They emerged in the Arctic Circle, sheltered under an opaque dome of Dark Energy.
Sailor Moon shivered as her teeth chattered. "It's freezing. How can you even stand it?"
"Shut up," Sailor Mars said. "Pull yourself together and you won't feel the cold!"
"I can't help it. It's freezing."
Sailor Mercury looked up from her computer. "We're not off to a great start are we?" She pointed the north. "There's a strong evil aura coming from over there."
"That's the entrance to the Dark Kingdom." Kunzite said. "The very walls are imbibed with Metalia's essense. This is as close as I can get us. As soon as I drop the shield, Queen Metalia will be aware of our presence, but she can't leave the Dark Kingdom. That's our only saving grace. You'll need to invoke the power of the Silver Crystal, and project that power right at the very threshold. To go there I will have drop the shield. Let me know when you are ready to proceed."
Sailor Moon looked to the others. "We're ready," she said.
In a flash Zoisite appeared in front of Kunzite, slightly disoriented and looking down at his own uniform.
"Looks like you got a bit of sunburn," Kunzite said, and tapped the bridge of Zoisite's nose.
"Oh, be quiet. I'm mad at you," Zoisite said and deliberately turned his back to Kunzite.
Kunzite grinned and pulled him close. "You don't sound mad."
"Yes, well…I am! I'm furious." Zoisite tried without success to fight off a smile.
"Awww," Sailor Moon said. "That's so cute. You two are so close you must be brothers."
Zoisite nodded. "Hence the strong family resemblance."
"Actually you two don't look alike at all," Sailor Venus said.
"That's because we aren't brothers," Zoisite said.
"Stay close to me, Zoisite," Kunzite said. "I'll have to drop the shield so that the senshi can get close enough to use the crystal. As soon as I do, I have little doubt Queen Metalia will launch a full scale attack."
"Wait. I thought you said she can't leave the Dark Kingdom," Sailor Mercury said.
Kunzite pulled Zoisite closer. "No, but Metalia will undoubtedly send out a party to greet us. You'll need to be prepared for a fight. Are you certain you are ready for this?"
The senshi struck their battle poses and nodded one by one.
Kunzite lowered the shield, and a wave of dark energy washed over them with a clang.
"Here they come," Sailor Jupiter said under her breath.
Out of the mist Endymion appeared, beaten bloody and suspended by the wrists by two chains. "Help me…Sailor Moon," the battered man muttered weakly.
"Tuxedo Mask…" Sailor Moon said and rushed forward.
Kunzite swallowed hard and raised the shield again. "You aren't ready."
"But Tuxedo Mask-"
"Is not here," Kunzite said. "It is an illusion."
Sailor Mercury looked up from her computer and nodded in agreement.
"The DD Girls?" Zoisite asked with an edge of fear in his voice.
Kunzite nodded. "The DD Girls."
"Who are the DD Girls?" Sailor Jupiter asked.
"They're a lot like you girls, only a lot more powerful," Kunzite said.
"And they can fly," Zoisite added.
"And their leader can project illusions that do real damage."
"And they can travel through ice."
"And their arms turn into steel-hard tentacles that can stretch about thirty feet."
"And they have fangs."
"Let's just say you're lucky they can't survive outside of the Arctic Circle, or else you girls would have been dead a long time ago."
Sailor Moon wrung her hands. "But they aren't more powerful than you, Kunzite. Are they?"
"Of course not. I'm an archdemon. Just like Beryl."
"And you'll help us defeat them, won't you?"
"I'll try, but they are really fast and completely ruthless," He looked over the senshi. "Odds are, not all of you are going to survive this. Not once they drop the illusions and go into full attack mode. You might want to pretend to be fooled by the illusions to buy us some time."
"Knowing Usagi, she won't have to pretend," Sailor Mars said, and the two stuck their tongues out at each other.
"Is everyone ready?" Kunzite asked.
The senshi struck their battle poses again, only a bit more unsteady this time. "R-ready!"
Kunzite banished the shield again, to reveal Tuxedo Mask.
"S-sailor Moon…I love you."
Sailor Moon ran forward. He grinned and his eyes glowed red. Zoisite put his fingers in his mouth and whistled to attract his attention.
Tuxedo Mask stared at Zoisite and Zoisite stepped away from Kunzite, scowling, with his chest thrust out.
"Alright ladies, excellent work, but I command you to show yourselves."
Tuxedo Mask vanished, and in his place stood a woman. She looked like a Bond Girl in a swimsuit and spiked heels, only her skin was blue. She had wasp wings on her back, and bird wings where her eyebrows should have been. She giggled and then four other matching girls fanned out behind her like a poker hand, each with skin of another shade of gumball.
"Here inside Point D, you girls don't stand a chance against us!" the leader taunted.
Zoisite strutted forward and waved his hand dismissively. "No need to trouble yourselves, ladies. Kunzite and I have these sailor brats under control. I command you to leave and allow us to deal with this ourselves."
The winged women bowed and their leader spoke. "My Queen, at any other time we'd be yours to command, but we've been instructed by Queen Metalia herself not to obey you, since you are currently under the influence of that conniving little puppetmaster Zoisite."
Zoisite jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "I think you ladies need to worry less about that conniving little puppetmaster Zoisite, and more about that huge army rapidly approaching us from fifteen miles due south."
The DD Girls took the air and flew due south. Zoisite watched until they vanished over the horizon then turned back to the others with an awed expression on his face. "I didn't think that would actually work."
Kunzite smiled proudly and tucked Zoisite under his arm again. "See, I told you he was clever," he ran his hand down the side of Zoisite's body, from chest to hip and leered at the younger man. "Beauty and brains. Zoisite here is the total package."
Five senshi jaws dropped in unison.
Sailor Jupiter. "Wait. You guys are...boyfriends?"
"More like ex-boyfriends," Zoisite said.
"Oh, my goodness. Kunzite is gay?" Venus asked in stunned disbelief.
"Yes. We both are," Zoisite said.
Sailor Mars scoffed. "Yes, well, finding out you're gay isn't exactly a bombshell revelation, Tinkerbell."
"You do make a beautiful couple," Sailor Mercury said.
"Thank you," Zoisite said, basking in the gentle compliment.
Sailor Moon giggled happily. "We'd better press on, before those winged monsters come back."