Disclaimer: Don't own. Sailor Moon belongs to
Naoko Takeuchi.
e-mail: tokiya_ensui@yahoo.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Edge of Dreams:
Chapter 3: Commencement
by: mizu
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Amidst the dreary darkness of the unkempt
Terran dungeons, a figure sat calmly and quietly on
the stone cold floor. She was engrossed in
twiddling with a piece of straw from a pile that
was scattered across the damp floor.
Constance sat in silence, watching the straw
between her thin fingers twirl in an arched manner,
from it's bent frame. She looked over to Vestia,
who was doing much the same thing that she was.
Vestia's gown was mussed, with stains all
over
the simple yellow muslin fabric from constant
shifting. Her long, luxurious golden hair seemed
to have lost it's sheen, hanging life-lessly down
her arched back. A mixture of expressions crossed
her face as she too contemplated their present
situation. Constance realized that she too, must
look very much the same as her commander as well.
It was Vestia who broke the silence.
"Whoever made up the tale that dungeons were
dark, damp and smelly, they were *very* close to
the truth," she muttered. Constance stifled a
giggle. Trust Vestia to break the tension.
"Why would they do this to us?" Constance
asked, skeptical of the situation. "What did we
every do to them?" She turned to Vestia—perhaps
she might have an idea to what was amiss. She
rubbed her face with the back of her hand,
inadvertently smearing her face with dirt.
"I sincerely don't know Constance…All we did
was come down here to give our regards in person
about the Terran royal family massacre—" Vestia
commented innocently.
"Wait…Serenity did say that the Terrans were
a little edgy after the incident—"
"I don't classify this as edgy Constance.
This is insanity!" hugged Vestia, exasperated.
What were the Terrans thinking?! She paused when
she heard footsteps and the distinct ringing sound
of keys outside their cell. Immediately, she
strode purposefully toward the barred doors.
"Finally! Are they letting us out?"
Constance questioned Vestia, whose body pressed
against the old wooden door. However, she did not
answer.
"Hey!" Vestia yelled through the small
opening built into the ancient door. "Hey!!!" She
yelled louder, yet again.
"Whaddya want?!" A guard's voice bellowed,
the sound of footsteps and the jangling of keys
getting louder with every step. Soon, his gruff
face appeared at the door opening, the thick metal
bars separating his sagging face in three
proportions.
"I demand to know why we've been held
captive!" commanded Vestia in her most
intimidating tone that she could muster in her
current state.
"No one orders *me* around! Especially no
*you*" The guard replied in a rough voice,
emphasizing his last word with a jab through he
opening with the butt of his sword. Vestia, having
excellent reflexes, pulled away before the large,
blunt hilt could come in contact with her
defenseless face. She narrowed her eyes spitefully
toward him.
"Why have we been taken prisoner?!" She
demanded, taking a safe step away from the door
opening for added safety if the fat brute decided
to give her the *pleasure* of meeting his sword
again.
"Why?!" He asked incredulously, as if he
were
insulted rudely. He turned to his other companions
behind him and snickered. "The little girl wants
to know why," he sneered as the harsh laughter from
various guards could be heard.
"Just answer the question!!!" Vestia
shouted, losing what little patience she had left.
Throwing her and Constance into the dungeon was one
thing. However, being insulted for an unknown
crime was another. The guard did not seem to care,
or notice that her patience was wearing thin.
"You know very well what you and your cursed
moon kingdom did," he snarled, all traces of
laughter drained from his voice and replaced with
prejudice. "How dare you even ask that question!"
After all the suffering you've caused, you've still
got the gall to even say *anything* about it?"
Vestia sighed, very loudly. "I. Will. Ask.
You. Once. Again," she said between clenched
teeth. "WHAT DID WE DO TO *YOU*?!"
"Hmm…let me refresh your measly little
memory," the guard scoffed. Constance ran up
behind Vestia, putting a hand on her shoulder to
keep her from doing anything rash.
"I want to rip that man's face off!" She
hissed quietly at Constance.
"I know," she replied quietly, understanding
how Vestia felt. "But calm down, or he'll never
tell us."
Vestia hesitated, then quite reluctantly, she
shook her head in agreement. "Fine, spoilsport.
I'll rip his face off *after*." She crossed her
arms in the classic pouting expression.
"You," he pointed an accusatory finger at
Vestia and Constance. "killed the entire royal
family. You and your wretched moon kingdom!"
"We did WHAT?" This time, Constance had the
sudden urge to lunge at the rude guard.
"You heard me! Who knows why you did it, but
as I always thought, you *creatures* from the moon
kingdom are crazy! You're, you're LUNATICS!" With
that, the guard strode away, the hopeful jangling
of keys departing with him.
"Good riddance," Vestia grumbled, uncrossing
her arms.
"But he also had the keys…" Constance
pointed out matter-of-factly.
"Crap…" she muttered, along with other more
*colorful* choice words she learned from her Senshi
training in the Mars' army camps. At that moment,
she probably would've made a fisherman's wife
proud.
***
"He ordered a WHAT?" Ambassador Toki
exclaimed, blond tendrils shaking wildly in
equality to the fervor of his tenor voice. He
gazed at the General as if demanding an answer to
all the troubles in the galaxy.
High General Kunzite, commander of the elite
private guard of Crown Prince Endymion simply sat
back in his chair, scrawling his signature on the
last few sheets of paper before him. He paused and
stared squarely back at the Ambassador. "I answer
to no one except for the prince."
"Kunzite, what do you think you're doing?!"
Toki continued, "You know what this could lead
to!" Toki had known and trusted Kunzite as a
friend and a professional colleague. He never knew
him to be this irrational.
Kunzite nodded briefly in affirmation before
returning to his paperwork. "I didn't do anything
except for bringing justice to those who were
wronged. Ambassador, this is only the first
step."
However, this wasn't enough of an answer for
Toki. Still, he prodded on into the subject.
"Those are the chief delegates of Venus, Mercury
*and* the moon. Take them captive and *you'd* be
the one promoting war between all three planets!
Not to mention the alliance! Don't you understand
that these relations are DELICATE?!"
Kunzite simply shrugged indifferently to the
situation as if it were an annoyance.
"What kind of JUSTICE is WAR?!!!" Toki
always had strong beliefs, despite what everyone
else thought…
A still silence passed between them, the air
between them growing excessively tense. Kunzite
rose slowly from his desk, propping up two gloved
hands on the dark, polished wooden surface. He
lifted his head to meet the head ambassador's gaze
once more, gray eyes gleaming in obvious
irritation.
"Then what kind of justice is there in the
MASSACRE OF THE ENTIRE TERRAN ROYAL FAMILY?!!!"
Kunzite roared as Toki's protests were silenced.
Kunzite exhaled slowly, falling back into his chair
as if he had been hit with sudden exhaustion.
Taking off his pristine-white gloves, he began to
scrub his face tiredly, hoping that he couldn't
need to resort to caffeine to keep him awake.
"Toki, I didn't order for the delegates to
be taken into captivity," Kunzite stated simply,
stretching his arms, taking a more informal tone.
Endymion understood the delicate bonds that
the moon kingdom and the Terrans shared. He was
sure that the prince would find this act as a
mistake and would immediately make amends to the
moon kingdom once he found out.
"Then who did?" Toki questioned,
reverting back into his usual, professional
demeanor. Kunzite's statement was slowly seeping
into his consciousness, and Terran patriotism began
to win over logic.
"Endy did." Kunzite replied calmly as
Toki gaped incredulously at him.
***
Writhing and tossing, Endymion clenched at
his oversized, plump pillows, battling the pain
within his dream world. He muttered incoherently
in his sleep, listening to all those voices who
were lost in the flames of the explosion.
During his waking hours, officials swarmed
him with documents, dealing with domestic and
military situations. As an added bonus, he still
needed to worry about his upcoming coronation.
At night, he found no rest, no tranquillity.
He was plagued with dreams, dreams of pain and
suffering. He'd see his family again, and
recognize their faces in his dream-hazy vision.
However, they'd be screaming, amongst raging
flames, fueled by the blood of innocents. Ominous
clouds of thick, dark, billowing smoke would loom
over the burning east wing. Not long after, there
would be an explosion. One that felt like it had
the strength of a supernova…
His eyes fluttered open, as they did every
night after the recurring dream. The heavy covers
were thrown off, as if they were straining his
breathing. Clear beads of sweat trailed down his
face, tracing out his angular features.
A soft breeze trailed in through a crevice
through the curtains, tickling his sensitive cheek.
Grasping the heavy drapes by his bed, he yanked
them open, eager to meet the cool, refreshing night
breezes.
Moonlight spilled through the open drapes,
bathing Endymion in a luminescent, silvery light.
However, he recoiled from it, scurrying off into
the one corner of his bed. Eyes wide in terror as
if he had seen a ghost.
All throughout the night, he sat in a fetal
position in his favored corner. He felt more
comfortable in the shadows, safer.
Unbeknownst to him, a misting darkness seemed
to filter through the shadowed edge of his open
window. It entered his room silently, discreetly,
hidden in the shadows of night. It spiraled around
Endymion's bunched form, coiling around his limbs,
body and mind.
It hissed, speaking phrases that only he
could hear, fueling his vengeance and blocking out
reason.
Endymion was not alone in the shadows after
all.
***
"We've got two of them, and Endymion is under
our influence, Master" Beryl reported, smiling
wickedly. Endymion was easier to corrupt than she
thought. "Should I do the same to our prisoners?"
"No." The voice answered simply.
"Wouldn't it be more to our advantage if we-"
"NO!" Chaos roared, voice loud enough to
echo through the galaxies and beyond for millennia.
"But—"
"Know your place in this Beryl!" Chaos
hissed angrily. "My orders will NOT be questioned!
You may be trusted, but *I* still hold the true
power."
"Yes master," Beryl nodded meekly. If she
were to have Endymion by her side, she would have
to adhere to Chaos.
"Beryl, Endymion will be with you, all in due
time. Learn to be patient. As for the corruption
of the delegates, it is too much power for me to
muster at the moment. We will wait, then they'll
be ours. For now, we still need to deal with the
generals. However, feeling as they do, that will
be a simple task."
"Yes master," Beryl complied, bowing. She
returned to her chambers, adjacent to the ruins of
the east wing. Grabbing a glass of dark wine, she
trotted over to her open window. She looked out at
her accomplishment proudly. Their plans were
running swiftly and smoothly now. Her insatiable
hunger for would finally be satisfied.
"In due time, my love," Beryl hissed, eyeing
the ruins with an icy gaze. "In due time…" The
crystal glass in her grasp trembled momentarily
before breaking into thousands of tiny, sparkling
shards.
***
"Constance?" Vestia turned to her cell mate,
scurrying through the stray piles of straw to the
other corner of the cell like a mouse smelling
cheese. She halted in her tracks, and peered at
Constance's bowed, blue head. An occupied look was
spread upon her smudged features, as if she were
engrossed in a difficult math equation.
"Hello?" Vestia chirped.
No answer.
"Helllooo?!" Vestia waved a dirty hand
before Constance excitably.
No answer.
Blank Look.
Sighing, Vestia slumped next to her friend.
She was in one of *those* states again. Vestia
knew that Constance often drifted off into her own
little world of analyzing facts and figures. Her
visits usually took a few hours, give or take.
Suddenly, an idea came to Vestia, a smile
lingering mischievously over her face. One could
almost see the light bulb hang over her head--
*almost*.
Inhaling deeply, Vestia shouted in loudest
voice she could muster.
"Lady Constance! There's no use keeping it a
secret! I found those racy romance novels under
your bed!!!" Vestia reprimanded mockingly,
attempting to replicate Queen Serenity's voice.
I even got the accent right! Vestia thought
playfully, mentally patting herself on the back.
"You found them?" Constance responded
immediately, head snapping up from her thoughts.
Blue eyes widened, cheeks turned into an unhealthy
shade of tomato red.
"I did it!" Vestia jumped up for joy,
flashing her signature *V*ictory sign.
Constance took one glance at the beaming
Vestia and shook her head disappointedly. A giant
sweatdrop seemed to have made it's way to her head.
"Huh? Wait—" Vestia paused, gathering her
thoughts. She furrowed her brow in question. "You
read romance books?" She raised an eyebrow
quizzically.
Constance gulped, blanching…
Vestia prodded a finger at Constance's small
nose. "You *do*, don't you?" She drawled, ocean
blue gaze boring into Constance's.
Gulp. "No, no, of course not!" Constance
answered apprehensively, trying to change the
subject. She flashed Vestia a bright smile,
showing pearly white teeth, hoping to throw off the
topic. "Why would *I* read anything out of science
and ancient literature?" Her nervous laughter died
away into darkness.
"Ah-ha!" Vestia announced triumphantly.
Rising to her feet once more to tower over the
overwhelmed Constance. "You *do* read those!"
"No I don't!" Came the sharp reply. It
seemed that the renowned Senshi of Mercury was a
little reluctant to admit to it, or so as Vestia
thought.
"That's okay Constance, I won't tell anyone!
Personally, I don't understand all the fuss you're
making—"
"Me?!" Constance voiced unbelievably,
backing away an inch. Her back met the cold, wet
wall. The moisture seeping through the absorbable
material of her gown. Apparently, our Senshi of
Mercury had forgotten that she was already in the
corner of the cell…
Coughing, she smiled meekly, regaining her
usual, cool composure. "Well," she began. "I was
thinking about getting out of here—"
"You and me both," interjected Vestia, eyeing
her surroundings distastefully. She swore that if
she ever met the horrible person who put them in
here in the first place, she'd—
"Vestia?" Queried Constance, dragging the
blond from her vengeful thoughts. "And you say
that *I* go into trances…" She shrugged and
continued, hoping that Vestia would hear her sooner
or later…
"I'm guessing that they're not going to let
us out anytime soon and there's no way for the
queen to know since we're not due for another long
range communication message for at least a week."
Vestia tilted her head thoughtfully. "What
are you saying Constance?"
"I'm saying that we need to make a jail
break," Constance responded firmly. She tapped a
finger on her chin. "If only I had a way of
getting out of here."
"Why don't you use a scanning device?"
Constance brightened visibly, eyes alight.
"You know, that's not a bad idea. The Mercury
computer should still be around." She said,
raising a palm, willing her trusty computer to
appear. Suddenly, a blue, plastic notebook
appeared floating mechanically above her
outstretched palm, the sigil of Mercury adorned in
gold upon the case.
"Ah ha! I knew it'd work!" Vestia
proclaimed, finally finding a use for listening in
mechanics class. She flashed her trademark
*V*ictory sign once more, however, Constance
ignored her.
"Why not just send a message through your
computer?" Suggested Vestia.
Constance shook her head. "The signal isn't
strong enough. It'd never get there…"
Quick and nimble fingers pressed an
assortment of codes and numbers into the small
device. A small sound was made as the information
was compiled into several different solutions.
Constance bit her lip in concentration, creasing
her brow.
"Got it!" She announced triumphantly,
smiling brightly. Every time she found a solution
to a problem, an overwhelming sense of satisfaction
would come over her—much like how endorphins rush
through the human body after vigorous exercise.
"You found a way out?" Vestia asked
anxiously, leaning toward her. She peered at the
numerous codes and text that appeared on the small,
pocket-sized computer.
Constance nodded excitedly in reply. Silent,
she rose and began scanning the walls, prodding
various stones with her outstretched finger.
"I got a hold of their floor plans and
schematics for this level. If I can find the
correct location of the weakest area of this cell,
we can make an escape."
After what seemed like an eternity, she
halted, finger tapping on one specific gray rock.
"We need to apply an accurate dose of
pressure here, it should knock out the foundation
for a section of this wall. It's the keystone—but
don't over do it."
Vestia stepped forth, prodding and scratching
at the rock with her finger tip. Nodding, she
willed her transformation pen to appear.
"Glad they didn't do anything about these,
ne, Constance?" Vestia winked, raising the gold-
orange pen in the air.
The air around them seemed to hum with
Vestia's power, the energy readings rising off the
scale.
"Let's hope they don't catch us too soon,"
Constance hoped worriedly, closing her computer and
pulling out her blue transformation pen as well.
A flurry of gleaming gold hearts and
glittering blue ribbon surrounded the two,
surrounding their lithe forms. From the bright
display, stepped forth the Senshi of Venus and
Mercury.
"Ready?" Venus prompted, the familiar
determined gleam appearing in her blue depths once
more. Mercury nodded, placing on her visor to scan
for hostels.
"What about the others?" Mercury asked,
thinking of the other delegates that arrived with
them earlier that week. "They're not too far. We
need to go retrieve them."
Venus nodded. "We will escape here first,
then we'll track them down," she confirmed, taking
on the leadership role that had been woven
intricately into her destiny as a Senshi. She
turned back at the stone wall, set on hitting the
keystone. Raising a snowy white glove, a thin
chain of interlinked golden hearts came to meet
it's target.
***
Not long after the internal alarms blared
into the hallways, awakening everyone from their
slumber. Sleepy guards that dozed off during their
night shift awoke, swords and staffs in hand,
scurrying down the long corridors.
When they arrived at the place where the main
security system had reported a breach, they stood
there in awe. The Senshi were long gone—as were
the delegates. All that remained were several
small fragments of smoking stones and gaping holes
in the walls looking out into the great outdoors.
***
"We need to get these people out of here,"
Mercury suggested, de-activating her visor. The
thin, transparent strip of analyzing equipment
disappeared from her face.
"Do we have enough power to transport them?"
Vestia turned to look over at the shivering group
of delegates. Among them was the Ambassador from
the moon.
"This many people? No," Mercury answered
simply. They were camped out in an abandoned
section of what seemed to be like an old Terran
training ground.
"Hmm…we've got to think of a solution. We'll
at least they'll never be looking for us here. Who
would think that we'd be hiding out in the royal
grounds. This was a good idea, Constance," Venus
beamed. Mercury blushed at the compliment.
"It'd only be a matter of time though, before
they find us. The Terrans aren't quite to happy
with us. Although, I don't seem to know why…" The
Ambassador approached the two Senshi. She stood
upon the ground firmly as the wild wind toyed and
tangled with her unruly red locks.
Mercury nodded in agreement. "She's right, I
can't mask our tracks any longer. I'm bound to
tire sometime and that's when I'll slip in my
defenses."
"Oh great!" Commander Venus raised her arms
in exasperation, as if asking the sky for the
solution to all their problems. "What do we do
now? Options," she commanded sternly.
"Well, we could teleport them—between us, we
should be able to bring them a short distance.
We're carrying passengers here, Venus, we can't
return to the moon. It's too much of a strain on
our powers," Mercury pointed out logically.
"Then where do we go?" The ambassador asked,
shifting from left foot to right. "What place
could mask our tracks and keep us safe until the
moon rescues us?"
"Hmm…The best place we can go to would be."
Mercury pulled out her mini-computer, typing in
more information. Soon, several consistent muffled
beeps sounded, the information displayed on the
miniature screen. She turned to allow Venus and
the ambassador a better view.
There, etched in a wire-like sphere, was the
earth. The continents appeared in a light bluish
color. Several bright lights appeared upon the
globe simulation, blinking erratically, indicating
all the possible places that their transport
powers would allow them to go.
"There," Mercury pointed, indicating an
isolated blinking blue light. "That's the place I
suggest we head to. It's low security and there
aren't many people there."
"Where is that?" Venus piped in, staring at
the light. The rhythmic blinking was beginning to
hypnotize her. "Not eating well," she muttered,
remembering the meager meals they were served daily
at their cells.
"That," Mercury informed, tucking away her
computer in a safe place. "is the North Pole."
"North pole? Sounds like a cold place,"
commented the ambassador casually.
Mercury nodded. "It is."
"All right people! Gather around." Vestia
pulled in their small band of delegates in a tiny,
cramped bunch. "When we get to this 'North Pole',"
she eyed Mercury wryly. "One of us is going to
teleport alone back to the queen when we've got
enough strength."
Mercury complied as the small group
disappeared relocated themselves once again in a
flash of brilliant blue and yellow.
The North Pole wasn't what Venus suspected.
Even though their Senshi fukus were designed to
give them optimum protection, they didn't do much
for thermal protection. However, she was more
worried about the other delegates.
Their clothes had been ripped, or worn during
their short stay in the Terran dungeons. Most of
them didn't dress for cold weather, since the
Terrans were experiencing their spring season—which
was equivalent to the Lunar sprouting season. Many
of the delegates huddled in groups, trying to
conserve warmth.
"Merc, they're no shelter in sight! What
should we do?" Venus questioned above the howling
wind, frost biting her exposed skin.
"I've got an idea!" Replied Mercury, barely
audible. She called forth her powers over ice,
building a small, stodgy structure of pure ice with
her shining aqua illusion. Quickly, the two Senshi
pushed in the teeth-chattering delegates singly
through a small opening fashioned in the icy
structure.
Within, the structure blocked off all
incoming wind and the opening seemed to act as a
natural vent. However, the delegates were still
shivering.
"Wait, let me." Venus called forth her
power, the all-so-familiar chain of golden hearts
appearing in her hand. She quelled their power
down, favoring endurance over power. Coiling them
up in a tight bunch, she placed it in the middle of
the structure, allowing them to radiate a weak, but
growing heat.
One by one, the delegates seemed to warm, the
bluish tinge on their lips disappearing as they
rubbed their hands briskly over the glowing hearts.
"Merc, I'm going to teleport back to the
moon. I think I'm up to it," Venus stated clearly,
facing an appalled Senshi of Mercury.
"But, what if you don't? I can go. I don't
feel tired," insisted Mercury. A strange cracking-
rumbling noise echoed in the structure.
"It's probably the wind," noted Venus.
"You're going to have to keep this place in one
piece. The delegates depend on you."
"But—" interjected Mercury. It was useless
to argue with one's commander when her mind was set
on one course of action.
"No Merc. I'll do it. Don't make me pull
rank on you." Her eyes softened, showing concern
and infinite friendship. "I'll be back—with help."
Reluctantly, Mercury nodded, bidding her
leader farewell. She'd take command when she was
gone and protect the delegates as she was
instructed to do so.
"Ganbatte kudesai, Vestia. Hurry up. We'll
need all the help we can get." Mercury returned to
the huddled group of delegates, praying for the
safety of her commander and friend.
***
"THEY AREN'T IN THEIR CELLS?!" Barked out
Nephrite, eyes agleam with obvious agitation.
The fat guard who was responsible for their
captivity. Ironically, it was the very same one
that had sneered and scoffed at their 'meager
intellect'. Obviously, he underestimated them—a
very grave mistake on his part.
"How could you be such an IDIOT?!!!"
Nephrite roared, face creasing in anger. Jadeite
could've sworn that he saw a vein tick ever so
slightly… He sat there, upon a large table, gazing
at the trembling guard under a mop of blond
tendrils. Crossing legs, he swung them childishly
off the side of the table.
Nephrite opened his mouth to scold the
already-frightened guard more, however, his lengthy
lecture was temporarily halted by Jadeite.
"Neph, hold on, the doors knocking," Jadeite
commented casually, rising to receive their guest.
The door opened to present a young lady with
striking red hair.
"Good morning gentleman," Beryl greeted,
false warmth seeping into her usual icy tone. If
she had done her job properly, generals, or flops
as she liked to put it, should be under the
influence of her master.
Jadeite and Nephrite bowed perfunctorily.
Protocol demanded of these actions, however, it
never said that they had to perform their
courtesies with meaning. Beryl curtsied
indifferently in response.
"And who do we have here?" She turned,
smoothing out her black satin dress. Red locks
tumbled down to the base of her back, coming down
in bright red, snaky locks. She was a buxom beauty
indeed, however, everyone knew that she only shared
contempt for the generals.
"This," pointed Nephrite, "is the fool guard
that let the delegates escape!"
Beryl rose a well-defined eyebrow and tilted
her head thoughtfully—albeit falsely. She already
knew what happened. She also remembered her
master's fury… "What are you going to do about
it?"
"What else are we going to do?" Jadeite
shrugged indifferently. "The prince wanted them in
captivity, he's going to get them. I'm going to
make sure they stay that way until he thinks
otherwise."
Beryl couldn't help to smile an evil little
smile. She blinked, as if ignorant of the
situation. "I'm sure you'll get them. If you need
any help…"
Perhaps Beryl wasn't as bad as they thought
she was, Jadeite thought.
"I'm sorry, but what would you do to help
*us*?" Nephrite was the unbelieving one… Try as
he might, he could not see a single possible way
that Beryl would be of assistance to them.
"Oh, you don't even know the beginning of the
power I wield," she said darkly. Shadows cast over
her face, leaving only a pair of gleaming depths
filled with corruption, lust and hate.
"Huh? Did you say something?" Jadeite
questioned, watching Nephrite send away the demoted
guard. He cast a curious gaze upon Beryl.
"Nothing," she replied, rising from her seat.
With a rustle of skirts, she escorted herself to
the door. "I must go gentlemen, but we'll talk
again." The door closed with a soft thud.
Jadeite turned to Nephrite. "We're going to
have to tell Endy about this."
Nephrite nodded. "Better tell Kunzite to
come with us. He's usually the one that breaks
news like this to him." He opened the door and
gestured in mock-grandeur for Jadeite to leave
first. Both left the room, chatting casually about
the week's events.
Abruptly after they left, a familiar presence
entered into the room, covering the marble floor
with a thin sheet of dark mist. Soon, it
disappeared as soon as it arrived.
***
"My prince," Kunzite bowed deeply, white cape
falling past his shoulders.
"What is it?" Endymion asked, voice husky.
"The delegates have escaped," he stated,
voice frosty.
"WHAT?!" Exclaimed Endymion, perking up from
his half-asleep attitude. He grasped a brocaded
robe and slung it over his broad shoulders. "Any
casualties?"
"Thirty-seven injured, my prince. A good
portion of the injuries are severe. All of them
were guards." He watched as Endymion reached for a
jug and pour water into a crystal cup. Slowly, he
brought it to his lips and took a long sip of the
refreshing liquid.
"More injuries?! Haven't they harmed us
enough?!!" Demanded Prince Endymion. Although he
wasn't really expecting an answer to his
hypothetical question. He slammed the glass of
water onto the table, creating another circular
mark on the surface. The liquid within seemed to
lurch up slightly before falling back into the
confines of the cup.
"They are nothing but an annoyance," Kunzite
stated mildly. "We've already begun the search for
the escaped delegates. Although, I don't think we
should waste our resources toward this useless
endeavor."
Endymion turned to meet Kunzite's determined
gaze. "What do you mean by that?" He asked,
quizzical.
"I think we should do the obvious. We do
have the power and we have been more than patient
with them," Kunzite stated simply.
Endymion nodded stiffly. He didn't like this
situation, nor did he like the consequences.
However, he figured that it was going to be
inevitable anyway. He would bring the Lunars to
justice.
"Fine, so be it," he said monotonously.
"Bring all the necessary documents. It's going to
be war."
***
Ganbatte kudesai - Don't give up!/Good luck!
Arigato to Antigone who puts up with me! (and my
terrible writing) She's the one who fixes those
million errors in these chapters! Also to all
those archives who post up my work! Arigato minna-
san!
Oh, a different approach this time:
Questions? Comments? Flames?
E-MAIL! E-MAIL! E-MAIL!
Mizuno_kagami@yahoo.com
URL: www.geocities.com/mizuno_kagami
mizu: ::cringes:: I agree, that wasn't the best
thing I've ever written… Well, at least
it's done! Boring, but—
namida: you could say that again… ::mutters::
mizu: my Japanese wasn't *that* bad, was it?
namida: hmm…::pulls out a list:: there was
that time when…
mizu: so, I have a bad accent—
namida: …and you misspell things, you leave
out things…
mizu: ::frowns:: and the list goes on…
namida's e-mail:
senshi_pluto@yahoo.com
mizu's e-mail:
tokiya_ensui@yahoo.com
Ja!
mizu
Naoko Takeuchi.
e-mail: tokiya_ensui@yahoo.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Edge of Dreams:
Chapter 3: Commencement
by: mizu
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Amidst the dreary darkness of the unkempt
Terran dungeons, a figure sat calmly and quietly on
the stone cold floor. She was engrossed in
twiddling with a piece of straw from a pile that
was scattered across the damp floor.
Constance sat in silence, watching the straw
between her thin fingers twirl in an arched manner,
from it's bent frame. She looked over to Vestia,
who was doing much the same thing that she was.
Vestia's gown was mussed, with stains all
over
the simple yellow muslin fabric from constant
shifting. Her long, luxurious golden hair seemed
to have lost it's sheen, hanging life-lessly down
her arched back. A mixture of expressions crossed
her face as she too contemplated their present
situation. Constance realized that she too, must
look very much the same as her commander as well.
It was Vestia who broke the silence.
"Whoever made up the tale that dungeons were
dark, damp and smelly, they were *very* close to
the truth," she muttered. Constance stifled a
giggle. Trust Vestia to break the tension.
"Why would they do this to us?" Constance
asked, skeptical of the situation. "What did we
every do to them?" She turned to Vestia—perhaps
she might have an idea to what was amiss. She
rubbed her face with the back of her hand,
inadvertently smearing her face with dirt.
"I sincerely don't know Constance…All we did
was come down here to give our regards in person
about the Terran royal family massacre—" Vestia
commented innocently.
"Wait…Serenity did say that the Terrans were
a little edgy after the incident—"
"I don't classify this as edgy Constance.
This is insanity!" hugged Vestia, exasperated.
What were the Terrans thinking?! She paused when
she heard footsteps and the distinct ringing sound
of keys outside their cell. Immediately, she
strode purposefully toward the barred doors.
"Finally! Are they letting us out?"
Constance questioned Vestia, whose body pressed
against the old wooden door. However, she did not
answer.
"Hey!" Vestia yelled through the small
opening built into the ancient door. "Hey!!!" She
yelled louder, yet again.
"Whaddya want?!" A guard's voice bellowed,
the sound of footsteps and the jangling of keys
getting louder with every step. Soon, his gruff
face appeared at the door opening, the thick metal
bars separating his sagging face in three
proportions.
"I demand to know why we've been held
captive!" commanded Vestia in her most
intimidating tone that she could muster in her
current state.
"No one orders *me* around! Especially no
*you*" The guard replied in a rough voice,
emphasizing his last word with a jab through he
opening with the butt of his sword. Vestia, having
excellent reflexes, pulled away before the large,
blunt hilt could come in contact with her
defenseless face. She narrowed her eyes spitefully
toward him.
"Why have we been taken prisoner?!" She
demanded, taking a safe step away from the door
opening for added safety if the fat brute decided
to give her the *pleasure* of meeting his sword
again.
"Why?!" He asked incredulously, as if he
were
insulted rudely. He turned to his other companions
behind him and snickered. "The little girl wants
to know why," he sneered as the harsh laughter from
various guards could be heard.
"Just answer the question!!!" Vestia
shouted, losing what little patience she had left.
Throwing her and Constance into the dungeon was one
thing. However, being insulted for an unknown
crime was another. The guard did not seem to care,
or notice that her patience was wearing thin.
"You know very well what you and your cursed
moon kingdom did," he snarled, all traces of
laughter drained from his voice and replaced with
prejudice. "How dare you even ask that question!"
After all the suffering you've caused, you've still
got the gall to even say *anything* about it?"
Vestia sighed, very loudly. "I. Will. Ask.
You. Once. Again," she said between clenched
teeth. "WHAT DID WE DO TO *YOU*?!"
"Hmm…let me refresh your measly little
memory," the guard scoffed. Constance ran up
behind Vestia, putting a hand on her shoulder to
keep her from doing anything rash.
"I want to rip that man's face off!" She
hissed quietly at Constance.
"I know," she replied quietly, understanding
how Vestia felt. "But calm down, or he'll never
tell us."
Vestia hesitated, then quite reluctantly, she
shook her head in agreement. "Fine, spoilsport.
I'll rip his face off *after*." She crossed her
arms in the classic pouting expression.
"You," he pointed an accusatory finger at
Vestia and Constance. "killed the entire royal
family. You and your wretched moon kingdom!"
"We did WHAT?" This time, Constance had the
sudden urge to lunge at the rude guard.
"You heard me! Who knows why you did it, but
as I always thought, you *creatures* from the moon
kingdom are crazy! You're, you're LUNATICS!" With
that, the guard strode away, the hopeful jangling
of keys departing with him.
"Good riddance," Vestia grumbled, uncrossing
her arms.
"But he also had the keys…" Constance
pointed out matter-of-factly.
"Crap…" she muttered, along with other more
*colorful* choice words she learned from her Senshi
training in the Mars' army camps. At that moment,
she probably would've made a fisherman's wife
proud.
***
"He ordered a WHAT?" Ambassador Toki
exclaimed, blond tendrils shaking wildly in
equality to the fervor of his tenor voice. He
gazed at the General as if demanding an answer to
all the troubles in the galaxy.
High General Kunzite, commander of the elite
private guard of Crown Prince Endymion simply sat
back in his chair, scrawling his signature on the
last few sheets of paper before him. He paused and
stared squarely back at the Ambassador. "I answer
to no one except for the prince."
"Kunzite, what do you think you're doing?!"
Toki continued, "You know what this could lead
to!" Toki had known and trusted Kunzite as a
friend and a professional colleague. He never knew
him to be this irrational.
Kunzite nodded briefly in affirmation before
returning to his paperwork. "I didn't do anything
except for bringing justice to those who were
wronged. Ambassador, this is only the first
step."
However, this wasn't enough of an answer for
Toki. Still, he prodded on into the subject.
"Those are the chief delegates of Venus, Mercury
*and* the moon. Take them captive and *you'd* be
the one promoting war between all three planets!
Not to mention the alliance! Don't you understand
that these relations are DELICATE?!"
Kunzite simply shrugged indifferently to the
situation as if it were an annoyance.
"What kind of JUSTICE is WAR?!!!" Toki
always had strong beliefs, despite what everyone
else thought…
A still silence passed between them, the air
between them growing excessively tense. Kunzite
rose slowly from his desk, propping up two gloved
hands on the dark, polished wooden surface. He
lifted his head to meet the head ambassador's gaze
once more, gray eyes gleaming in obvious
irritation.
"Then what kind of justice is there in the
MASSACRE OF THE ENTIRE TERRAN ROYAL FAMILY?!!!"
Kunzite roared as Toki's protests were silenced.
Kunzite exhaled slowly, falling back into his chair
as if he had been hit with sudden exhaustion.
Taking off his pristine-white gloves, he began to
scrub his face tiredly, hoping that he couldn't
need to resort to caffeine to keep him awake.
"Toki, I didn't order for the delegates to
be taken into captivity," Kunzite stated simply,
stretching his arms, taking a more informal tone.
Endymion understood the delicate bonds that
the moon kingdom and the Terrans shared. He was
sure that the prince would find this act as a
mistake and would immediately make amends to the
moon kingdom once he found out.
"Then who did?" Toki questioned,
reverting back into his usual, professional
demeanor. Kunzite's statement was slowly seeping
into his consciousness, and Terran patriotism began
to win over logic.
"Endy did." Kunzite replied calmly as
Toki gaped incredulously at him.
***
Writhing and tossing, Endymion clenched at
his oversized, plump pillows, battling the pain
within his dream world. He muttered incoherently
in his sleep, listening to all those voices who
were lost in the flames of the explosion.
During his waking hours, officials swarmed
him with documents, dealing with domestic and
military situations. As an added bonus, he still
needed to worry about his upcoming coronation.
At night, he found no rest, no tranquillity.
He was plagued with dreams, dreams of pain and
suffering. He'd see his family again, and
recognize their faces in his dream-hazy vision.
However, they'd be screaming, amongst raging
flames, fueled by the blood of innocents. Ominous
clouds of thick, dark, billowing smoke would loom
over the burning east wing. Not long after, there
would be an explosion. One that felt like it had
the strength of a supernova…
His eyes fluttered open, as they did every
night after the recurring dream. The heavy covers
were thrown off, as if they were straining his
breathing. Clear beads of sweat trailed down his
face, tracing out his angular features.
A soft breeze trailed in through a crevice
through the curtains, tickling his sensitive cheek.
Grasping the heavy drapes by his bed, he yanked
them open, eager to meet the cool, refreshing night
breezes.
Moonlight spilled through the open drapes,
bathing Endymion in a luminescent, silvery light.
However, he recoiled from it, scurrying off into
the one corner of his bed. Eyes wide in terror as
if he had seen a ghost.
All throughout the night, he sat in a fetal
position in his favored corner. He felt more
comfortable in the shadows, safer.
Unbeknownst to him, a misting darkness seemed
to filter through the shadowed edge of his open
window. It entered his room silently, discreetly,
hidden in the shadows of night. It spiraled around
Endymion's bunched form, coiling around his limbs,
body and mind.
It hissed, speaking phrases that only he
could hear, fueling his vengeance and blocking out
reason.
Endymion was not alone in the shadows after
all.
***
"We've got two of them, and Endymion is under
our influence, Master" Beryl reported, smiling
wickedly. Endymion was easier to corrupt than she
thought. "Should I do the same to our prisoners?"
"No." The voice answered simply.
"Wouldn't it be more to our advantage if we-"
"NO!" Chaos roared, voice loud enough to
echo through the galaxies and beyond for millennia.
"But—"
"Know your place in this Beryl!" Chaos
hissed angrily. "My orders will NOT be questioned!
You may be trusted, but *I* still hold the true
power."
"Yes master," Beryl nodded meekly. If she
were to have Endymion by her side, she would have
to adhere to Chaos.
"Beryl, Endymion will be with you, all in due
time. Learn to be patient. As for the corruption
of the delegates, it is too much power for me to
muster at the moment. We will wait, then they'll
be ours. For now, we still need to deal with the
generals. However, feeling as they do, that will
be a simple task."
"Yes master," Beryl complied, bowing. She
returned to her chambers, adjacent to the ruins of
the east wing. Grabbing a glass of dark wine, she
trotted over to her open window. She looked out at
her accomplishment proudly. Their plans were
running swiftly and smoothly now. Her insatiable
hunger for would finally be satisfied.
"In due time, my love," Beryl hissed, eyeing
the ruins with an icy gaze. "In due time…" The
crystal glass in her grasp trembled momentarily
before breaking into thousands of tiny, sparkling
shards.
***
"Constance?" Vestia turned to her cell mate,
scurrying through the stray piles of straw to the
other corner of the cell like a mouse smelling
cheese. She halted in her tracks, and peered at
Constance's bowed, blue head. An occupied look was
spread upon her smudged features, as if she were
engrossed in a difficult math equation.
"Hello?" Vestia chirped.
No answer.
"Helllooo?!" Vestia waved a dirty hand
before Constance excitably.
No answer.
Blank Look.
Sighing, Vestia slumped next to her friend.
She was in one of *those* states again. Vestia
knew that Constance often drifted off into her own
little world of analyzing facts and figures. Her
visits usually took a few hours, give or take.
Suddenly, an idea came to Vestia, a smile
lingering mischievously over her face. One could
almost see the light bulb hang over her head--
*almost*.
Inhaling deeply, Vestia shouted in loudest
voice she could muster.
"Lady Constance! There's no use keeping it a
secret! I found those racy romance novels under
your bed!!!" Vestia reprimanded mockingly,
attempting to replicate Queen Serenity's voice.
I even got the accent right! Vestia thought
playfully, mentally patting herself on the back.
"You found them?" Constance responded
immediately, head snapping up from her thoughts.
Blue eyes widened, cheeks turned into an unhealthy
shade of tomato red.
"I did it!" Vestia jumped up for joy,
flashing her signature *V*ictory sign.
Constance took one glance at the beaming
Vestia and shook her head disappointedly. A giant
sweatdrop seemed to have made it's way to her head.
"Huh? Wait—" Vestia paused, gathering her
thoughts. She furrowed her brow in question. "You
read romance books?" She raised an eyebrow
quizzically.
Constance gulped, blanching…
Vestia prodded a finger at Constance's small
nose. "You *do*, don't you?" She drawled, ocean
blue gaze boring into Constance's.
Gulp. "No, no, of course not!" Constance
answered apprehensively, trying to change the
subject. She flashed Vestia a bright smile,
showing pearly white teeth, hoping to throw off the
topic. "Why would *I* read anything out of science
and ancient literature?" Her nervous laughter died
away into darkness.
"Ah-ha!" Vestia announced triumphantly.
Rising to her feet once more to tower over the
overwhelmed Constance. "You *do* read those!"
"No I don't!" Came the sharp reply. It
seemed that the renowned Senshi of Mercury was a
little reluctant to admit to it, or so as Vestia
thought.
"That's okay Constance, I won't tell anyone!
Personally, I don't understand all the fuss you're
making—"
"Me?!" Constance voiced unbelievably,
backing away an inch. Her back met the cold, wet
wall. The moisture seeping through the absorbable
material of her gown. Apparently, our Senshi of
Mercury had forgotten that she was already in the
corner of the cell…
Coughing, she smiled meekly, regaining her
usual, cool composure. "Well," she began. "I was
thinking about getting out of here—"
"You and me both," interjected Vestia, eyeing
her surroundings distastefully. She swore that if
she ever met the horrible person who put them in
here in the first place, she'd—
"Vestia?" Queried Constance, dragging the
blond from her vengeful thoughts. "And you say
that *I* go into trances…" She shrugged and
continued, hoping that Vestia would hear her sooner
or later…
"I'm guessing that they're not going to let
us out anytime soon and there's no way for the
queen to know since we're not due for another long
range communication message for at least a week."
Vestia tilted her head thoughtfully. "What
are you saying Constance?"
"I'm saying that we need to make a jail
break," Constance responded firmly. She tapped a
finger on her chin. "If only I had a way of
getting out of here."
"Why don't you use a scanning device?"
Constance brightened visibly, eyes alight.
"You know, that's not a bad idea. The Mercury
computer should still be around." She said,
raising a palm, willing her trusty computer to
appear. Suddenly, a blue, plastic notebook
appeared floating mechanically above her
outstretched palm, the sigil of Mercury adorned in
gold upon the case.
"Ah ha! I knew it'd work!" Vestia
proclaimed, finally finding a use for listening in
mechanics class. She flashed her trademark
*V*ictory sign once more, however, Constance
ignored her.
"Why not just send a message through your
computer?" Suggested Vestia.
Constance shook her head. "The signal isn't
strong enough. It'd never get there…"
Quick and nimble fingers pressed an
assortment of codes and numbers into the small
device. A small sound was made as the information
was compiled into several different solutions.
Constance bit her lip in concentration, creasing
her brow.
"Got it!" She announced triumphantly,
smiling brightly. Every time she found a solution
to a problem, an overwhelming sense of satisfaction
would come over her—much like how endorphins rush
through the human body after vigorous exercise.
"You found a way out?" Vestia asked
anxiously, leaning toward her. She peered at the
numerous codes and text that appeared on the small,
pocket-sized computer.
Constance nodded excitedly in reply. Silent,
she rose and began scanning the walls, prodding
various stones with her outstretched finger.
"I got a hold of their floor plans and
schematics for this level. If I can find the
correct location of the weakest area of this cell,
we can make an escape."
After what seemed like an eternity, she
halted, finger tapping on one specific gray rock.
"We need to apply an accurate dose of
pressure here, it should knock out the foundation
for a section of this wall. It's the keystone—but
don't over do it."
Vestia stepped forth, prodding and scratching
at the rock with her finger tip. Nodding, she
willed her transformation pen to appear.
"Glad they didn't do anything about these,
ne, Constance?" Vestia winked, raising the gold-
orange pen in the air.
The air around them seemed to hum with
Vestia's power, the energy readings rising off the
scale.
"Let's hope they don't catch us too soon,"
Constance hoped worriedly, closing her computer and
pulling out her blue transformation pen as well.
A flurry of gleaming gold hearts and
glittering blue ribbon surrounded the two,
surrounding their lithe forms. From the bright
display, stepped forth the Senshi of Venus and
Mercury.
"Ready?" Venus prompted, the familiar
determined gleam appearing in her blue depths once
more. Mercury nodded, placing on her visor to scan
for hostels.
"What about the others?" Mercury asked,
thinking of the other delegates that arrived with
them earlier that week. "They're not too far. We
need to go retrieve them."
Venus nodded. "We will escape here first,
then we'll track them down," she confirmed, taking
on the leadership role that had been woven
intricately into her destiny as a Senshi. She
turned back at the stone wall, set on hitting the
keystone. Raising a snowy white glove, a thin
chain of interlinked golden hearts came to meet
it's target.
***
Not long after the internal alarms blared
into the hallways, awakening everyone from their
slumber. Sleepy guards that dozed off during their
night shift awoke, swords and staffs in hand,
scurrying down the long corridors.
When they arrived at the place where the main
security system had reported a breach, they stood
there in awe. The Senshi were long gone—as were
the delegates. All that remained were several
small fragments of smoking stones and gaping holes
in the walls looking out into the great outdoors.
***
"We need to get these people out of here,"
Mercury suggested, de-activating her visor. The
thin, transparent strip of analyzing equipment
disappeared from her face.
"Do we have enough power to transport them?"
Vestia turned to look over at the shivering group
of delegates. Among them was the Ambassador from
the moon.
"This many people? No," Mercury answered
simply. They were camped out in an abandoned
section of what seemed to be like an old Terran
training ground.
"Hmm…we've got to think of a solution. We'll
at least they'll never be looking for us here. Who
would think that we'd be hiding out in the royal
grounds. This was a good idea, Constance," Venus
beamed. Mercury blushed at the compliment.
"It'd only be a matter of time though, before
they find us. The Terrans aren't quite to happy
with us. Although, I don't seem to know why…" The
Ambassador approached the two Senshi. She stood
upon the ground firmly as the wild wind toyed and
tangled with her unruly red locks.
Mercury nodded in agreement. "She's right, I
can't mask our tracks any longer. I'm bound to
tire sometime and that's when I'll slip in my
defenses."
"Oh great!" Commander Venus raised her arms
in exasperation, as if asking the sky for the
solution to all their problems. "What do we do
now? Options," she commanded sternly.
"Well, we could teleport them—between us, we
should be able to bring them a short distance.
We're carrying passengers here, Venus, we can't
return to the moon. It's too much of a strain on
our powers," Mercury pointed out logically.
"Then where do we go?" The ambassador asked,
shifting from left foot to right. "What place
could mask our tracks and keep us safe until the
moon rescues us?"
"Hmm…The best place we can go to would be."
Mercury pulled out her mini-computer, typing in
more information. Soon, several consistent muffled
beeps sounded, the information displayed on the
miniature screen. She turned to allow Venus and
the ambassador a better view.
There, etched in a wire-like sphere, was the
earth. The continents appeared in a light bluish
color. Several bright lights appeared upon the
globe simulation, blinking erratically, indicating
all the possible places that their transport
powers would allow them to go.
"There," Mercury pointed, indicating an
isolated blinking blue light. "That's the place I
suggest we head to. It's low security and there
aren't many people there."
"Where is that?" Venus piped in, staring at
the light. The rhythmic blinking was beginning to
hypnotize her. "Not eating well," she muttered,
remembering the meager meals they were served daily
at their cells.
"That," Mercury informed, tucking away her
computer in a safe place. "is the North Pole."
"North pole? Sounds like a cold place,"
commented the ambassador casually.
Mercury nodded. "It is."
"All right people! Gather around." Vestia
pulled in their small band of delegates in a tiny,
cramped bunch. "When we get to this 'North Pole',"
she eyed Mercury wryly. "One of us is going to
teleport alone back to the queen when we've got
enough strength."
Mercury complied as the small group
disappeared relocated themselves once again in a
flash of brilliant blue and yellow.
The North Pole wasn't what Venus suspected.
Even though their Senshi fukus were designed to
give them optimum protection, they didn't do much
for thermal protection. However, she was more
worried about the other delegates.
Their clothes had been ripped, or worn during
their short stay in the Terran dungeons. Most of
them didn't dress for cold weather, since the
Terrans were experiencing their spring season—which
was equivalent to the Lunar sprouting season. Many
of the delegates huddled in groups, trying to
conserve warmth.
"Merc, they're no shelter in sight! What
should we do?" Venus questioned above the howling
wind, frost biting her exposed skin.
"I've got an idea!" Replied Mercury, barely
audible. She called forth her powers over ice,
building a small, stodgy structure of pure ice with
her shining aqua illusion. Quickly, the two Senshi
pushed in the teeth-chattering delegates singly
through a small opening fashioned in the icy
structure.
Within, the structure blocked off all
incoming wind and the opening seemed to act as a
natural vent. However, the delegates were still
shivering.
"Wait, let me." Venus called forth her
power, the all-so-familiar chain of golden hearts
appearing in her hand. She quelled their power
down, favoring endurance over power. Coiling them
up in a tight bunch, she placed it in the middle of
the structure, allowing them to radiate a weak, but
growing heat.
One by one, the delegates seemed to warm, the
bluish tinge on their lips disappearing as they
rubbed their hands briskly over the glowing hearts.
"Merc, I'm going to teleport back to the
moon. I think I'm up to it," Venus stated clearly,
facing an appalled Senshi of Mercury.
"But, what if you don't? I can go. I don't
feel tired," insisted Mercury. A strange cracking-
rumbling noise echoed in the structure.
"It's probably the wind," noted Venus.
"You're going to have to keep this place in one
piece. The delegates depend on you."
"But—" interjected Mercury. It was useless
to argue with one's commander when her mind was set
on one course of action.
"No Merc. I'll do it. Don't make me pull
rank on you." Her eyes softened, showing concern
and infinite friendship. "I'll be back—with help."
Reluctantly, Mercury nodded, bidding her
leader farewell. She'd take command when she was
gone and protect the delegates as she was
instructed to do so.
"Ganbatte kudesai, Vestia. Hurry up. We'll
need all the help we can get." Mercury returned to
the huddled group of delegates, praying for the
safety of her commander and friend.
***
"THEY AREN'T IN THEIR CELLS?!" Barked out
Nephrite, eyes agleam with obvious agitation.
The fat guard who was responsible for their
captivity. Ironically, it was the very same one
that had sneered and scoffed at their 'meager
intellect'. Obviously, he underestimated them—a
very grave mistake on his part.
"How could you be such an IDIOT?!!!"
Nephrite roared, face creasing in anger. Jadeite
could've sworn that he saw a vein tick ever so
slightly… He sat there, upon a large table, gazing
at the trembling guard under a mop of blond
tendrils. Crossing legs, he swung them childishly
off the side of the table.
Nephrite opened his mouth to scold the
already-frightened guard more, however, his lengthy
lecture was temporarily halted by Jadeite.
"Neph, hold on, the doors knocking," Jadeite
commented casually, rising to receive their guest.
The door opened to present a young lady with
striking red hair.
"Good morning gentleman," Beryl greeted,
false warmth seeping into her usual icy tone. If
she had done her job properly, generals, or flops
as she liked to put it, should be under the
influence of her master.
Jadeite and Nephrite bowed perfunctorily.
Protocol demanded of these actions, however, it
never said that they had to perform their
courtesies with meaning. Beryl curtsied
indifferently in response.
"And who do we have here?" She turned,
smoothing out her black satin dress. Red locks
tumbled down to the base of her back, coming down
in bright red, snaky locks. She was a buxom beauty
indeed, however, everyone knew that she only shared
contempt for the generals.
"This," pointed Nephrite, "is the fool guard
that let the delegates escape!"
Beryl rose a well-defined eyebrow and tilted
her head thoughtfully—albeit falsely. She already
knew what happened. She also remembered her
master's fury… "What are you going to do about
it?"
"What else are we going to do?" Jadeite
shrugged indifferently. "The prince wanted them in
captivity, he's going to get them. I'm going to
make sure they stay that way until he thinks
otherwise."
Beryl couldn't help to smile an evil little
smile. She blinked, as if ignorant of the
situation. "I'm sure you'll get them. If you need
any help…"
Perhaps Beryl wasn't as bad as they thought
she was, Jadeite thought.
"I'm sorry, but what would you do to help
*us*?" Nephrite was the unbelieving one… Try as
he might, he could not see a single possible way
that Beryl would be of assistance to them.
"Oh, you don't even know the beginning of the
power I wield," she said darkly. Shadows cast over
her face, leaving only a pair of gleaming depths
filled with corruption, lust and hate.
"Huh? Did you say something?" Jadeite
questioned, watching Nephrite send away the demoted
guard. He cast a curious gaze upon Beryl.
"Nothing," she replied, rising from her seat.
With a rustle of skirts, she escorted herself to
the door. "I must go gentlemen, but we'll talk
again." The door closed with a soft thud.
Jadeite turned to Nephrite. "We're going to
have to tell Endy about this."
Nephrite nodded. "Better tell Kunzite to
come with us. He's usually the one that breaks
news like this to him." He opened the door and
gestured in mock-grandeur for Jadeite to leave
first. Both left the room, chatting casually about
the week's events.
Abruptly after they left, a familiar presence
entered into the room, covering the marble floor
with a thin sheet of dark mist. Soon, it
disappeared as soon as it arrived.
***
"My prince," Kunzite bowed deeply, white cape
falling past his shoulders.
"What is it?" Endymion asked, voice husky.
"The delegates have escaped," he stated,
voice frosty.
"WHAT?!" Exclaimed Endymion, perking up from
his half-asleep attitude. He grasped a brocaded
robe and slung it over his broad shoulders. "Any
casualties?"
"Thirty-seven injured, my prince. A good
portion of the injuries are severe. All of them
were guards." He watched as Endymion reached for a
jug and pour water into a crystal cup. Slowly, he
brought it to his lips and took a long sip of the
refreshing liquid.
"More injuries?! Haven't they harmed us
enough?!!" Demanded Prince Endymion. Although he
wasn't really expecting an answer to his
hypothetical question. He slammed the glass of
water onto the table, creating another circular
mark on the surface. The liquid within seemed to
lurch up slightly before falling back into the
confines of the cup.
"They are nothing but an annoyance," Kunzite
stated mildly. "We've already begun the search for
the escaped delegates. Although, I don't think we
should waste our resources toward this useless
endeavor."
Endymion turned to meet Kunzite's determined
gaze. "What do you mean by that?" He asked,
quizzical.
"I think we should do the obvious. We do
have the power and we have been more than patient
with them," Kunzite stated simply.
Endymion nodded stiffly. He didn't like this
situation, nor did he like the consequences.
However, he figured that it was going to be
inevitable anyway. He would bring the Lunars to
justice.
"Fine, so be it," he said monotonously.
"Bring all the necessary documents. It's going to
be war."
***
Ganbatte kudesai - Don't give up!/Good luck!
Arigato to Antigone who puts up with me! (and my
terrible writing) She's the one who fixes those
million errors in these chapters! Also to all
those archives who post up my work! Arigato minna-
san!
Oh, a different approach this time:
Questions? Comments? Flames?
E-MAIL! E-MAIL! E-MAIL!
Mizuno_kagami@yahoo.com
URL: www.geocities.com/mizuno_kagami
mizu: ::cringes:: I agree, that wasn't the best
thing I've ever written… Well, at least
it's done! Boring, but—
namida: you could say that again… ::mutters::
mizu: my Japanese wasn't *that* bad, was it?
namida: hmm…::pulls out a list:: there was
that time when…
mizu: so, I have a bad accent—
namida: …and you misspell things, you leave
out things…
mizu: ::frowns:: and the list goes on…
namida's e-mail:
senshi_pluto@yahoo.com
mizu's e-mail:
tokiya_ensui@yahoo.com
Ja!
mizu