Chapter 26: Soul bond
Minako parted with Makoto and went straight home. She threw herself onto her bed, her eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. So much has happened. So many memories. Should she forget the past? For a short while, back when Zac, Nate and Junichi came back into their lives with no past life memories, Minako was glad. It was finally a chance for them to rewrite their stories, but then Ferdinand showed up and ruined everything. Now the shitennou were back with painful memories. Yes, they may be able to work things out, but seeing what happened between Rei and Junichi, writing a new story seemed out of the question right now. Those memories are too painful to be ignored.
Sometimes she envied her friends that they at least got to spend some time with the shitennou without their past memories. What would it be like to get to know your beloved again? Minako longed for the feeling of meeting her soulmate and falling in love. Meeting your soulmate for the first time was an incredibly important event for Venusians. They believed everyone had a soulmate, that someone that was their other half. They didn't know who this person was beforehand, but once they met them, they would know almost instantly that this person was their soulmate. Venusians did not get into relationships unless they believed the other person was their soulmate. She still remembered when she first met Kunzite, how she knew right away that he was her soulmate, but he was not a Venusian, so he didn't possess the ability to see their bond. It was exhilarating getting to know him and see if he's feeling the same. It would have been so much easier if her soulmate was a Venusian. They would know right away and they would fall in love. But for some reason she was glad her soulmate wasn't a Venusian because now she got to get to know him and have him known her and see if he would really fall in love with her even when he didn't know they were soulmates.
She longed for that feeling, but fate ripped that opportunity from her. Now she would never know what it would be like to meet Kunzite without his past life memories. Much worse, she might not get to be with him ever again.
Mina sat up on her bed and reached inside her skirt pocket. She pulled out a golden locket with a gold necklace attached. She looked at it carefully and thought about how this locket represented her bond with Kunzite.
—memory—
It was a usual Friday night for Venus and Kunzite. She accompanied Serenity to earth every Friday. They usually just enjoyed each other company while looking after the royal couples from nearby, but today Venus also had something more in mind.
Kunzite's arms wrapped around her waist and held her from behind. She leaned into his embrace.
"I know I should be grateful to spend Fridays with you, but —." Kunzite uttered.
"But what, dear?" She asked.
"I want more. I want to spend more time with you. Now I truly understand Endymion's feeling when Serenity's not here." Kunzite bent down to look at Venus.
"I have a solution for that, general." Venus turned to face him. She grinned like a little girl and hid something behind her back.
"What are you planning, Aphrodite?"
"A way to alleviate the torture we're facing ." Venus pulled out a heart-shaped locket with one side gold and the other side silver.
"What is it?" Kunzite asked.
"This is how we can be together." She separated the locket in half. She gave the silver half to Kunzite.
"Open it," she said with a grin.
Kunzite opened his half heart-shaped locket to see that it became a full heart with his South Kingdom emblem on one side and Venus's on the other.
"Mine is the same, except that it's gold." Venus opened her golden locket and revealed a full heart-shaped locket bearing the same two symbols of their Kingdoms.
Venus closed her locket and placed it in Kunzite's hand and pulled her long golden hair to one side of the neck and turned her back so that Kunzite could put the locket over her neck.
She turned her front to meet his eyes.
"These are Venusian soul-bond lockets. Have you heard of it?" Venus asked.
Kunzite shook his head.
Venus smiled. "As you know, Venusians are completely dedicated to love. But of course there are times when couples have to be apart, for work, for study, for war, so they use these lockets to bind their souls together." Venus touched the half heart-shaped locket hanging down her neck.
Kunzite looked closely at the locket in his hand and seemed to be thinking pretty hard. "How?"
"We each have one and we can see each other in the dream."
Kunzite narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips in thoughts. Venus continued to explain.
"The two lockets are made together as a set. I designed and had the craftsman on Venus made and sent them to me. When we wear these and think about each other at night before falling asleep, we will see each other in the dream."
Kunzite was intrigued.
"But it's not like usual dreams where we had no control over them. These dreams are soul-bond dreams, so it will be like we actually see each other. We can say, act and do anything we want. It will be like we really are with each other. The memories, the sensation, the experience will be as real as if we are meeting in real life."
"That's — quite difficult to comprehend. You mean the dream will feel so real like reality?"
Venus shook her head lightly. "It's not like a reality. It's a form of reality.
"You're confusing me even more, love."
Venus smiled at Kunzite. "Love is about the feeling as much as the physical. So when we spend time together in these soul-bond dreams, we have freewill to act, that's why these dreams are actually a form of reality. Just not in physical realm. We will retain memories when we wake up. So in that sense, it's not so different from a reality as you know it, right?"
"Do all planets have something like this? Now I feel earth is too primitive." Kunzite looked at his locket.
"No, only on Venus," she said. "You see, it's about the power of belief as well. Venusians believe strongly in the power of love and we believe that love transcends the physical. So if two souls bind together, we can be together regardless of our place in the physical realms.
"So do you contact your family this way too?"
"No, this is only for romantic relationship. We only get them made for our soulmates." Venus finished the sentence and realized what she had just said.
Kunzite looked at her fondly. "You've never called me your soulmate before."
"As a Venusian, we don't get into romantic relationships unless we believe they are our soulmates." Venus smiled.
Kunzite smiled back at her.
"Do Terrans believe in soulmates?"
"Some people do. I didn't." Kunzite said.
"But I do now." He then kissed her.
Since that night, they were spending time together in their dreams almost every night except for when either of them had nightshift duties. These nighttime meetings actually helped both leaders feel rather calm about their situation and not anxious like other senshi and shitennou. Several weeks later, they talked about this on their usual Friday meeting.
"Everyone, especially Jupiter wondered how I can be so calm only seeing you once a week." Venus chuckled.
"Me too. Other shitennou think I'm just a heartless, cold person because I'm not acting love-sick all the time."
"Are you?" Venus asked.
"Am I what?"
"Love-sick with me?"
"You know the answer, love. Please don't make me say it out loud." It was a rare sight to see the head shitennou blushed.
"But I want to hear you say it." Venus grinned.
Kunzite cupped her face with his hands. "I'm hopelessly in love with you, Venus." Kunzite felt blood rushing to his cheeks. "But don't tell anyone I said that. It would ruin my image of a tough, stoic leader." Kunzite smiled.
Venus was happy to see his warm and soft side that he never allowed anyone else to see. "Don't worry. You are always a strong and stern leader in the eyes of the other senshi and the princess."
"And they really believe you fall in love with a cold-hearted solider like me? Kunzite chuckled.
"It was hard for them to believe at first, but they know that as Sailor Venus, I would know who my soulmate is." Venus smiled at him.
"Plus nobody knows we see each other every night in our dreams. It's our little secret." Venus said.
"Not even the princess?" Kunzite asked.
"Of course not! Otherwise she would beg me to get ones for her and Endymion," Venus said. "But only Venusians and their partners can have soul-bond dreams.
"So consider yourself lucky you're in love with a Venusian." Venus touched his nose slightly.
Kunzite smiled at her, but then his face suddenly turned more serious.
"I have something to tell you," he said firmly. "I have to go into the war against the Resistance next week. I want you to keep my locket." He handed it to Venus.
"Why?" Venus looked confused.
"In war, I don't know what will happen. If I'm captured, I don't want anyone to be able to connect me to you. They might try to use you against me or vice versa," Kunzite explained. "I don't want to put you in danger."
"You will not be defeated, Kunzite." Venus said.
"You're senshi, Venus. We all know how uncertain war can be. I just want to eliminate any possibility that they could harm you."
"Are you sure? If we still keep contact, maybe I can help you."
Kunzite shook his head, "My spy said that the Resistance can manipulate people's mind. I'm afraid what might happen if they can actually do that to me."
Kunzite touched Venus's shoulders, looked her directly in the eyes and said, "Should something happen to me, should they be able to control me, do not hesitate to kill me."
"How can you say that? You're strong, Kunzite. Nothing like that will happen."
"Promise me." Kunzite asked sternly.
"No, I won't. I'm never going to kill you, Kunzite. Even if you are corrupted by some evil power, I will help you."
Kunzite parted from Venus and stepped forward, "I've felt for a long time that Terran's minds are weaker than those from other planets. We are easily manipulated by love, hate, greed and envy. And even though I feel that I've trained myself to be sufficiently strong-minded, we still can't underestimate the power of Beryl and her people. For some reasons, they had gained people's force really quickly. Previously trusted nobles, soldiers, and servants had fallen under their control. I know it's unlikely but I can't deny the possibility that I could become one of them."
Venus rushed forward and looked at Kunzite, "Do you really think the situation is that serious? I've never seen you anxious like this before."
"Two of my most trusted soldiers had betrayed me, and I almost got badly injured because of that. At this point, it seems like no one can really be trusted anymore."
Venus looked worried.
"But I'm still confident that we will win this war," Kunzite said. "But as a careful warrior, I just need to think of every possible scenario."
"I know you are careful. But don't you need me for moral support?"
"Think about it, dear. If, for some disastrous way, they could control my mind, if I still held on to the locket, I might ask you for secret information or trick you into doing something. I don't want them to be able to harm you through my mind."
"But —"
"Please, Venus. I can't go into this war knowing that there is a chance for you to be harmed. I want to protect you in every way possible."
"I understand." Venus nodded, although in her heart she hated the idea of not being able to contact him.
"Don't worry. I will come get it right after we finish this war. You know I can't be away from you for too long anyway." He smiled at her.
—end of memory—
Minako remembered the last day on the moon. Remember that she was still wearing the locket while she was thrusting her sword to Kunzite.
Sometimes she wondered what would have happened had Kunzite hold on to their lockets. Would he be able to warn her about the war between the earth and the moon? Or would Beryl use him against her even more so that she did? Would things turn out better or worse? But the die had been cast. Their fates had been decided and nothing would change that.
Minako always kept the two lockets connected in her jewelry box. But since the shitennou in their civilian forms had come into their lives, she had been carrying the lockets with her at all times, hoping that she would meet Kunzite in his civilian form one day. But that didn't happen. She was there too late. While fighting, she slipped his part of the locket into his uniform pocket. She didn't know exactly why she did that. He didn't remember her. And the locket would not change anything, but deep down she was hoping that it would help him remember her.
—
In a cave near D point.
"Kunzite," Nephrite called his comrade. "If we are truly helping Endymion, then why does it feel —?"
"Wrong?" Kunzite said.
Nephrite nodded. Kunzite knew what his friend meant. Yes, what Ferdinand told them made perfect sense. Endymion and two of his shitennou were controlled by the Moon Princess and the senshi. Yes, women could have so much power over men. Yes, it was possible that Lunarians wanted to destroy or take over the Earth. But Sailor Jupiter and Venus were plotting to kill them? This part no longer made sense. Not that he remembered what kind of relationship they had with Jupiter and Venus during Silver Millennium. They only remembered Jupiter and Venus as Serenity's sailor guardians. But somehow, Kunzite felt like something more was brewing underneath.
"How can we trust Ferdinand more than Endymion?" Nephrite asked.
"It's because if we are truly loyal to him, we will rescue him for whatever Lunar spell he is under," Ferdinand walked over to the two shitennou. "I know it is hard to disobey his command, but to be truly loyal to him is to help him despite his order because we know better. We know what the Lunarians are planning."
Kunzite and Nephrite acknowledged what Ferdinand said, but they were still thinking.
"Brothers, I'm as loyal to Endymion as much as you are. And I don't want to see him being played by that Moon witch!"
Ferdinand continued, "if we merely follow Endymion's order, do not care the consequences his orders will bring, then we are disloyal to our kingdom, and to him. As his good friends and guardians, our duty is to protect him from falling into the wrong path."
"Weren't there times when Endymion wanted to give up on training? What did you do then?" Ferdinand asked Kunzite.
"We didn't let him give up because we knew he had to be a competent fighters for himself and for the kingdom," Kunzite said sternly.
"Exactly," Ferdinand looked at both shitennou.
"We will stand by him and bring him to the correct path of protecting earth," Ferdinand said while the two shintennou nodded.
Ferdinand then walked away, leaving Kunzite and Nephrite contemplating what his brother-in-arms said.
—
Needing some time to think, that night Kunzite was wandering around the stone castle carved in the deep dark cave. This felt familiar to him. He felt it in his heart that this was not the first time he was here in this place. But when? For the life of him, he couldn't remember being here, but his guts said otherwise.
What Ferdinand said rang true to him, but something felt wrong. Logically, what Ferdinand said made sense. Endymion seemed to be in control of Serenity or to be accurate her reincarnation. The senshi were of course on Serenity's side. They were trying to control him, and they got Jadeite and Zoicite. They had to fight to get Endymion back.
But a certain senshi with a golden blonde hair in a yellow fuku made him doubt this mission. The way she looked at him. It was not with hateful intention, but it was — warmth, longing, and yes, loving.
But how could that be? He didn't even know who she was. The more he thought about it, the crazier it made him. His instinct told him that he used to be at the Dark Kingdom, that he used to know this blonde senshi, that things were — different.
He looked at the snowstorm outside the cave. He put his hands in his uniform pocket. His right hand met with something cold. He pulled it out and saw a silver locket, that looks like a half of a heart-shaped. It looked familiar, but his memory wouldn't cooperate. He opened it and see that it was a heart-shaped with two symbols on each side, one is his South Kingdom emblem and the other one is Venus's.
What kind of relationship did he and Venus have? They couldn't just be enemies or fellow warriors? Why else would he had a locket with their symbols? He wasn't sure how he even got the locket in the first place, but it seemed right. It seemed like something he used to hold dear. Was Venus playing a trick on him? Did she slip it in while they were fighting? Was this another one of Lunarian scheme to get him to their side?
These thoughts made him exhausted. Confusing memories, painful emotions mixed with loving feeling. This was all too confusing for him. He put the locket back into his pocket and then walked back to the castle, determined to go to sleep and lay these thoughts to rest for a while.
—
AN. Thank you for all of you who keep reading. Hope you like this chapter.
Lucky's Girl: I'm so glad you like how Jupiter and Venus met the shitennou. Hope you'll like this memory too. (Also, are you J/N fan like I am?)
Moonprincess998: Glad you like the ball scene. I was worried it was completely played out. The focus will be on V/K for a few chapters. So hope you like it.
persian85033 : I know! I thought it would be funny to see Kunzite failed at his duty for once. Venus could teach him a few lesson!
MCWildflowers : Glad you like the story. Thank you for reading :)
Your favs and reviews are always motivating. Keep them coming. I love to hear your thoughts. :)