A/N Hey guys. It's me, your lovable, wonderful Sere-chan, back with the latest installment of this unfolding drama. I got so much feedback on the last chapter. I know some of you were a little upset about me splitting Andrew and Jess up, but what can I say, no relationship is perfect (lol…believe me, I know). So if you were upset with me at the end of the last chapter, I can't pretty much guarantee that you will probably be ready to kill me at the end of this one. I will admit right now, here in front of all of you, I cried buckets while writing this chapter. I guess it's just a case of a writer getting too attached to her story. I don't know. Anyway, hug time! Big, huge, humongous thank you's to:
snoopykid
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xo Usako ox
tatianaromanov
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amaramichelle
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ange de l'aube
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Whew, what a list, but I love it. I want you guys to know that I appreciate all of you very much. I try to reply personally to all of my reviews and messages whenever I can, but sadly I seldom have the time. So even if you don't hear from me, know that all of you have a special place in my heart. I want to take the opportunity to say this. I am constantly flooded with messages asking me things like 'What is my inspiration?' or 'How do I come up with characters and ideas?' I feel bad that I don't get to respond to them in a timely manner, and I feel like I am repeating myself a lot. So I've decided to clear my inbox and start over fresh. If you have a question for me, send them in. I am going to make a Q&A section on my profile and post it there for all to see.
Okay, wow…I'm just rambling aren't I? I'm shutting up now.
ENJOY!
The Lunar Princess of the Earth
Chapter 21
The Broken Princess
Talon rubbed a tired hand over his bloodshot eyes. He couldn't believe that his perfect plan was beginning to fall to pieces right in front of his eyes. It had all seemed so simple before, get the girl, get the power. Nothing could possibly go wrong with that, right?
'WRONG!' his mind screamed at him. The last twenty-four hours had shown him that even the most well thought out plans could crumble into dust in the blink of an eye.
He had felt the princess's energy reenter this world several hours ago. When he had tried to reach out to her through the dark energy that they shared, his worst fears had been confirmed. The bond between them had disappeared. His plan had been found out and the dark energy had been banished from her mind.
But for some reason he couldn't really get upset about it. If anything, it made him admire her fortitude all the more. She seemed to jump right over any obstacle that was thrown in her path.
He had had time to think long and hard during the time that she had been gone, and for the first time in over a thousand years, he was beginning to feel doubt. He wondered if his grand scheme to take over the universe was even possible. Sometimes he wondered if had ever been his dream to begin with.
Flashback
Sixteen-year-old Talon knelt before the fire inside the hut that belonged to the leader of his clan. He felt a hand squeeze his as he looked over into a young Beryl's bright red brown eyes. She gave him a smile before turning her attention back to the man that sat opposite them.
He was an older man, but his age was impossible to determine. While his face was lined with wrinkles, his body was as broad and powerful as a young man. Sharp, piercing yellow eyes stared at the two young people in front of him.
"Last night I had a premonition." he told them in his deep voice. "It spoke of a power that will be born if there is ever an alliance between the royal family of the earth and that of the moon. This would be a power beyond all powers, capable of either protecting the world from danger, or if used unwisely, destroying it."
"What does this mean, father?" Beryl asked.
"The actual voice in my vision said this, 'When Lunar Silver and Terran Gold unite, a power greater than any ever known will be born. This will either lead to the salvation of the galaxy, or its ultimate destruction.' I am positive that this speaks of the betrothal of our prince to the heiress of the moon." he told them.
They thought carefully about what he had just said. They all knew that the Silver Millennium was powerful, and the moon was the supreme power that ruled it all. Earth was the last remaining planet in the solar system to not swear allegiance to the moon queen, but they had been allowed to live in peace. Whether this was due to the fact that the royal family of earth commanded a power as great as the moon's, or the lifelong friendship between Queen Althea and Queen Serenity, no one knew. It had still been quite a surprise when the king and queen had announced years ago their intentions of wedding their only son and heir, Prince Endymion, to the moon princess, Serenity.
It had caused quite a stir for a while, and people had been expecting for Earth to join the Silver Millennium after the announcement. But to everyone's relief, the Earth still had its independence, free of being governed by others. There was no hostility felt toward the members of the Silver Millennium, but the people of earth feared the amount of power they controlled and preferred their own royal family to be the only reigning voice.
"So this marriage must not be allowed to take place." Beryl said.
The man nodded. "I agree. I fear any child born of their union could spell disaster for us all."
"Wait a minute." Talon interrupted. "You said your vision also spoke of salvation, how do you know you're not condemning us to a worse fate if the prince and princess don't marry."
The man snorted. "Don't be daft boy. Endymion and Serenity are the heirs of two of the most powerful kingdoms in the universe. I don't see them wedding and not joining them together. The moment they say 'I do' the earth will be forced into joining the Silver Millennium. Whatever child they have will one day become the ruler. Do you want to take the chance of this world of freedom being snuffed out because a possible tyrannical leader that's existence could have been prevented?"
"I believe we should make this prophecy known." Beryl announced. "The people always set a great store by what we have to say, and we have never steered them wrong. If they think that this union could pose a threat, they will make their voices known."
"Yes" the leader answered. "That would be the wisest course of action. We must protect our freedom and our way of life. After all, you two will lead our clan after I am gone."
Talon and Beryl both gasped at his proclamation.
"B..but, what about Bastian?" Beryl stammered.
The man sighed. "Your brother is very powerful, and he could be an excellent leader, but he has a streak of cruelty in him that overshadows everything he does. The stories of his evil ways have reached my ears. I fear he would be the downfall of our people. So I have decided that you and Talon will be my successors."
Beryl jumped up and ran around the fire to throw herself into the man's arms. "Thank you father. I'll make you proud, I promise."
"So daddy's little girl gets her way once again." a voice sneered as Bastian entered the hut. "Not that I'm surprised. Precious little Beryl always gets what she wants."
"Shut up, Bastian." Beryl retorted. "What poor woman's bed are you crawling out of now? Don't you ever get tired of spending your night's doing nothing but satisfying your perverted habits by abusing all of those women?"
Bastian gave a cold laugh. "It's not abuse if they enjoy it. Sure, they may fight in the beginning, but by the end they're screaming in pleasure, not pain."
The big man shook his head. "I honestly don't know where I went wrong with you. Our people have always tried to live peacefully. But you seem to want to cause as much discord as possible."
Bastian flung himself down on a cushion. "Oh father, there's nothing wrong with enjoying the pleasures life has to offer. Sometimes you need to rock the boat. Take this situation with the moon kingdom for example. Yeah, you can break up the engagement of the prince and princess, but will that really solve the problem? I think they all need to be destroyed. They sit up there wielding all of their power, watching over all of us like they are some sort of gods, it's not right. Mark my words, some day they will try to take us over, and then there will be hell to pay."
Beryl studied her brother thoughtfully. "You may have a point. I have seen the moon royals when they have visited and they definitely exude an aura of arrogance. Even that little twit princess of theirs walks around like she is master of all she surveys. Such a pale, weak little thing, she is completely unsuitable for our prince. Maybe they should be eliminated."
"Careful sis" Bastian chuckled. "You sound like you're jealous or something. Perhaps you have set your sights on having Endymion for yourself?"
Beryl gasped and blushed wildly. "Don't be ridiculous, he's just a boy. But he has potential to be a great king and he deserves to have a proper queen at his side, not that moon brat. Besides, I've already found the one I want to spend my life with."
She walked over to Talon and looped her arm through his before kissing his lips gently. Talon looked down into her burning eyes and felt a surge of love for the stunning red head. But behind the bright emotion shining in her eyes, he saw something else. Something cold and calculating lurked deep within the red brown depths and made him shiver.
End Flashback
Talon shook himself as his thoughts returned to the present. That day had been the beginning of the end. He wasn't sure exactly when the focus had turned from breaking Serenity and Endymion's engagement to plotting the destruction of the Silver Millennium, but at some point Beryl had roped him into helping her. Unable to deny her anything, he had followed right along with her.
His thoughts once again returned to the reincarnation of the princess. Even though she clung to the shadows that surrounded her, she was a bright light that shown with her passion for life. She seemed incapable of committing any evil act, and certainly didn't seem to be any threat to this world.
"Maybe I'm wrong." he whispered to himself. "Maybe I should leave her alone to live her own life."
A soft knock sounded from the door before it eased open, admitting a petite woman with long brown hair and soft brown eyes. Very few members of their clan had survived the war that destroyed the earth and the moon kingdoms, but the one's that did had taken refuge with Talon in this underground lair.
"What is it, Anya?" he asked.
She bowed low before him. "Pardon my intrusion my lord, but I felt that you needed to know something."
He surveyed the woman in front of him. "Please, speak freely."
She raised her head to look at him. "There have been mutterings among the youma for the last few days. Bastian has been spending an unusual amount of time with some of them, holding private meetings and such. There have been whispers of some of them changing their allegiance to him. Then a short while ago, a large group of them left with him for the surface."
Talon stood quickly from his chair. "What!"
She nodded quickly. "I overheard part of a conversation between him and the old one. I think they've decided to go after the princess themselves."
The words had barely registered in Talon's head before he stormed from the room. He stalked down the hall, scattering the terrified youma in his path until he reached a large door. Without pausing, he flung it open.
"What have you done?" he bellowed at the shapeless mist.
"I grow tired of waiting for you." the voice said evenly. "Since you seem to be reluctant to take the princess yourself, I decided to give Bastian a shot."
Talon growled deep in his throat. "How could you? You know what he is capable of, what he will do to her."
"It's all inconsequential now." the voice said menacingly. "Don't worry, you can still have the girl once we have taken what we want from her."
A blind fury gripped Talon as he turned and swiftly left, his mind racing as he thought about how to stop this new predicament.
Andrew let out a groan as he rolled over and pulled a pillow over his head. He had a splitting headache and his mouth felt like cotton. He desperately reached out for sleep, hoping to escape into it once more and leave reality behind, but the voices wouldn't let him.
"Good grief, what was he thinking? Is he deliberately trying to kill himself?"
"I don't know. I've never seen him like this before."
"Well who wants the honors of waking sleeping beauty up?"
"I'll do it."
The pillow was ripped off his head, and a moment later his face was hit with a giant splash of ice cold water. His eyes flew open as he sat up sputtering. A grinning Rini stood over him with a now empty glass in her hand.
"He's awake." she said gleefully.
"What the hell?" he yelled. That made the pounding in his head worse and he fell back with a pained moan.
After the pain settled to a low throbbing, he cracked his eyes open again to direct a glare at the three people that had invaded his apartment.
"What are you doing here?" he asked them.
Darien held his hands up. "Don't look at me, it was their idea." he said, gesturing to the other two.
"Oh yeah, blame us." Serena snorted. "I didn't exactly twist your arm to get you to use your key to let us in, did I?"
She walked over to Andrew and handed him a couple of pills and a glass of water. "Here, this will make you feel better."
"Thanks" he mumbled, taking the glass and downing the pills with the entire contents in three quick gulps. "So what are you doing here?"
"We've come to talk some sense through that thick skull of yours." Rini told him with a glare.
"What are you talking about?" he asked, bewildered.
Rini rolled her eyes. "Duh, I'm talking about you and your girlfriend Einstein, and the fight you two had."
Andrew pushed himself off the couch. "Ex-girlfriend. She broke up with me, remember?" He pushed by them and headed for the bedroom, intending to lock them out. He went to close the door when a small foot was suddenly in the way.
Serena pushed the door open and turned a hard stare on him. He took a step backward at the raging emotions in her eyes. He had never seen this look on her face before, and it was kind of frightening.
"Stop with the pity party already." she said harshly. "I've had just about all of the sob stories I can handle tonight. I just spent the last two and a half hours listening to Jess moan and groan, I don't need it from you too."
His head snapped up. "You got to talk to her?"
Serena nodded. "It took some convincing, but she finally let me in."
Rini barked out a laugh. "She did not. Tell him the truth. You transformed into Sailor Moon and jumped up onto her balcony and went in that way after she refused to let you in."
Serena gave an exasperated sigh. "Whatever. It worked, didn't it? Anyway, I found her in a state very similar to yours, minus all the beer bottles. It took me a while to get through to her, but eventually the whole story came out."
Andrew winced. "The whole story?"
Serena grinned with a nod. "Yep. And while I admire your noble intentions, I can't help but think how thick you are. Do you know how rejected she feels right now?"
He cringed. He didn't need Serena to tell him, he had felt it in those few moments when had stood in the doorway to her bedroom. Her pain had cut through him like a knife as he stared into those tortured eyes. All he had wanted was to take her in his arms and make her smile again, but she had shattered his heart along with her own as she had spoken those quiet words.
'I love you, but I don't think this is going to work. I quit the arcade. I don't want to see you anymore.'
He groaned and leaned against the wall. "Doesn't she see that I am just looking out for her? I don't want to screw this relationship up."
Serena took his hand in hers. "She knows that, Drew. She understands where you are coming from, but she loves you desperately. And when you refuse to take that next step, she feels like you are rejecting her."
Andrew shook his head. "So are you saying I should just go ahead and sleep with her no matter how out of control her emotions are?"
Darien growled. "Absolutely not. I think you're doing the right thing."
Serena glared at him. "I don't think we need any help from your corner. I believe I remember having a very similar conversation with you once."
Darien blushed and looked away. "That was different. You were only sixteen."
"My age had nothing to do with it." Serena scoffed. "You went on about me being too upset emotionally to start a physical relationship. Every time I thought we were about to deepen our relationship, you would pull back. It was very frustrating."
Darien's deep blue eyes narrowed on her. "You had just gone through a major battle alone. I had just come back after being technically dead for almost a year. You were an emotional wreck, so at the time I didn't think it was the wisest course of action to start sleeping with you. You might have regretted it later and hated me for taking advantage of you at a weak moment."
Serena shook her head. "But you eventually gave in, and I've never regretted it for a moment. You guys need to get rid of some of your chivalrous ideas and face reality."
Andrew just stared at her sadly. "It's too late now. She doesn't want to see me anymore. I'm sure she probably hates me anyway, not that I blame her. I still can't believe that I yelled at her or that I called her a spoiled rotten brat. She is one of the most giving and loving people in the world, and I just threw it all in her face."
Rini sighed. "Okay, so you both lost your temper. That doesn't mean that you can't make up. Trust me, I've seen it many times in my life." She turned her gaze to Serena and Darien, who turned a little red and looked away.
"The bottom line is you two need to talk." Serena said. "I tried to get her to come over here, but she's too ashamed about some of the things she said. She said you probably wouldn't want to see her anyway."
Andrew let out a tired sounding chuckle. "That's so far from the truth that it isn't even funny. I would have stayed outside her door if I had thought for a moment she would have let me in. But I felt how much my presence was hurting her, so I left. I could still feel her pain though along with my own. So I thought if I drank enough, it would go away."
"Yeah I found out the hard way that that doesn't work." Darien said with a grin. "When I broke up with Serena over those dreams years ago, I tried that approach. I just ended up feeling more miserable and having a wonderful hangover."
"So what are you going to do, Romeo?" Rini asked.
Andrew grinned at her. "First I'm going to go shower and make myself feel human again. Then I'm going to go see about getting my girl back."
"All right!" Rini cheered, pumping her fist in the air.
Andrew disappeared into the bathroom and emerged again barely ten minutes later looking much more like himself. His sandy blonde hair was still damp and hung into his hazel eyes, but he was dressed in fresh jeans and a button down shirt. He looked surprised to see his guests still in his living room.
He laughed a little. "Sticking around to make sure I don't chicken out?"
Serena joined in his laughter. "Not at all. We're about to head back to Darien's place. Since you'll be heading in the same direction, we just thought we'd walk with you."
Feeling suddenly excited at the prospect of soon having Jess back in his arms, Andrew quickly tied his shoes and grabbed his keys. "Well I'm ready. Let's go."
Laughingly, they all left the apartment and soon found their way onto one of the paths that led through the park. They kept the conversation light and were laughing quietly among themselves when a shrill scream sounded not too far away before being abruptly cut off.
Darien's head snapped up. "What was that?"
" It sounded like a woman screaming." Rini said.
"Maybe we should check it out." Andrew replied.
Serena shook her head. "You go on to Jess's. We'll take a look and see what it is. If it's important, we'll call everyone in."
"But…" Andrew began before abruptly cutting himself off. He began rubbing his chest almost absently and his eyes held a far away daze.
"Drew, what's wrong?" Serena asked in concern.
He blinked several times to bring his eyes back into focus. "I don't know. I just feel so weird all of a sudden. Right when we heard that scream, I felt scared to death for a second, now it feels like a burning physical pain."
His eyes suddenly widened and raw panic flew across his features. "Oh shit!" he exclaimed before taking off in the direction that the scream had come from.
Darien, Serena, and Rini all ran quickly after him. They hadn't gone far when they all pulled up short at the sight in front of them.
There were at least fifteen youma in the large area where two paths crossed. They were all grouped in a large circle around a man with blazing red hair. He wore a cruel smirk on his face as he yanked roughly on the end of a snakelike black whip he held in his hand.
The whip sparked and crackled as it pulsated with dark energy. He let out an evil cackle as he gave it another vicious tug. There was a sound like someone desperately gasping for breath.
"Well, well" he muttered in malicious glee. "It seems that it wasn't as hard to track you down as I thought it was going to be. I figured I would have to draw you out, but instead you practically walked right into me. Thank you, princess,"
The youma shifted slightly, letting Serena, Darien, Rini, and Andrew see the scene that was playing out in the center of the circle. While the man held one end of the whip in his hand, the other end was wrapped tightly around the neck of a young woman who was on her knees on the ground in front of him.
The long, dark blonde braid dangling down her back was a dead giveaway to her identity without any of them having to see her face.
"Oh god, Jess." Andrew moaned. He was about to go charging out there, but Darien and Serena each grabbed an arm and hauled him back several yards until they were concealed deep in the surrounding trees.
"Get a hold of yourself." Darien growled at him harshly. "You can't save her by rushing in blindly."
Andrew struggled against his confining grip. "Let go of me, Darien. I've got to go to her. I can't leave her out there alone." His body was beginning to glow with a bright copper colored light.
"As if we would leave her to face this alone." Serena snapped as she flipped open her communicator and pressed a button. "This is Moon, emergency at the park. I need everyone here, and I mean now." Several voices filtered back with an affirmative answer before she closed it again and pulled out her transformation broach.
"Moon Eternal Power" she called out. A flash of light later, Sailor Moon stood in Serena's place.
"Crescent Moon Power" Rini cried as she held up her own broach and transformed in Sailor Crescent Moon.
Through his struggles against Darien, Andrew felt a sudden rush of power as his friend transformed into Tuxedo Mask.
Tuxedo Mask loosened his hold slightly on him. "Tap into your power Andrew. You can force your transformation if you concentrate hard enough, and you need to transform. You can't go out there like this."
Andrew took several deep breaths as he reached deep inside for that energy that hummed through the blood in his veins. He grabbed a hold of it and pictured himself transforming. Closing his eyes tightly, he allowed the power to rush through him. Once the tingling sensation died down, he opened his eyes to find them covered by the dark glasses that somehow he could see through perfectly, even in the night. The long black coat that covered the black jeans and shirt he wore fell to his calves.
He jerked away from Tuxedo Mask with a glare. "Okay, I transformed. Can we go now."
"We should wait for the others." Sailor Moon cautioned.
A choked half scream came from the other side of the trees.
"The hell with that." Andrew growled as he ran back in the direction they had come.
"Damn it." Tuxedo Mask muttered.
"What an idiot." Crescent Moon said with a shake of her head.
Sailor Moon hurried after him, calling over her shoulder, "Come on. We can't let him go alone. Maybe we can hold things for a few minutes until the others get here."
Jess sighed as she rolled over and looked at the glowing red numbers on the clock next to her bed, 11:30 pm. It had been about an hour since Serena had left. She had been a little offended at first when Sailor Moon had come in uninvited through her balcony door, but she had to admit that she felt better now that she had talked with her.
She had shared her doubts and fears with Serena, who in turned had told her about some of the trials and tribulations her and Darien's relationship had faced. Ironically, they had once been in a similar situation.
"So what did you do?" she had asked Serena. "How did you finally get him to look past all the emotional issues and see that you were ready for the next step?"
Serena had giggled. "Easy. I seduced him. One thing you have to remember about guys is under all of those noble intentions, they are ultimately ruled by their hormones. I went and bought some slinky, revealing black lingerie and snuck into his apartment while he was out. He came home to find me posed in the center of his bed. Oh he tried to act all chivalrous, but I pushed him down on the bed and held him down until he was as crazy as I was. The rest was history."
Jess sighed again a she sat up and pulled her knees up to her chest. Maybe that's what she should do. Seduce Andrew so good and proper that he would never think about turning her away ever again.
She shook her head sadly. No, that probably wouldn't work. After the way she had spoken to him earlier, she was pretty sure that he wouldn't want to have anything to do with her anymore. She had nobody to blame but herself. Once again she had let her temper rule her actions, and she had lost the best thing to ever come into her life because of it.
She wanted badly to cry, but her eyes remained dry. She had finally cried herself out it seemed. But it didn't stop her breath from catching on repressed sobs. She clicked on a small lamp next to her and picked up a framed picture from the table.
"Mom, Dad, what do I do now?" she whispered to the couple in the photo. The tall man with light blonde hair and warm brown eyes smiled broadly at her as he stood with his arms around the tall, slender brunette with a twinkling, soft green gaze. She had taken this picture of them only a few weeks before the tragic accident that had taken their lives and it had captured them the way she always remembered them.
'Remember sweetheart, you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.' her mother's voice sang softly through her head.
She heard her father's booming laughter. 'Hey, you're an Alexander. And we Alexander's always fight for what we want. Don't let anyone beat you down. Not even yourself.'
They were right. She couldn't let things go on like this. She knew what she wanted. She wanted Andrew. She had been stupid to let him go the way she did. He may not want to see her, but she had to try anyway.
She jumped from the bed and quickly crossed the hall to the bathroom. One look in the mirror confirmed her suspicions. She looked worse than death. Her face was all red and puffy and her eyes were swollen. Her long hair was a snarled mess around her.
"Well I won't get him back looking like this." she muttered to her reflection. She reached for a brush and began the job of tackling the tangles in her hair.
Several minutes later, she observed her image once more with a critical eye. Her wild mop was now confined in its customary french braid and her face looked a little less terrifying now that she had bathed it in cold water and strategically applied some light make up.
"I guess that's as good as it's going to get." she said, leaving the bathroom and returning to her room to change clothes. Soon she was dressed in a favorite pair of worn jeans and a soft knit top that was a little big on her. Not the most appealing outfit in the world, but she wanted to be comfortable.
Besides, she thought with a smirk as she gave her shoulder a twitch, causing the loose neckline to slip, baring her shoulder, this outfit could have some possibilities.
Dawn and Nebula were nowhere to be seen, so it was easy for her to slip out of the apartment unnoticed. Thank goodness for small favors. She didn't feel like facing them at the moment. She would talk to them later. Hopefully by then she and Andrew would have resolved their differences and it would be a moot point.
Feeling lighter than she had all day, she was practically skipping and she hummed a little tune under her breath as she entered the park. She refused to let herself think of Andrew possibly turning her away. She knew deep down that he loved her as much as she loved him. They would get over this little misunderstanding and move on.
Enjoying the feel of the refreshing evening air, she closed her eyes for a moment and reveled in its sweetness. With a giggle she spun around, only to collide with another body.
Her eyes flew open and she looked at the man she had crashed into. He was tall with unusually bright red hair and odd red brown eyes.
"I'm so sorry." she exclaimed quickly. "I should have watched where I was going. I certainly didn't mean to run into you like that."
The grin he turned on her sent shivers down her spine. "That quite all right. It's not everyday that such a tempting young woman as yourself falls into my path."
Warning bells began going off in her head. There was something definitely not right with this guy. "Well, I must be going. I truly am sorry for that little incident." She turned to leave, but was stopped when he suddenly grabbed her wrist in a tight grip.
"What's the hurry, princess?" he sneered. "We haven't even got to know each other yet. I think you should come with me so we can become better acquainted."
At that moment, several youma began appearing from the shadows of the trees. Jess realized then that she had walked right into a trap. She reached under her shirt for her pendant that hung from a chain around her neck. This was what held her transformation powers.
"You don't want to mess with me." she growled at him.
Before she could grasp the pendant, he reached up with his free hand and grabbed the slender gold chain that encircled her neck. With a flick of his wrist, he snapped it and tossed it away.
"I don't think Sailor Shadow is needed here tonight." he said smugly.
Reacting on pure instinct, she drew back a fist and sent in slamming into his face. His head jerked to the side, but he didn't release his hold on her.
He looked back at her, his eyes shining with pure evil. His deep chuckle almost made her heart stop. "So you like to play rough. I like that. It makes the challenge of taming you all the more enjoyable."
What happened next passed so quickly that Jess never saw it coming. Her cheek exploded in pain as backhanded her, sending her tumbling to the ground. After a stunned moment, she glared at him. How dare he? She may not be able to transform, but she was going to show this son of a bitch that she was far from helpless. She began calling on the power of her crystal shard to give her the strength she needed. It wouldn't be as powerful as it would be if she was in her scout form and it would drain her quickly, but she had no other choice.
Bastian narrowed his eyes on the girl as she began to glow blue. A whip appeared in his hands, and with a flick of his wrist, he had it wrapped around her throat. The blue energy faded as the dark energy began crackling up and down the length of the whip. She let out a short scream as the energy hit her like raw electricity.
"Now, now princess." he drawled in a chastising tone. "No sense in the light show. As long as I have you held in place by my whip, your powers can't touch me."
Jess grabbed frantically at the thin leather that was cutting into the skin of her neck and constricting her airway. Tears blurred her vision as she struggled to take in what air she could. She wondered briefly if Andrew could sense that she was in trouble. And if he did, would he do anything about it?
Bastian gave a few vicious tugs on the whip, causing it to cut deeper into her skin. Through the haze of pain, she could feel blood beginning to trickle down her neck and soak into her shirt.
He pulled hard on the whip, causing her to fall forward onto her hands and growled. "I want you to scream for mercy. If you are convincing enough, I may give it to you. That would be a lot more than what your family showed to mine. Your bitch of a grandmother sealed my sister away for a thousand years only to have your whore mother destroy her when she finally broke free of the spell."
Jess stared at the ground beneath her. 'Somebody, please help me.' she cried inwardly, but she raised defiant eyes to her tormentor, refusing to show him any weakness.
He threw back his head and laughed. "Such fire. I've seen many people crack under much less than what you have endured. No wonder Talon has been so entranced by you. Let's see how long you can keep up this façade."
He rose straight up into the air, dragging her with him. She let out a strangled shriek as she was lifted off the ground to dangle like a fish on a line about ten feet in the air. The extra tension blocked her air supply completely and her vision began to blur around the edges. She was about to succumb to the darkness when a sudden blast of copper colored energy severed the whip and she went tumbling toward the ground.
Her dazed mind realized that she was falling, but she didn't care. She just patiently waited for her body to slam into the ground, but it never happened. One minute the air was rushing by her, the next, warm, familiar arms wrapped around her tightly.
She unconsciously snuggled into the firm chest under her cheek. "Drew" she whimpered.
"Shh" a breath whispered against her ear. "I've got you now. You're safe."
Other voices began to penetrate her foggy brain.
"Oh my god, is she okay?" she heard Serena ask in concern.
Rini exclaimed in horror. "Holy crap, look at what that asshole did to her neck."
Jess heard the tearing of fabric and flinched when she felt something touch the torn skin of her neck. She couldn't stop the pained moan that escaped her lips.
"Jess" she heard a voice calling to her. "Can you hear me? It's Darien. Come on, open your eyes."
She forced her heavy lids to open, but everything was one huge blur. She blinked several times, trying to bring things into focus. Finally the blur began to separate into different forms.
Tuxedo Mask was kneeling over her, pressing a strip of cloth that he had torn from his cape to her ravaged neck. Sailor Moon and Sailor Crescent Moon hovered anxiously behind him.
But she had eyes for only one person. The one who was still holding her so tenderly in his arms. With a sob, she threw her arms around his neck and clung to him.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she kept crying over and over.
Andrew hugged her close, but kept the touch light. He didn't know what other injuries she had, and was afraid of hurting her. "Hush" he told her softly. "I'm sorry too. It's in the past."
She pulled back to look at him. Wanting to see his eyes, she pulled the dark glasses from his face. "I was so scared." she whispered. "I thought I was going to die and not be able to tell you how sorry I was."
Bastian's sharp cold voice rang through the trees. "Not fair princess. I wasn't through playing with you yet. I never would have pegged you for the damsel in distress type that needed someone to swoop in and save you."
Jess shivered and shrank back into Andrew's embrace at the sound of his mocking voice. Andrew tightened his arms around her and whispered to the others, "Maybe we should get out of here while we can."
Bastian's next words, however, put a stop to that idea. "I'll give you two minutes princess. If you don't show yourself, I'll let my youma loose to wreck havoc on the city. Let's see if you are willing to risk the lives of innocents to save your own."
Jess disentangled herself from Andrew's arms and staggered to her feet. Andrew immediately jumped up and put a supporting arm around her waist.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he demanded.
She turned firm eyes on him. "I can't let him destroy the city because I'm hiding from him, Drew. I don't want that blood on my hands."
"Well at least transform before you face the bastard." Rini said.
Jess reached up to where her necklace usually hung. "I can't." she told them. "He threw away my transformation pendant. Without it, I can't turn into Sailor Shadow."
The sound of running footsteps reached them and Sailor Moon sighed in relief. "Here comes backup."
The inner scouts and generals joined them a few seconds later, followed almost immediately by the outer scouts, minus Sailor Pluto. They were quickly brought up to speed on the situation.
"Fifteen seconds left, princess." Bastian's voice called.
"I have to go out there." Jess demanded.
The entire group surrounded her. With her in the center, they all walked out to face this new assailant and his youma.
A mock pout appeared on his face. "So you felt like you needed to bring all of your friends with you to face me? I'm disappointed."
Jess glared at him. "Why not? You have your backup, now I have mine."
He studied her appraisingly. "Touché." He licked his lips suggestively. "I was hoping to have a little more alone time with you first. But I guess that will have to wait until later."
He snapped his fingers and ordered the youma, "Kill them all, but leave the princess. She's mine."
The youma began moving in and the scouts and generals took defensive stances. Jess was shoved behind Andrew, Sailor Moon, and Tuxedo Mask just as the first attacks began flying. In a matter of moments, the air was thick the sounds of attacks being called and the sounds of grunts and groans as fists made contact.
It didn't take long before their close-knit group began breaking apart and spreading out. Soon Andrew and Jess were separated from the others.
A youma came flying at them from the right. Without thinking, Jess called forth a ball of energy and shot it at the youma. It crumbled to dust mere feet from them. Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask had each succeeded in taking out a youma, Crescent Moon let out a yell of triumph as the one she was fighting exploded seconds later.
Attacks of yellow and aqua merged together as Uranus and Neptune combined their power to take out a fifth one, followed shortly thereafter by a combined attack from Venus and Jupiter, with a little help from Kunzite and Nephrite, that destroyed a sixth one. After seeing the effects of the combined attacks, Mars and Mercury joined forces, along with Jadeite and Zoicite, to take down the one they were facing.
Bastian fumed as he saw half of his forces destroyed within seconds. The remaining youma began backing away from the heroes warily.
"You idiots." Bastian raged. "They're not invincible. You can take them." He began pulsing with dark energy that spread quickly to the youma, enhancing their destructive powers.
With this energy boost, the youma began a fresh wave of attacks, moving faster and attacking stronger than they had before. This time, the scouts, generals, and Tuxedo Mask had to go on the defensive. One by one, the heroes began falling under the onslaught.
One of the youma rushed at Andrew and Jess. Andrew shoved Jess out of the way quickly before the youma slammed into him, sending him crashing to the ground.
Jess looked around helplessly at her friends. Her energy was seriously low from what she had already expended, and she wasn't sure how much more she could do. A sudden glimmer of gold caught her eye, and she turned to see her necklace with the tear shaped sapphire laying about twenty feet away, glistening in the moonlight.
She ran quickly and dived for the pendant. Just as her fingers closed around it, a heavy boot came crashing down on her wrist, pinning it to the ground.
Jess's agonized scream echoed through the night as she felt the bones snap. Fresh waves of pain washed over her and the threat of unconsciousness returned. Fighting down a sudden feeling of nausea, she looked up at Bastian through tear bright eyes.
He grinned evilly at her. "That's right precious, scream for me. It's like sweet music to my ears. Your parents gave you the right name. Melody, it suits you."
He grabbed her by the hair and drug her up to her feet. He studied her intently for a moment. "Oh yes, I'm going to enjoy this." Then he kissed her roughly.
Jess nearly gagged when his tongue intruded into her mouth. She forgot her pain for a moment as her survival instincts kicked in. She bit down hard on the offending appendage and brought her knee up swiftly to connect with his groin.
Bastian pulled back with a hiss. "You bitch!" he screamed as he threw her back down to the ground. "I'll make you pay for that." he kicked her hard in the ribs.
A gasp left her as she heard her ribs crack. Ready to give up the fight, she turned her head where she could see Andrew lying unmoving on the ground. "I guess we don't get our happy ending this time either." she whispered. "I love you."
She gave in to the darkness then, not noticing the way Andrew's body twitched with her departing words.
Andrew slowly felt consciousness returning to his body. He was very disoriented and couldn't tell where he was. He felt hard ground underneath him and the cool night air on his face. He had an anxious feeling. Something was telling him that it was important for him to wake up immediately.
"You bitch! I'll make you pay for that." a loud voice penetrated through the haze surrounding him. He heard a low thud and a sharp gasp.
'I love you.' a voice whispered in his head.
"Jess' That thought had him jolting back to life. Sitting up he looked around. Everyone was sprawled out on the ground with the youma prowling around them like a pack of hungry wolves. The others were starting to move around as well as they began recovering from the attacks from the suped up youma.
Andrew began to panic when he didn't see Jess anywhere. He was looking to make sure he hadn't missed her among his other friends, when he heard a voice growl behind him, "So the mighty, all powerful princess has fallen. This was far too easy."
Turning to look behind him, his blood froze in his veins. Jess's battered and bruised body lay unmoving at the feet of the red headed man. The man chuckled darkly as he reached down and grabbed her, throwing her limp form over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
"Jess!" Andrew yelled, trying to climb to his feet.
His outburst seemed to rouse the others as bodies began moving and a few heads raised to see what was going on. The youma began closing in once more as they saw their prey awakening once more.
Gasps were heard as a sudden burst of power flooded the area, disintegrating the youma where they stood. A black-cloaked figure appeared from the shadows of the trees.
"Talon" just about everyone said in a hiss.
The red headed man laughed. "Looks like you're not any more popular around here than I am, Talon. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"
Talon lowered the hood of his robe and leveled his jet-black glare on the man. "What the hell do you think you're doing Bastian?"
Bastian returned his glare with one of his own. "I'm only doing what you were too weak to do. You could have taken her a long time ago, but you insisted on dragging it out, playing your little games with her. The rest of us are done waiting for you. We have a mission to accomplish, and evidently you are not the one for the job."
Talon began stalking forward toward him. "It was never my intention to take her by force. I had hoped that in time, she would have come to me willingly. The crystal will work best in her hands, and then only if she is in control of her own mind."
Bastian sneered at him. "We don't care about that anymore. We just want her power. Even without her, whoever holds the crystal will be powerful enough to rule the universe. We only need her to stay alive long enough to get the crystal, then she will become expendable."
Everyone had gotten shakily to their feet as this exchange had taken place and had regrouped. They let out bursts of outrage at his proclamation.
"Over my dead body." Andrew yelled above the others. He had to be held back by both Tuxedo Mask and Kunzite to keep from charging him.
Those reddish brown eyes zeroed in on him. "That can be arranged. Let's see if you last as long as your little girlfriend did. She managed to put up a fight, no matter how much pain I inflicted on her." He ran a hand up one of Jess's dangling legs to her shapely rear. "Maybe I'll give her a try once she wakes up. I would like to see what it is about her that bewitches men so easily."
In a lightning fast move, Talon had closed in on Bastian and wrapped a hand around the man's throat. The red head gave a howl as dark energy ripped through his body. His hold on Jess loosened, and she began to slip off his shoulder. Talon reached out with his free arm and caught her before she could fall to the ground. He let out a burst of energy that sent Bastian flying hard into a nearby tree before he crumpled up at the base.
Talon turned with Jess in his arms and began approaching the others. They all took defensive stances, not sure what to expect from the sorcerer. They were all surprised when Talon handed Jess's limp body to Andrew.
"Get her out of here." he told them sternly. "Take her to Elysian if you have to. Just get her as far away from him as you can."
They all stared in shock, speechless at this new turn of events.
"Why are you helping us?" Sailor Moon asked, finally finding her voice.
He gave her a brief smile before looking back down at Jess and brushing a piece of hair away from her bruised cheek. "I was wrong." he stated simply. "The more I watched her, the more I realized that she deserves to live her life the way she wants, not being coveted because of her power. She helped me to see the light. Be sure to tell her that she has nothing more to fear from me."
"Guys" Mercury piped up. She had her computer out and was typing rapidly. "We really need to get Jess out of here. She has several injuries that need to be attended to immediately."
Crescent Moon closed her eyes and whispered, "Helios."
There was a flash of bright light, and when it faded, the white haired priest was standing in front of them. He took in the scene before letting out a tired sounding sigh.
"Just when I thought my day couldn't get any more chaotic." he muttered.
There was another bright flash of light and they all found themselves in Elysian. They all let go of their transformations. As they began hurrying toward the palace, Jess's breathing became labored and raspy.
Amy gasped as she read the information on her computer screen. "Oh no. I think one of her broken ribs has pierced her lung and it's collapsing."
"What are we going to do?" Serena cried.
Helios turned serious eyes on Darien. "The prince is her only hope now. He must use his healing powers to help her."
"I've never tried to heal injuries as serious as these before." Darien protested.
Helios shook his head. "Nevertheless, you are the only one who can heal her. You have come far in your training with the Golden Crystal. It will heed your commands."
Serena grabbed Darien's hand tightly. "You can do it. I know you can. You won't fail because you always accomplish everything you set out to do."
Darien squeezed her hand tightly in return and gave her a crooked grin. "That's only because I have you beside me."
"Well let's do this." Andrew said curtly. He pushed by everyone to walk ahead of them to the palace. Once there, he went directly to the room that they had been in the last time he had carried an unconscious Jess into Elysian.
She jerked and moaned as he laid her as gently as possible on the bed. Her breaths weren't rasping as much as they were before, and that scared him. It seemed they were becoming shallower with every breath she tried to draw into her body.
Darien hurried to her side and held his hands over her. They began glowing gold as he called upon the healing properties of the Golden Crystal. Before he had a chance to begin the healing process, Jess let out one last shuddering breath and fell completely still and silent.
Andrew felt something break inside him. He was engulfed by waves of searing pain that seemed to burn straight into the depths of his very soul.
Mina gasped as she saw the soul bond between Andrew and Jess shatter in the blink of an eye. Tears sprang to her eyes as she grieved for their loss. "I can't believe it. She's gone." she whispered brokenly.
Other cries were heard around the room as they all realized the same thing. Jess was dead.
Andrew's anguished cries were heard above everyone else's. He clutched her body close to him and rocked back and forth.
"No, no, no" he screamed. "You can't leave me like this." Tears were streaming down his face.
He felt hands trying to remove her from his grasp, but he refused to let go. He buried his face in her hair and breathed in her unique scent. She always smelled of citrus and fresh air, along with lingering hint of paint and turpentine.
A sudden hand squeezed his shoulder hard, and he looked up into the distraught face of his best friend. "Let go of her Andrew." Darien told him tensely. "There's still a chance that she can be saved."
A/N (Sere-chan runs and ducks for cover to avoid being hit by the various items being hurled at her by her furious readers). I'm begging for mercy here guys. I'm not doing this to mess up the story. There is a method to my madness, I promise. I know I have thrown you some curve balls the last few chapters, but it's all leading to the end. So whether you love to hate me, or hate to love me, I assure you that there is much more to come. BTW, Jess's death was not the one I was hinting at a few chapters ago. Many more twists and turns lie ahead of us. I'm going to go find a dark hole to hide in from all of you now. Remember to review. Luv ya guys! Later!
Sere-chan