course."
Sailor Moon looked at everyone's tired faces, noticing that Petz had returned to Saphir's side. "We all need rest. Why don't we come back tomorrow after lunch?"
"After lunch?" Mars repeated. "Why?"
"I intend to sleep till noon then eat like a piglet, that's why," her friend retorted. "Any comments?"
"None I haven't used before. Tomorrow after lunch it is." She helped Jupiter to her feet- she'd sat on the ground as soon as she had entered the room. "I'll get you home, Jupiter. You look just as wiped out as everyone else."
"Thanks, Mars."
They leapt off the balcony and headed for her apartment, Mercury leaving moments later. Sailor Moon released her henshin with relish.
"Let's walk, Mamo-chan. I don't think you have the energy to go over rooftops."
That couple absented themselves, leaving only Venus and Kunzite in the Ayakashi sisters' apartment.
"Kunzite, come on. Let's go home."
"Will you stay tonight? Please."
She paused. "Are you all right?"
"No."
Venus shrugged. "Sure, if you need me. Mom and Dad won't notice anyway, and Artemis is staying with Luna tonight. De-henshin. You can't walk around like that."
He looked down at his uniform blankly. "We can teleport."
"I don't think you could manage it now. We'll get a cab."
His uniform vanished, replaced with a neat navy suit. His skin, devoid of his deep tan, was bone pale, eyes shadowed. He stumbled for a moment before righting himself. She de-henshined as well, leading him out. The building's doorman called a cab for them and she had to nudge him forward before he got in.
"Keiji, talk to me," Minako pressed. "What's wrong?"
He shook his head, gaze not shifting from the window. He silently paid the driver as they got out and walked to his front door, Mina hurrying after him. His civilian form shifted again, returning to his natural appearance though his power was still hidden.
"Kunzite," she called after him. "Please. Tell me what's going on."
She followed him to his room, where he was sitting on the edge of the bed. "Will you stay?" he asked. "No matter what?"
Minako frowned, puzzled. "Of course. I'd stay with you through anything."
Kunzite nodded. "Thank you, Minako. I need to sleep now."
He moved momentarily to his bathroom to change before lying down, eyes closed. Uncertain, she toed off her shoes and sprawled at his side, allowing herself to drift off.
She woke to hoarse shouts, thrashing and heartrending pleas. Minako managed to pull back before she was hit, but he was crying and she had to do something.
"Oh, Kunzite, is this why you wanted me here?" she asked as she worked to control his flailing limbs. Once she wasn't in danger of being punched or kicked, she looked down at his tortured expression. "Kunzite, please wake up. Whatever you're seeing is a dream. It can't hurt you. I'm here, and we're alone. You're all right."
It went on in a similar vein for several minutes. He struggled against her hold, but she remained in place and continued to speak to him, trying to ignore his desperate pleas to just die, to spare her, to spare the other Shitennou. At first, her own weariness kept her from realizing what he meant, but it struck her suddenly. If he wanted those things, it was the Silver Millennium. He was being tortured by what he saw as his greatest failure. She even guessed he was remembering Beryl's breaking him.
"Venus," he wept. "No, Venus. I did not - I could not- I am so sorry. My body is not my own. Do not die. Do not leave me." He inhaled a violent breath, and she thought of the sword in his gut, her parting gift to him as their world collapsed. "Together, then. Together in death rather than life. Thank you."
Minako bent down and kissed him, their lips meshed together until his arms slipped free and wrapped around her and he was kissing her back. He broke the embrace with a half sob, eyes still filled with tears and one hand fisted in her golden hair.
"Talk to me," she whispered. "Why did you have that nightmare?"
"On nights like this, when my strength is gone, that greatest weakness returns. I see Beryl destroying my men, destroying me, and setting us to kill you. There is no choice but for me to watch as my blade ends your life and yours ends mine."
"The energy drain," Minako realized. "You were too tired to fight it. Has this always happened?"
"Yes. Even as a boy I would wake up crying, saying things my mother did not understand, calling for Venus- for you. This is why I have always remembered." He brushed away the tears with his free hand. "It is easier when you are here."
"Kunzite, why didn't you tell me before?"
He gently pushed her to one side and sat up, gazing out the large window. "I do not often admit to weakness. You know that."
"Then why now?" she pressed. "You've been back for months. Why did you decide to let me in so suddenly?"
Kunzite faced her again. "I do not know why I chose tonight. There was only a need for you I could not ignore. Perhaps it was seeing how Usagi-hime needs Mamoru-sama, or the way Petz was forced to wait as we fought to save Prince Saphir's life. I have no explanation, Mina."
She ran her hands through his hair. "It's all right if you don't. Just tell me whatever you want. I'm not leaving."
He sighed, letting the silence hold for several seconds before he told her about his human past for the first time.
"I was my parents' second son. My elder brother Akio was the golden boy. I was… different. Tormented by my dreams as I was, I felt little kinship to normal people. They knew I was losing the part of me that was their child, that Kunzite was destroying Keiji.
"I was twenty when I first came to Tokyo. Before that we had lived in Hokkaido. I saw you, and I knew you at once. You were in a park with other children, but there was no doubt in my mind that you were the Venus of my dreams. My business interests kept me in Tokyo after that, and I watched you as best I could. I saw how little attention you had from your parents, how there was this difference about you that kept you somewhat apart from the rest of the world. I did not think you were lonely precisely, but you never devoted yourself to anyone or anything.
"My brother became ill- Stage IV leukemia. Once it was diagnosed, he did not live long. The treatments were ineffective, and two months later he passed away. My parents followed- they had been elderly when I was born, and the loss of their favorite destroyed them. It was the first time in years I felt anything toward them. I grieved their passing."
"Did Beryl come for you then?" Minako asked. "When you were vulnerable?"
Kunzite nodded. "The funeral had been that morning. I stood alone in their house and she appeared. I knew her, of course. She had haunted me from childhood. Seeing her in my human world… I froze. I could not move; I could not speak. Beryl smiled as a snake might when its prey has nowhere to go. I knew she would already have found the others. She could not overcome me without stealing the support of the others first."
"So what happened?"
"I fought. My fear and memories reawakened my Star Seed and freed my magic. Alone, I was no match for her. She carried me to D-Point and began to turn me again. I resisted, but without bonds holding me to you or Endymion and the others, there was little I could do with the power I had."
"It's not your fault," she consoled. "You tried, and that's what matters."
Kunzite pulled her close, face pressed into her hair. "I know. It does not ease the guilt I feel even now."
Minako laid her hands over his. "What happened isn't important. You're alive, I'm alive. We're together. You can't blame yourself forever, Kunzite."
"I know," he repeated.
"We'll find a way to bring back the other Shitennou back if they don't reincarnate on their own," she continued. "Usagi-chan said she would, and I believe her. Everyone will be together again, and what happened to us in the Silver Millennium won't matter."
Kunzite closed his eyes, still holding her close. "Thank you, Mina."
She smiled. "I promised I'd be with you forever, and I will."
"Forever," he echoed before kissing her again.
