Hello all! So while I had fully intended to release this sooner...I'm afraid I got sucked in by Animal Crossing. Forgive me? Just so you know, there's about five chapters left and maybe an epilogue? :O I can't believe the end is in sight and while there's lots in here I'd probably change now, it's been a hell of a journey with everyone. Now if I can just find the motivation to keep it up. It's going to get very busy after this last bit though, just so you know.

As a recap, everyone now knows everything! Although how successful they were has yet to be determined. ;)

Leave me a review and let me know what you think!

Love,

B

Venus groaned, feeling like she'd been crushed under a pile of rocks, and pressed her face deeper into the warm material she was using as a pillow. It smelled faintly of leather and spices and something else that she couldn't quite put her sight on with her head throbbing so distractingly the way it was, but it was pleasant and helped put her at ease, so she didn't think about it for too long. Instead her focus lingered on the warm, large hand rubbing her back in a soothing manner; an oddity, considering the only men in her life close enough to act so intimately were Artemis, who only ever comforted her in his kitten form, and her dad, who hadn't rubbed her back in such a way since the time she had gotten sick after eating some bad fish as a child. Confused, she tried to think back to whatever she'd been doing before she'd fallen asleep but her death was the freshest image in her mind.

And then the hand stilled and a deep voice, so familiar it sent chills down her spine, spoke just above her ear.

"You're awake."

Venus stiffened and finally bothered to open her eyes, taking note of the rubble littered across the cavern floor before looking over her shoulder to see Kunzite hovering just above her. An image of Kunzite, with pitch black eyes, sneering as he stood above her flashed through her mind but then she blinked and Kunzite's eyes were back to a cool, concerned silver.

"Minako, are you okay?"

Minako?

Venus blinked again but this time a flood of different memories rushed through her, gymnastics and volleyball classes...eating at the cafe with the girls...graduating middle school and then high school alongside the others…his return.

She shook her head slightly and then pushed herself up into a sitting position, noting the rich brown cloth that she had been using as a pillow and blushing when she realized it belonged to Kunzite.

"Minako?"

"I'm alright," she murmured, climbing to her feet. She dusted her skirt off and then ran her fingers through her tangled hair.

Kunzite frowned, but rose as well, swiping his cape from the ground and giving it a hard shake. "Are you going to tell me what happened?" he asked her in a seemingly disinterested tone that Venus knew meant he was growing frustrated. He swung his cape around his shoulders, tying it in place as she debated how to respond when her gaze landed on his earring. The one from her.

"You never did call for me."

A fact that had kept her up for more nights than she'd ever admit.

Kunzite glanced to the side, no doubt feeling the faint energy coming off the earring she had gifted him, and then turned inscrutable eyes on her. He took a slow step towards her, cautious in his approach.

"I did actually," he murmured, taking another steady step towards her. "But that traitorous witch had already caught me within her web."

"What?" Venus paled and took a step back, "But that's not…"

But she hadn't felt a thing! She had hardly slept more than a handful of hours from the time he had left until the day he had arrived on the palace's doorstep dragging destruction in his wake but even then Mercury had sworn she would feel it! How in the goddess had she missed it? She hadn't felt a thing!

Warm, large hands gently pried hers away from her face, drawing her attention outward and upward to concerned, silver eyes staring down at her. Kunzite wasn't necessarily frowning but his brow was wrinkled in the middle and her hand twitched in its prison with the desire to poke it.

"She was too strong, Venus. Her power blocked us from even Endymion's sight. There was nothing you could have done."

Venus' eyes narrowed.

That wasn't true. Beryl hadn't been capable of keeping everyone apart. Sailor Moon had gotten through to Tuxedo Mask, despite how much negajuice Beryl must have pumped him with, because they were soulmates and nothing could keep soulmates apart. That was as true now as it was a thousand years ago. Which meant she should have been able to find him because they were soulmates, she was sure of it. She could even prove it, now that her memory of how to read soul bonds had been restored. Like flipping a switch, she focused her powers in her eyes, allowing her golden energy to saturate her irises, and stared at the space between them only to see nothing.

Venus blinked, rubbed her eyes with one hand and then stared again at the empty space.

Still nothing.

The rubble around them shifted as her heart skipped a beat.

This must be some kind of mistake.

She forced a little more power into her eyes but nothing changed.

This didn't make any sense!

A rough thumb brushed gently across her cheek, startling her.

"Does it hurt?" Kunzite asked.

Venus' heart fluttered at his proximity but she could barely process his words. Did it hurt? Where was their soulbond? She didn't understand. She had been sure they were soulmates. They were supposed to be soulmates! But then why was there no bond? Had she been wrong? And if she was, how did she manage to fall for the same man in two lifetimes if he wasn't her soulmate? And why in all that was holy was he looking at her like that? The rumbling of more rocks shifting in the background filled her ears, as she swallowed and took a step back from Kunzite's looming form. He followed automatically, not that either of them noticed.

"Does what hurt?" She mumbled, trying to focus but failing miserably.

"Your eyes...they've turned gold."

"My e-eyes?" Venus stuttered, alarmed of how rapidly her heart was beating, "No, not at all. What makes you think that?"

"Because you're crying," Kunzite murmured, brushing her cheek with his thumb once more.

"What?"

Was she crying? She couldn't remember the last time she had cried...but why wasn't there a soulbond? He was supposed to be her soulmate! They were supposed to be together! They were supposed to be together and...and...and what? Didn't this prove exactly what the universe had been telling her? What she'd been telling herself? That she was destined to never find a love of her own?

That she would be alone forever.

Why was there no soulbond?!

Strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her against a warm, firm chest as the earth groaned around them.

"What are you doing?" Venus gasped, tensing at the foreign touch. She wanted nothing more than to melt into his arms but her new found knowledge kept her rigid. It would hurt enough later without giving in to the touch she had longed for for over a thousand years.

"I believe it's called a 'hug'."

Venus snorted, of course Kunzite would choose to get a sense of humor now. Now when her heart was breaking. Goddess above she loved this stupid man. Her fingers dug into his uniform for a long moment while she gathered the strength to push him away.

Which of course meant he wouldn't budge.

"Let me go, Kunzite."

"No."

"No?" She pressed her hands against his chest, prepared to shove. "I said let me go."

"We're alive Venus. There's no need to shed tears over events long past. What matters now is that we're alive and free to live our lives however we want."

Venus stiffened, barely refraining from doing something more drastic with her hands that were still pressed against Kunzite's chest.

"You don't know what you're talking about."

Kunzite loosened his grip just enough to pull back and look her in the eyes.

"Then enlighten me."

"Unless your vows are different than what I've previously been led to believe," Venus growled, earning a raised brow, "We're both very much still bound by duty."

"But not in matters of the heart," Kunzite murmured, once again stroking her cheek with his thumb as his gaze bore steadily into hers.

Venus blushed and then paled as his meaning sunk in. She might not have a ton of experience in the romance department but even the biggest love idiot wouldn't be able to miss this sign. She blinked, as her stomach did a somersault. He could only mean one thing but...but she couldn't! Not now! Not when there was no hope! When there was no soul bond!

What should she say? What should she do? She had no choice, she'd have to reject him but the idea made her almost violently sick.

Oh why wasn't there a bond?!

Venus pushed him away and Kunzite dropped his hold on her, voluntarily taking a few steps back. She knew he was waiting for her to say or do something but the only thing she wanted to do was run, preferably back to her apartment and a toilet bowl. The rumbling around them was growing louder, the low lights gleaming off several points in the distance.

"I think we should go back," she said eventually, turning away.

"Wait, please."

Kunzite's hand caught hers and Venus prayed to every holy—and not so holy—being she could think of that he wasn't about to do what she thought he was going to do.

"There's something I'd like to say before we go…"

"Kunzite, I-I don't think now's really the time."

"And I know, with everything that's happened, you probably don't feel the same way…"

"Kunzite please, just—"

"And it's selfish to force a confession on you but I never got the chance to say it before I was captured and turned and I've regretted it every day since."

"Kunzite no!"

"I—"

"DON'T!"

"LOOK OUT!"

Venus hit the floor with a thud as several things went whistling over her head, followed by something heavy dropping to the ground beside her. She opened her eyes, confused and furious, but paled upon seeing Kunzite's crumpled form with several blades running through him.

"W-wh-what?"

She felt her heart trip and saw the weapons light up in response, wrapped in her energy.

If possible Venus grew even paler.

"Oh my god." She raised shaky hands out towards Kunzite's prone form, "Oh my god! Kunzite!"

She reached for his face, checking for a pulse and pulled away feeling nothing but his hot, slick blood.

What had she done?

What had she done?

She killed him! She killed him! And for what? Because he had wanted to tell her he loved her? Because she had failed to grasp control of her powers?

What had she done?!

A strangled gasp released beside her, alerting her to the fact that Kunzite was still alive, if barely.

"Kunzite!"

A small sob of relief escaped from her lips. He was alive! Thank the goddess! But he wouldn't last long. Venus felt around her blindly for anything that could help before remembering her talk with the girls.

...

"I've never seen anything like it. While Usagi's power seems to gloss over and make wounds and ailments just vanish, Mamoru's seemed to reverse the wounds to before they had ever occurred. It was truly remarkable," Ami murmured, tapping a pen against her lips.

"That's my Mamo-chan!" Usagi beamed.

"I wonder if he'd be willing to let me study it further, do some tests? If the energy and results don't diminish over time, perhaps…"

"We could prep for Crystal Tokyo?" Minako grinned, already considering logistics.

"We'd need a lot of stones," Makoto added, as if reading Minako's thoughts. "Where would we even store them all?"

"You can't store them here," Rei huffed, "There's no way I could explain why I have to store a million glowing stones to grandpa."

"No of course not," Ami agreed, "We'll just put them in a subspace pocket like we do with our control room."

Usagi gasped.

"Wait, you can just create those? Can you make one for me inside my purse?"

"What? Why?"

"Oh no rea—"

"She probably just wants to store a bunch of snacks in there," Rei interrupted.

"Rei!"

"That does sound like a Usagi reason," Makoto agreed.

"Mako-chan!"

Ami giggled while Minako beamed and hugged the affronted woman close.

"Sorry Usagi-chan but you'll have to live a thousand more years before you can get one over on us!

...

She still had the stones! The stones that the others had used to save the Shitennou on the brink of death!

Without wasting another second she thrust her hand into her subspace pocket, ripping out their travel packs before dumping their contents on the floor and shuffling through them in a mad rush to collect all the pale yellow stones she could find. She didn't even wait to see if she had them all, instead choosing to place them around his figure as she found them until he was fully surrounded.

What was next? What was next?

Right!

Venus snapped her fingers and then slapped her hands together rushing out a fervent prayer. "Please stones that contain Mamoru/Endymion's great healing power! Please, oh please save your most loyal and loving servant Kunzite! Please!!"

She held her breath for the longest second of her life and then another, silently begging them to work. They had to work! Several more seconds seemed to go by, the time between each of Kunzite's strangled wet gasps growing farther and farther apart...and then they flickered, once, twice and then held into a strong, steady glow, slowly reaching, stretching out to connect with one another until Kunite's prone form was encompassed beneath a thick golden barrier.

Only then did Venus breathe, moving shaky bloody hands to wrap around herself as she watched the swords buried deep in Kunzite's flesh slowly start to inch up, pushed outward and upward until they clattered to the floor. She shoved them aside and watched in awe as his wounds and then clothing eventually stitched themselves back together as if nothing had ever torn it in the first place.

Finished, the barrier dissipated and Venus nearly collapsed on top of him in relief. He was alive! Thank the Goddess! Thank Mamoru! She swore she would kiss that man when she saw him next. Or maybe she wouldn't because then she would have to explain and Usagi would get upset and really Kunzite was Mamoru's guardian, if he was going to heal anyone it should be him…

Kunzite stirred beneath her and she froze.

He was alive but he had almost died because of her. Because she had failed to regain control of her powers and then had lost control of her emotions. And she always would around him, her soulmate-not-soulmate.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, pressing a tearful kiss upon his forehead as she felt him reach for her. "I have to go."

And then, without looking back, she ran.

oOo

Jupiter sighed, feeling better rested than she had in years...perhaps since her parents had died. For once she felt safe and warm and not alone which didn't make any sense because she was sleeping and the only times she didn't sleep alone was when she had sleepovers with the girls but she was entirely too comfortable to be sleeping with any of them. She smiled and nestled deeper into her warm pillow. It smelled so good. Masculine but clean, like the outdoors.

"Are you awake?"

She frowned, wondering what her subconscious was getting at and why it had taken such a deep tone. It almost sounded like…

Jupiter's eyes fluttered open.

Beneath her hand was a warm chest wrapped in a cream colored uniform, the matching rich brown cape was draped over her shoulders as a blanket. She tilted her head up, meeting warm dark eyes, and felt a blush slowly burn its way over her entire body.

Nephrite smiled softly—flustering Jupiter even more—before brushing her hair back with his fingers.

"It's good to see you awake," he murmured, still smiling in that soft way she had never seen before. He opened his mouth to continue but hesitated, choosing to squeeze her instead, bringing her attention to the fact that his arms were around her and that she was very much sitting in his lap.

If possible her blush deepened but Jupiter made no effort to remove herself. Afterall, she and Nephrite had done far more intimate things in the past and now they both remembered it.

"I'm glad you're alright," Nephrite said eventually, after they had stared into each other's eyes a little longer. His hand drifted up to cup her cheek and Jupiter leaned into his touch, relishing the feel of his hands on her skin.

"You are alright, aren't you?"

She smiled, pleased at his show of concern, and brought her hand up to lace with his before turning and placing a small kiss on his palm.

"I'm alright," she said after a moment, focusing again on his beautiful eyes. They had always held such depth, such warmth...how had she ever forgotten them? She let go of his hand and reached out to trace just above his cheek.

"I'm sorry I forgot you, can you forgive me?"

Nephrite exhaled loudly and then the next thing she knew she was being crushed to his chest, his arms tightening around her until she could barely move an inch.

"Forgive you?" He exclaimed, his voice rough with an emotion that seemed like it was barely being contained. "How can you forgive me?"

He rose abruptly, barely giving Jupiter time to move before he turned away and punched the giant oak they'd been resting against, his fist not even making a dent in the powerful trunk.

"I betrayed you Jupiter!" He growled after another moment had passed. He clenched his fists. "I hurt you with these hands! There's no excuse for that."

"I think being under the influence of Metallia is a pretty good excuse," Jupiter snorted, crossing her arms and jutting her hip out. She stared at his back a little longer and then sighed, dropping her arms.

"It wasn't your fault, you weren't in control."

Nephrite shook his head but didn't turn around.

"I know that. I know it wasn't my fault but I still hate that I was so weak...that I was capable of hurting you at all. Endy told us what happened between him and the princess."

"Did he now?"

Jupiter took a few steps towards Nephrite, close enough to reach out and touch him if she dared. Instead she turned to stand beside him, facing the wall of the storms and watching as the winds whipped and sliced through one another in a furious torrent.

"Did he tell you about the last time? When I and the other girls were under Chaos' control?"

"I've heard mention of it."

"None of us were able to break free then, not even Mamoru." She sighed, tilting her head to rest against his broad shoulder.

"Mercury reasoned that the only reason Mamoru was able to that first time was because Metallia—and Chaos by extension—had been weakened by being sealed. By the time we faced Galaxia, Chaos was at its full force."

"Perhaps," Nephrite agreed after a few moments had passed. "But it doesn't stop the memories."

"Then let's make new memories!" Jupiter beamed, wrapping an arm around one of his thick biceps, and boy was there a few memories she'd like to make with those.

Nephrite chuckled, perhaps sensing her thoughts, but when he finally looked at her he still looked doubtful.

"Are you sure?" he asked after a moment, once again running his fingers through her hair. "You could have anyone you know. You're a goddess, Jupiter, a living, breathing goddess. When I saw you float up in that storm of energy just now…you deserve to be worshipped and lavished with everything life has to offer."

Jupiter blushed, flustered by the intensity in Nephrite's eyes, but decided she'd gone long enough without touching him; instead choosing to slip her hands up his chest and around his neck, bringing him closer.

"Then worship me," she whispered.

Nephrite didn't need to be told twice.

oOo

Zoicite stared at the beautiful pixie in his arms, carefully checking her vitals every few minutes to ensure that she wasn't seriously injured and was in fact, just resting. It was to be expected that she had passed out, having a maelstrom of energy course through her like that, but he couldn't help feeling more anxious with every additional minute that passed without her waking. Checking her vitals helped to relax him somewhat, but only a little.

Mercury shifted slightly, drawing his focus back to her face and away from the watch he'd be using to count, and she frowned slightly before slowly opening her eyes.

His breath caught in his chest, relieved to see her awake but also terrified that these would be his last few seconds he ever got to hold her again. He waited, as still as a statue, for the verdict to fall from her lips.

Mercury merely blinked and stared at him with a curious gaze.

Well...that was okay. She didn't look disgusted with him, he could work with that. Unless she was staring because she didn't recognize him. Oh dear god what if she had brain damage? He had thought he'd caught her before she could hit the ground but maybe he hadn't been as careful as he thought?

"Are yo—"

"Hello."

Zoicite froze, not willing to interrupt her but when she didn't continue he wondered if he had just imagined it all. He would try again.

"How a—"

"I rem—"

He slapped a gloved hand over his face and groaned.

Dear lord this was embarrassing. If killing her in their previous life didn't send her running, then surely his inability to converse on an intelligent level would surely do the job.

A small tug on his arm pulled his hand from his face, leaving him exposed to Mercury's lovely smile.

"I remember everything, Z."

Zoicite swallowed, but barely dared breathe. Was she…? Could she really be…?

"Do you mean…?"

Mercury nodded, her smile dimming, but still clear on her face.

"Yes, that too."

She remembered!

Zoicite blinked and just stared at the beautiful, delicate woman in his arms. That was still in his arms. She hadn't left, which was ridiculous because if she remembered then she remembered and yet there she was still sitting in his arms! Why hadn't she left yet?

"I don't understand," he mumbled, pulling back but not quite willing to pull away completely. "Why...you're not upset?"

"I'm not," Mercury smiled a little wider and then leaned against him, closing her eyes. "If you're still going on about earlier, you were wrong. You didn't succeed in killing me, you know."

"I appreciate your efforts, Mercury, but I assure you I'm not entirely stupid. I have killed people before and I pierced you right through the stomach!"

Mercury shrugged but didn't open her eyes.

"You might have struck me but you didn't kill me. I lowered my body temperature, minimizing my blood flow, and put myself in a temporary stasis of sorts. I could have stayed that way for a few days and still recovered had I had the time."

Then...he really hadn't killed her? She could have lived? Wait...

"I didn't kill you but...you still died?" Zoicite questioned, recalling her words. He hoped she wasn't saying she had been killed by someother's hand. The mere idea left him irrationally angry. That someone would dare inflict any sort of violence on her...dimly he wondered if there was some way he could still seek vengeance.

"No...that's not what happened," Mercury agreed, drawing Zoicite away from his darkening thoughts. "Jupiter found me after the princess and Endymion had fallen and we attempted to revive them."

That was news to him.

"You attempted to revive them? But how? I thought only the moon and Saturn had any sort of healing powers?" Aside from Earth of course, but given the state of affairs then...

"No, that's correct. We used our life energy instead."

"You used your—what?!"

Zoicite stared at her in horror, sure that his jaw had dropped to the floor, as he attempted to understand why she would do such an idiotic thing.

"Why, on all that is holy, would you even contemplate doing that?"

Mercury pushed away from him, though she remained in his lap, and frowned.

"To revive her, obviously," she huffed, clearly affronted, "I'm her guardian. I've sworn to do all that I can to protect her."

"So others have done this before?"

"Pardon?"

"So others have done this before? You knew for a fact that it works?" Zoicite demanded. He tightened his grip and was startled to realize his hands were now squeezing her shoulders.

"It's my duty to do whatever necess—"

"Not if you don't know if it works!"

He was starting to think this was a pattern. Hadn't she acted recklessly just a few hours earlier? Was it possible that his sweet Mercury was as foolhardy as the rest of the Senshi? Whatever happened to self-preservation? To live to die another day?

"I had to!"

"You don't even know if it worked!"

"What other choice did I have?" Mercury demanded, breaking the hold he had on her. She stood and began walking towards the hover bikes, with him hot on her trail. "Everything was already in ruins. My life meant nothing if it meant fixing some of the damage that had occured. The only one who could do that was Serenity or her mother."

"But you didn't even know that it would work!" Zoicite really felt that he could not emphasize that point enough. "What good are you dead if your plan failed?"

Mercury paused and then slowly reached out to her hover bike, typing a few things on it before sliding one pale leg over and straddling it with her small frame.

"Everything was in ruins," she whispered, her voice haunted with fresh memories. Zoicite felt like the biggest heel alive. "Every planet, every kingdom and its people, all of them were dead. There was no other option. It would have only delayed the inevitable."

A small tear rolled down Mercury's cheek and he reached out automatically to brush it away with his fingers, startling her.

"I'm sorry," he told her, pressing a chaste kiss to her forehead. "I can hardly fault you for your noble sacrifice when I gave up my own simply because I couldn't handle the guilt."

Mercury pursed her lips but didn't look surprised.

"It might have been the wisest choice, considering the circumstances. Who knows if she would have regained control over you again."

He shook his head, "That's not why I did it."

"I know."

They stayed there then, her on her bike and him standing next to her, for several minutes, undoubtedly both lost in the past. What they could have done differently...what would have never changed...they might run a million simulations, go through a million different scenarios, and never learn what could have been…

But…

The worst was over.

They were alive, Chaos defeated, and Mercury remembered. She remembered and hadn't cared! Could he truly be so lucky?

Zoicite turned to examine her face with her pale cheeks painted with just a hint of rosiness, her sparkling blue eyes and pert button nose...and her lips...the Mona Lisa had a less alluring smile.

He swallowed, feeling himself lean closer until the eyes he'd been admiring just a second ago widened and locked with his.

"Z-Zoi?"

"Mercury," he breathed, allowing his eyes to roam her delicate face. "I apologize for pushing you away...you deserve better than a coward...but if you'll have me still," he leaned close enough to brush his nose against hers, his gaze dropping once more to focus on her lips. "I swear to never leave your side again unless you wish it."

Her lovely cheeks flushed further and then Zoicite failed to see what happened next because he was too busy savoring the taste of her mouth and listening to her sweet elicit moans.

oOo

Mars woke feeling bleary eyed and achy, and briefly wondered if Minako had spiked her tea again before recalling where she was. She groaned and shoved herself off her cushion, only to find it was Jadeite, who was now stirring awake also.

"Rei?" he mumbled, his eyes still more than half closed and his hair charmingly disheveled.

Mars swallowed and turned away to study their surroundings, only to realize they had somehow made it all the way back to the temple entrance. She wasn't sure how, considering magic wasn't supposed to be used past the gates but perhaps the Seer had teleported her here instead.

"Rei?" Jadeite called again and Mars turned her head slightly to acknowledge him.

She saw him climb to his feet and dust himself off before making his way over to join her.

"You alright?"

Mars shrugged, not really sure of the answer. Should she tell Jadeite that she remembered their past? But then how would she explain she wasn't interested in picking up where they left off? It was stressful enough that her powers were still out of her control without having to sort through issues with a past lover before she even had time to process it all.

"So…" Jadeite drawled, grimacing as he rubbed his neck with one hand. "What happened?"

Mars pursed her lips. If she didn't want to raise suspicions she had to give him something.

"I met with the Seer."

"Were they able to help?"

"I don't know."

"Okay…" Jadeite stepped around to face her directly, taking a moment to study her before continuing his train of thought. "I take it your powers are still off then. Where would you like to go from here?"

"That's it?" Mars frowned, eying him dubiously, "No other questions? Just where to next?"

"No other questions." Jadeite shrugged. "Clearly you're not ready to speak and they'll be time enough to talk later. Right now we should focus on the mission."

'Right. The mission,' Mars cursed quietly.

There had to be another way to regain control of her powers aside from opening her heart up to him again.

She shuddered and wrapped her arms around herself.

Losing him had nearly killed her the last time, was she honestly expected to risk going through that again? Well she refused. She'd find another way. To hell with things like love and vulnerability.

"So where do you want to go next?"

"There's a cave not far from here. Just across the barren expanse. I'd like to check it out before we return home."

Jadeite's brows furrowed but true to his word he didn't question her, instead he just nodded and gestured for her to lead the way.

…

It didn't take long for them to reach the cave, once outside the city gate, Mars pointed out its general location and he teleported them easily across the vast distance. It was a little harder to locate once they were at the base of the mountain, considering the red terrain blended and merged in every direction and only the paleness of the sky outlined enough of the mountain to indicate it was there at all. Mars did, eventually, spot it and so they hiked the steep trail, watching their footing carefully so as not to slip from the loose soil and plunge below.

It would have been a second's work if she had just let him teleport them the rest of the way but she had barely tolerated the first jump and Jadeite hadn't wanted to press her when she was already so irritable. Still…something was bothering her and past experience told him it would be better to get it out in the open than allow her to stew in whatever thoughts she was focusing on.

Jadeite cast a quick glance around, feeling on edge despite knowing he and Mars were the only things alive on the entire planet. He pursed his lips and braced himself.

"Neriene was a beautiful city. Did you spend a lot of time there in the past?"

"No."

Jadeite nodded to himself, barely catching his foot from sliding from a loose rock, and tried again.

"Perhaps that's lucky then. I can't say it was easy returning to my home after knowing how it once was. I dreamt of it often when we were in Elysion."

No response.

He sighed and tried to put himself in her heels.

The most obvious answer would be her powers. Mars had always been proud in the past, sure of herself and her abilities, and losing control like this would bother even the humblest of creatures. And yet...for all her pride and passion, Mars wasn't unreasonable. It wasn't as if she alone had been affected and if he thought back on to the day she had lost control...Mars had appeared shaken in the control room but not ill tempered.

So then it was something else.

Could one of the other senshi have said something that had ruffled her feathers? It was always a possibility. So many strong personalities were bound to clash at least once in a while and Mars had never been one to cool off quickly.

A third option was that she was explicitly mad at him, although that seemed unlikely given that they had parted on good terms before he'd gone to train in Elysion and she'd been in a foul mood since he returned that morning.

Unless they hadn't parted on good terms. Had he done something, even inadvertently, to set her off? But if that were true, how did that explain this cold, almost indifferent aloofness? It didn't fit the woman he knew of either lifetime, which probably meant it really had nothing to do with him at all and now he was right back where he started.

Jadeite frowned and pinched the bridge of his nose as they finally reached the summit. Speculating wasn't getting him anywhere, he needed to just confront her directly.

He opened his mouth to do just that when Mars whipped around to face him, cutting him off. "Stay here."

"Wait, what? Why?"

"I'll only be a moment, I just need to check on something," she murmured, distracting him for a second by flicking her long, black hair over her shoulder. He shook it off and refocused on the very bad idea she was suggesting.

"What could you possibly 'need to check on' on a barren planet thousands of miles from Earth and why would that necessitate me staying behind?" Jadeite demanded, crossing his arms.

"What business is it of yours?" Mars snapped.

"We're supposed to be partners, I'm supposed to back you up! Why do you keep insisting on going alone?"

"I don't need a partner! What I need is for you to do as I say!"

"No."

"What?" Mars looked furious, which made Jadeite infinitely more relaxed. He knew how to handle this Mars.

"No," he repeated, taking a step closer to get within her space. It was a move that always riled her since it was a tactic she often preferred. He admired the fire in her eyes but focused on the argument at hand, "I'm not some lackey that you can boss around. What if something were to happen to you while I'm out here sitting on my ass?"

"Then I'll handle it!"

"Your powers are unstable!"

Mars gritted her teeth, unable to argue, and then turned away dismissively.

"Look, I told you I just need to check on something. It's not a big deal. I could have finished already if you hadn't insisted on arguing with me."

"If that were true you wouldn't have bothered telling me to stay. You're hiding something Mars and I'm not about to let you go in there alone without me."

"Fine! Do what you want then!"

Mars spun sharply on one deadly stiletto and stormed through the small opening leaving him to scramble after her but when he tried to enter he slammed against a barrier, knocking him off his feet.

"Shit!"

He ran a hand over his bruised nose, relieved to find it unbroken, and picked himself up off the ground to examine the barrier. Had Mars always been capable of doing this? He couldn't remember.

Cautiously he reached out to touch it but stopped just short of it. The energy coming off of it was cold and sinister, nothing like Mars' spicy warmth. Whoever had made this barrier, it wasn't her, but it was frighteningly familiar.

Jadeite took a step back, his skin cold and clammy despite the planet's steady heat.

Metallia was gone...the princess had made sure of it but then why…

He shivered, taking another step back before remembering that Mars was still in there.

"Shit!"

He assessed his options. Attacking it head on was out. The barrier hadn't felt as strong as the ones he'd known in the past but he was already exhausted from dealing with the magical drains from Mars' trial and who knows how much he'd need once he finally got inside. However, dismantling it would take time which was not a luxury Mars could afford right now.

What he needed was to find another way in…

…

Mars stiffened as she felt the barrier slam into place behind her. She peeked over her shoulder, noting Jadeite hadn't made it through, and shifted her focus back towards the endless darkness before her.

It was here.

Chaos...or at least a piece of it. Tainting what remained of her homeworld with its vile presence. Maybe even tainting her. Could this be the true reason her powers had lost control?

Gritting her teeth, she shouted into the void.

"Show yourself!"

On her command, the energy of the space snapped awake. It seemed to come alive as it rose, stretching and pushing to occupy the small space fully, becoming much larger than she had expected. She stiffened and dug her heels into the dirt as the temperature dropped to levels unheard of on her planet. Chaos' energy began to whip around, surging into a maelstrom of fury.

Mars raised her arms to shield herself as the winds howled in her ears and a sinister, broken laugh echoed through her mind.

"If you insist…"

…

Jadeite pressed his hand against the outer rock wall, spreading his energy out to form the shape of a small door. Satisfied with that, he tensed, pulling his energy backwards before slamming it forward, placing as much pressure as he could manage going outward around the edges. The blast demolished a good two feet into the rock face but he paused, waiting for the dust to settle before attempting anything more. Once it had, a quick examination showed the surrounding frame to be sound.

He released a sigh of relief, praying that the blast likewise hadn't affected the structure of the cave inside, and then walked forwards to strike again, hoping the second blast would be enough to connect to the cave. Pressing his hand against the surface once more, he closed his eyes and attempted to sense Mars but again was met with Metallia's dark energy.

Jadeite frowned, studying the energy closer. Something was wrong. Where before Metallia's energy had felt aware but restrained, it now felt destructive and unpredictable.

Mars was in danger!

One quick blast was all it took to break through the remaining rock that separated Jadeite from the cavern and he rushed through before the rocks had finished crumbling, grateful that Metallia hadn't thought to block off more than the immediate opening.

"Mars!" he called, squinting as Metallia's energy battered him from all sides.

"Mars!"

Damn it! Where was she?

Jadeite threw up a small shield as he attempted to scan his surroundings, praying for even the smallest hint of red cloth or pale skin while Metallia seemed to shake with mocking laughter all around him, amused at his feeble efforts.

God he prayed he wasn't too late.

"Mars!" he screamed again as something unseen seemed to shift. The beatings on his shield ceased and a vacuum seemed to steal the air from his lungs as her name faded to a whisper on his lips. Jadeite gasped, choking, as he stumbled to the ground with just enough air to survive but not enough to truly function. The same pull that had stolen his breath now tugged at the rest of his body, dragging him several feet before he managed to grab anything to hold on to.

He would not fall under her influence again!

Jadeite grit his teeth, embedding his fingers deep into his purchase but just as quickly as it had begun, everything stopped and Metallia's presence vanished. But he wouldn't be fooled, it was probably a trick meant to catch him off guard. He took in a much needed lungful of air and remained on guard, focusing on his senses for the slightest change. However when Metallia didn't reappear after another minute had gone by, he allowed himself to marginally relax and clambered to all fours.

Coughing, he squinted into the darkness before his eyes finally began to adjust as they settled on a lone figure standing in the center of the space.

Mars!

He scrambled to his feet, stumbling a bit, but no worse than after one of Kunzite's 'training' sessions, and made his way over, calling her name softly.

"Mars!"

She didn't respond, instead remaining eerily still where she stood. Concerned, he stepped around to examine her from the front but Mars didn't budge, didn't respond, didn't even seem to register he was there. Her eyes just continued staring blankly ahead, seeing past him.

"Mars?" Jadeite hesitated but reached out and touched her shoulder carefully.

It proved too much.

Mars blinked and then crumpled to the ground, barely giving him enough time to catch her.