**First Meetings**, chapter 9: Confrontation

by Lily

lilian413@yahoo.com


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As Zoisite finished his story his eyes turned to look at Mercury. She was giggling,
trying her best not to show it. Her hand covered her mouth, and her whole body shook, as
her laughter began getting the best of her. Only when he grinned widely at her, did she dare
to laugh openly.

"Did you get him?".

Her tone was merrier, happy.... relaxed. He was glad he ha been the one to cause the
welcomed change.

"Well, it depends on what you think *catching* is. If it means to end up in the kitchen,
completely covered with flour, with Nephlite and Endimion choking him, and me and Kunzite with
all that night's food all over us, while everyone stared at us, well, we
did".

It was too much. Mercury could not handle it. She had always had a very vivid
imagination, and she could just *see* the little trouble-makers being chased away by an angry cook
waving a wooden spoon at them, while cursing in Italian...

She laughed so hard, she fell back, and rested on the ground. Yet, the calm did not last
long. One look at Zoisite's confused expression, and she began laughing again. She was so
happy, as if she had opened last the shell she always carried.

For the first time, she was revealing herself as she truly was,
not as her friends or everyone else thought she was. This was the real
princess Mercury, a joyful, happy and passionate about-to-be-woman, not the
cold, lonely and boring girl the Moon people knew.

In the meanwhile, Zoisite just heard her laughing. It was like as if heaven
itself was being revealed to him. A sound that filled his ears, his body,
and specially his heart. He could feel as Mercury loosened up, and laughed
from her heart. Zoisite felt as if his goal had just been achieved.

He had done it. He had made her open up. Happiness spread through him, like a flood...

For some instants, he stood there, just staring at her, and them he began
laughing himself. Their voices melded again and again, echoing through the
Moon morning. They felt so good in there, alone, together, being how their
hearts told them to be.

Suddenly, Zoisite felt something slam against his chest. Like an explosion's
shock wave. He was almost physically pushed backwards. He immediately straightened up, and
scanned their surroundings. He couldn't help the shiver which ran up through his spine.

The air was changing... morphing from a light, happy atmosphere, to something heavy,
dark and full of hatred. Mercury sensed it too, for she stopped her laughter, and stood up
next to him. He flinched when she grabbed his injured arm a little bit too tight, as they saw
who was causing the disturbance.

There, walking towards them, was their worst nightmare.

Ren, the Saturn Prince.

"I've caught you at last".

Venom dripped from his voice.

"Now, you little pathetic earthling, let's finish what we started".

Ren stretched out his hand towards them, and as he opened his hand, black energy
flew towards Zoisite. He was caught unaware, as he was diverting his attention between
looking at the Prince, and trying to somehow reassure the shaking Princess by his side.

The blast hit him square in the chest. As he fell backwards, he heard a scream.

{Mercury!}.

"Nooo!!. Zoisite!".

His first impulse was to run to her, and hold her tight. Safe.

He couldn't.

Something seemed to be holding him in place. He trashed, trying to get free.

Nothing.

He turned to look down at his body, and gasped.

Energy web.

The clever bastard had him trapped under an energy web.
It surrounded him completely. Trying to get rid of it, he wriggled
impatiently, but he wasn't able to break free.

Out the corner of his eye,
he saw as Mercury ran to him, a desperate look in her eyes.

She didn't get very far.

"No, no, Mercury. If you don't behave, your friend here will suffer".

Zoisite felt as if he was levitating. He suddenly realized he was.

Ren was moving him...

He was slammed against a nearby tree. His arm struck the trunk hard.

He cried out in pain.

But that wasn't it. A sickening sound reached his ears.

CRACK.

{There go two of my ribs}.

He grunted. He would not give him the pleasure of hearing him scream again.

As he opened his eyes, he tried to focus them on something. Everything was a
blur, but there, always there, was the black energy that had him trapped. Shaking his head,
the only thing he could move, he cleared his gaze.

He looked at Ren, who was clearly enjoying his suffering.

Zoisite felt as his stomach revolted just by seeing him.

But then, he turned his eyes to his right, looking for her...

His heart jumped in his chest.

Mercury was crying. Hot tears running quietly along her cheeks,
coming from her beautiful blue eyes, leaving behind them a wet trail of
pain.

The image gave him a sudden surge of unknown energy.

Desperately, he tried to break free again, but all he did was manage to make
the evil net hold him tighter. Air was not reaching his lungs properly, and
he began choking.

Mercury looked at him in despair, saw the suffering in his eyes, and made a move
to run to him.

Faster than the wind, Ren was between them, repeating, in that snide voice of his.

"Princess Mercury. Forget about him. You have me, and that's an honor. If you
continue being so stubborn, you'll make me kill him".

As he spoke, he moved his hand towards Zoisite, and the General felt as the net stretched
against his flesh. The pain was unbearable, specially as it pushed against his arm and
he couldn't avoid letting out a grunt.

Turning his head, he saw as the bandage Mercury had put over his wound
was beginning to stain... a big, red spot... his blood.

Mercury heard as Zoisite grunted in pain, and stiffened herself.
Why was this so heart-breaking?. It was as if she herself was being
tortured. Her whole body shook in sorrow, and looked at Ren, who was
looking at her as if she was some toy that he was about to obtain.

"Please", she begged.

"Please, leave him alone. I'll surrender, just let him go".

He smiled. And she felt her bruised self-confidence receding to the back of her mind,
where she could not reach it.

"Why should I?. Aren't you enjoying this? Isn't it wonderful to make him suffer?".

Up to then, she had somehow hoped against hope that Ren was not really evil... he was
just confused. Obsessed with her. That maybe, if she could talk to him, she could make him see
the wrong of his ways...

Now, she was sure there was no changing this man.

"You are---you are a monster!".

Ren's eyes flickered evilly, and his grin turned even wider. He advanced on her, and she
was too terrified to move. He grabbed her wrist harshly, and pulled her to him. He forced her
her to lay against his body.

She was faint. She was feeling sick. Her stomach was turning in her abdomen, threatening
to throw up the strawberries. God... she had felt so good against Zoisite... and now, in the
very same position, she was green with horror.

How could two men be *so* different?.

"Better get used to this, Mercury. When we marry, you'll see something like this
everyday".

Mercury struggled to get away, but his grip was way to strong for her to
break.

She had a sudden realization of how short her skirt was... she didn't like the way he
looked at her, lust and desire evident in his eyes. She felt dirty just by trembling under his
probing gaze.

But she managed a strong answer, at least.

"I will never, do you hear me, *never* marry you".

Her voice was full of spite, and as she looked up at him, looking
straight into his purple eyes. But in them, she only found glee in them.

"I'm sure we are going to be married soon, Princess, and by your own will".

The confidence in his voice made her nervous.

"What do you mean?".

{How can he be so sure?. He can't make me marry him, can he?}.

"You'll understand soon, my darling".

Mercury looked over his shoulder, and saw as Zoisite was already pale
from the pain his wounds were causing him.

"I'll go with you with no resistance, if you let him go".

Ren seemed to actually be considering it.. his thoughtful expression
made him look almost... handsome.

But then, the evil glint returned.

"Alright then. But first you'll have to let me make sure you won't run away".

{It seems he has some mercy after all}.

"How?".

She had felt his hand creeping up from the hollow of her back, up to the
back of her neck. She stiffened, somehow knowing what he would do next.

She made no move to resist, though. This was for Zoisite. This was for
the man who had risked his life a hundred times for *her*. The man who had
stood by her in times of need... the man to whom she had opened up to.

The man whom she had given her heart to.

The man she loved.

She closed her eyes, sending a silent prayer to the Gods above.

Through closed eye-lids, she heard Zoisite's cursing, and Ren's reply.

"Like this".

She surrendered to him, given him her most precious gift.

Her first kiss.

Ren pulled her towards him, and kissed her straight on the lips.
His mouth was pressed firmly against hers. He was forceful, demanding...
Asking for something she was not ready to give... least of all, to him.

She almost gagged when he began forcing his tongue inside her mouth.
But then, she remembered why she was doing this... besides, something was
making her sleepy.

She was getting weaker by the minute, her strength leaving her as if
something had unplugged her. She fought for a second, but it had already gone
to far. She couldn't move.

The only thing she could do was lay still, and cry in silence. She went limp under
his arms, and to prevent her from falling, he had to scoop her up. Her eyes were open,
and through a cloud of sleep, she saw as Ren's eyes flickered red.

Every barrier she had ever built around her, crumbled to the ground.

Zoisite was too weak to hear what they were talking about, but he saw as
Mercury looked in his direction several times. However, nothing had prepared him for
what happened next. Ren had grabbed Mercury, and was kissing her deeply!.

He saw as she made no move to resist. She was just laying there, letting
him have his way with her!. He gritted his teeth... everything he had done...
to have him take her like a ragged doll, and get to cope a feel!.

Tears appeared in his eyes... tears of anger...

Wait a minute. What was that?. He blinked the tears away. No, it wasn't his
imagination. It was there.

A black fog was surrounding them. It crawled around them, and wrapped Mercury up, like
a cocoon of darkness. It completely enveloped her, hiding her from his view. He cursed loudly.

What the hell was that?.

The black cloud began sliding all around her body, until it began
getting lighter. He could now see the outline of her body... it was entering her!.

It was oozing into her body, corrupting her!.

Only then, they parted, Ren smiling victoriously. Mercury fell to the ground,
her hands on her face. A heart-wrenching sob was the only sound she could let out, before
her body began glowing, and she seemed to grow.

"What have you done to her, you bastard!".

"Only what she needed to be my wife. Arise now, Mercury".

Mercury, who lied in the ground, a bluish heap on the floor, began uncurling. Slowly,
sensually... a panther. A lithe panther. She rose, her face down. Her hands ran up and down
her body, in a gesture so wanton, Zoisite gulped. The big lump in his throat refused to leave.

She stood up, and smiled. She leaned against her, curling around him like a second skin.

Zoisite had seen those moves before.

In places whose name he did not remember, but always had the words 'Hot', 'Naked',
and 'Girls' somewhere in it.

In places he knew princes and their generals were not supposed to be... but Endimion
had been so eager about his eighteenth birthday...

'Madame Carmen's promises a night you will never forget'.

But, he had more important things to think about. Like Mercury and her recent
transformation.

Her eyes, (her beautiful blue eyes that he loved to look at) had changed
from deep blue to a fiery black. They were ice cold, and showed no
emotions. They, who had cried, bled and dreamt together, with him... they were gone.

There was also something strange about her Sailor outfit. Zoisite had
gasped and blushed when he had first seen it. Now, he had the certainty he was
having a nose-bleed.

It was shorter, if that was possible. Tighter.

Opening his eyes wide, Zoisite realized that the costume hadn't become smaller...
it was Mercury who was bigger!.

Her chest was fuller now, her bosom tight against the cloth. They were
straining... and God, when she moved!.

She was also taller, almost as tall as Zoisite was. Her sailor fuku now
was beyond indecent, and into the land of 'no-clothing-at-all'.

Ren smiled, and put an arm around her shoulders.

"I like her better this way, don't you think?".

"What... what did you do to her?".

"I filled her with Nega-energy. This is how a Dark Princess should look like, don't you think?. Now, she will kill you".

Ren turned to Mercury, and smiled at her. She smiled back. Her grin so much like his
own...Gosh, it was such a cliché!. I mean, changing the heroine into some twisted, pathetic version of herself was something he had read countless times in ancient books and fairytales... and here it was, happening to him!. Or her, for that matter.

"My love, I'll leave to you the pleasure to kill this earthling".

"Thank you, My Lord".

Even her voice had changed too. It was deeper, sexier and cold, as cold
as the ice she had power over. However, Zoisite didn't had much time to
think, because Mercury was now approaching him. Her movements were slow and calculated...
not carefree and relaxed like before.

The thing was, Zoisite felt like gagging. It disgusted him to know what she had
become. He longed for the girl he had fell in love with, the girl, no, the woman whom he
had protected. The woman with whom they had ran together, escaping... been alone, and
together.

Soon, she was there, standing by his side.

"You will die now, as my master commands".

She flicked one of her hands, and created an ice shard. It was clearly sharp, and shone
with evil energy.

"Mercury, please. This isn't you. Fight it".

She only smiled. And wickedly, dragged a lazy finger over his wound. The glove
was coated with blood... which she brought to her lips, and absently licked it.

"Mercury. Please, listen to me. It's me, Zoisite. Remember?".

He hoped against hope there was still some part of her inside this lustful shell that was Mercury--- it was his only chance for bringing her back.

She stopped. She froze, and did not move a muscle. For a second, he thought he had
reached her, cut through the haze of darkness and into the heart of--- no. She blinked, and shook her head, as if erasing a bad memory.

But, it was enough for Zoisite, who kept on talking.

"Mercury, remember me. Zoisite, from Earth. It's me!".

This time, he did break through.

"Wha---what?".

Her eyes flickered strangely, and for a couple of instants, looked as blue as they
used to be.

But at the same time, Ren spoke.

"Do not listen to him, Mercury. Remember, you are my slave from now on".

The princess eyes turned black again, and her hand was stretched over her head, making
the ice shard shine with sunlight.

"Mercury, remember. We are friends, you can't kill me".

He was pleading now. The strange thing was, it wasn't his life he was worried about, but
the idea that if Mercury ever awoke from this--- this abomination, she could not live with
herself when she realized he had killed him.

The princess' eyes turned blue again, this time shining with recognition.

"Zo---Zoisite?. What's going on?".

Ren cursed, and concentrating briefly, the black web over Zoisite squeezed him harder
and harder. Zoisite screamed again, no energy left to put up the brave act, feeling as his
vital energy was being drained.

Mercury just looked at him blankly, as Ren talked to her again.

"My darling, don't listen to him. Kill him soon, so we may go to Saturn and enjoy our
honeymoon".

Mercury nodded, and stretching her hand again, lowered it abruptly over
Zoisite. He wasn't thinking properly anymore, so he just closed his eyes,
waiting for the strike.

Nothing came.

Time went by, and he felt nothing. He slowly opened his eyes.

Mercury was slowly bringing the ice-spike down, while looking at his arm. He turned his
face a bit, and saw that she was looking at the bandage she had made, and that now was deep
red.

Her eyes were intently fixed on the red blood...

"You--you're hurt. Because of me, isn't it?".

Hope flared in his heart.

"Yes. Remember Mercury, remember you put your bow over it, you healed my wound".

Mercury stretched her hand, and barely touched Zoisite's wound.

He shivered, pain rippling through his body. Then, words that he was dying to hear
filled his ears.

"Zoisite?. What am I doing?".

Her eyes continued being blue this time, the ice shard disappeared, and her body began
glowing.

She disappeared in the light for a couple of seconds, to reappear as she
used to be.

"M--Mercury!. It's you again?".

Ren was awestruck.

{How could she break my spell?. It was powerful enough to control three people!}.

"Zoisite!. What has he done to you?".

The young woman frantically stood up, and fawned over him like a mother hen does
with her chicken...

He was loving it.

He couldn't answer, and only managed a smile. But, the pain in his eyes,
hidden behind layers of inner strength, as he fought unconsciousness... she made
her decision.

Even if she was wobbling around, her energy spent through the several
transformations she had suffered, she was determined to free him. She would not let him
suffer.

She remembered. She remembered his words. She knew how it had been his voice the one
which had broken through the spell... his voice... his caring, warm, loving voice... she had
been lost in the mists of her mind. She had been thrown back, her inner desires coming forth,
as her normally self-conscious self was discarded. She had surrendered to the dark. It
was quiet. It was silence. No more running. No more escaping. Just... sleep.

But then, he had spoken. And even in her dreamless state, she had heard him. Like a
lighthouse through the clouds, she had heard him. She had heard his plea, his begging...
and she just couldn't let go. Not when he was still in danger. Not when she was going to kill
him!.

And so, she had fought... she had fought herself. She had pushed back the blackness of
her soul, that was never big in the first place... most of it was only Ren's doing. He had
pushed some of his own darkness into her.

That was easy to push out.

The hard part, had been to fight herself. The black of her own soul, magnified a thousand
fold was resisting... she had denied it for so long, now that it was free, it wasn't going
down without a fight.

But she had managed to do it. Her will to save him had been so strong, it had overcome
the evil... and she had pulled through.

But, to be herself again, was not enough. She needed to *save* him. And she couldn't
see him suffer. She would have nothing of it!.

Her thin hands stretched out, and grabbed the net.

Pain.

Electricity ran through her like fire through a forest...

She screamed. But she did not give up.

She kept on pulling.

"I--I will get you--- out!".

Her eyes were fixed on his, as his own widened as he realized what she was doing.

"No. Don't. Run, Mercury, run!".

Her eyes softened, and Zoisite could only gasp, as the emotions displayed in them
poured out of her and into him.

'No. You and I are getting through this together!'.

"Mercury ... don't!".

She was wasting her only chance of escaping... for him.

"I--I have to!. You saved my life, now it's my turn to save yours!".

Ren watched the scene, smiling to himself. God, he loved pain. Specially when
weak creatures like her, suffered it. Oh, when they were married... boy, would he
introduce her to the sweetest pains of all. Through years and years of torture he had
inflicted upon his own slaves, he had polished his abilities, until death was
something they wanted to arrive... his fangs shone under the morning's light, as
his grin turned even wider.

So young, so little, and yet, so strong... he would enjoy breaking her.
Oh yes, he would. Physical pleasure ran through him, as he pictured the lithe
Princess Mercury moaning under his touch, as her lashed back, covered in red
lashes, was the most erotic scene he had ever seen...

{Let her suffer a bit. That way she will know not to defy her master}.

Mercury cried out as her hands burnt with energy, but she kept trying.

There!. The net had loosened up!.

She pulled harder, until with a loud explosion, she fell backwards, landing on
her bottom.

Ren was taken back.

{She actually did it!. I'm beginning to think that I misjudged this little girl}.

A loud thump followed.

Her ears recognized it. A body landing ungracefully on the ground.

She scrambled up, and standing again, ran to his side.

Zoisite groaned as her tender hands, placed his head on her lap. ,

"Are you alright?".

The general coughed, and focused his wavering gaze on her.

Heavenly beautiful.

'Now I can die peacefully, for I have seen angels'.

"Ye---yes, Mercury. I'm fine".

Her reaction to his words was way better than he could ever think about. Her arms hugged
him tight, and wet tears ran down her cheeks and onto his own face, as she sobbed
onto his ear.

"Oh, Zoisite!. I couldn't bare to think
I was about to loose you!. Please, don't you ever do that again!".

He stretched out his right hand, caressing her face weakly. He was surprised as
Mercury took his hand in her own, and closed her eyes, feeling his touch.
Zoisite felt stronger, seeing that Mercury was fighting too.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you two, but Mercury comes with me".


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TBc....