1 CHAPTER EIGHT
Malachite waited impatiently in the throne room of the palace. He couldn't get Mina's sad face as she thanked the old hermit out of his mind. Images of Mina flashed constantly before his eyes. He kept picturing Mina as he had first seen her, as she waited with her hand on her hip for him to apologize for treating her poorly. Mina, in the early days of their acquaintance, perched in his chair as they argued philosophy and books. Mina, asleep in his chair, one of his books lying open in her lap. Mina taking one last look at him as her attackers swarmed around her. Mina, chained to the wall, golden blood poring from the wound in her head. Mina, lying all too still in the coffin-like bed in the infirmary. Mina, eyes fluttering open as the hermit pulled his hand out of her hair. Finally, Mina, wings unfurling as she plunged headfirst off the cliff. Guilt ate away at him, adding to the worry he already felt over her absence.
He felt a hand lightly touch his shoulder. He turned, surprised to see Raye standing beside him. Her usual expression of extreme dislike was gone, replaced by sympathy and compassion. He nodded slightly, aware that she could read his emotions like a book. She walked away, returning to her place by Jedeite's side.
As he leaned against a balustrade, he wondered again when Mina would make an appearance. The goddess said she'd come back, he reminded himself. I just hope she'll still be Mina when she does.
He glanced around the throne room, observing the other people in the room as they, too, waited for Mina. The princess Serenity leaned lightly against her brother's shoulder. Endyimon hovered nearby, obviously wishing that Serenity would lean against him instead of her brother. Raye, of course, was with Jedeite. A brief smile tugged at Malachite's lips. Jedeite had finally caught the fiery Raye in his trap, and she, in return, had trapped his heart in her own.
The ever-intelligent Amy leaned against suave Zoicite's side as they discussed the evolutionary properties of the senshi. They both spoke in quick, animated bursts, using words that only the two of them could understand. Nearby, the tall brunette known as Lita discussed cooking techniques with Nephlite, who listened avidly as her green eyes sparkled. In another corner, Malachite's rude guide, Artemis, discussed his upcoming wedding with his future bride, Luna.
At first, Malachite resented their conversations, but he quickly realized that their discussions were only a pitiful attempt to concentrate on something other than their worry for Mina. He understood. He was worried, too.
Suddenly, a bright flash of golden lightening flashed in the center of the throne room. Even before she fully materialized, Malachite knew that Mina had finally come. He knew, too, that something was desperately wrong with her.
Mina finally appeared, and all three of the other warriors gasped in fear. He glanced quizzically at Zoicite, who shrugged with equal puzzlement. The other three senshi were backing away from Mina in alarm. Malachite felt an icy finger of fear trail down his spine as he saw the absolute horror on their faces. He glanced at the queen, and was startled to see that the look of horror shadowed her own face.
Malachite looked back at Mina, and his heart constricted as he saw the coldness of her expression. That must be what she sees when you look at her. Mina's gaze passed over each of them in turn, lingering for a moment on Selenity. Pure hatred filled her eyes, and she spoke in a voice that was totally unlike her own. It sounded like the voice of an old woman, roughened with disuse. "Selenity. We meet again. Unfortunately for you, it will be the last time we meet."
Selenity stood, gazing at Mina with anger on her face. "Cassenian," she greeted coldly. Her normally calm face twisted in hatred. "Let Mina go, now, and I might not kill you."
The gravelly voice coming from Mina laughed harshly. "You can't stop me. No one can stop me. I've got your pretty little niece trapped in her own body, and her powers are under my control. The universe is mine."
"Not if I can help it!" shouted Raye, her flaming arrows forming in her hands. "Mars Flame Sniper!" The arrow streaked across the room towards Mina, who disrupted it with a wave of her hand. "Nice try, Martian wench." She held up a second hand, and a gleaming crystal sword appeared from nowhere. "You'll be the first to die." She started to charge, but stopped as suddenly as though she'd hit a brick wall.
"What's going on?" asked Jedeite. Raye scowled at him. "Cassenian may have control of Mina's body, but she can't totally erase Mina's spirit. Mina's fighting her."
Indeed, Mina appeared to be winning. Her body fell to her knees on the cold floor of the throne room, pain and fury covering her features like a shroud. Suddenly, a bubble of bright light filled the air around her, effectively blocking herself off from everyone else in the room.
Raye started to run forward, but Mina held up a shaking hand. "Stay back, Raye," she said in her own voice. "I can only fight her for so long." Her features cleared, and the gravelly voice came back. "Stop fighting me! It's only a matter of time before I have you under as much control as I had your father." She laughed maliciously. "It'll be such a pleasure to get you to kill your beloved as your father killed his." She grinned evilly at Malachite. "How does it feel, earth lord, to watch your soul mate die?"
She stood and picked the crystal sword from off the floor where it had fallen. "I think I'll start with you, after all."
She pointed the sword in Malachite's direction, and the shield that Mina had placed around her began to fade. Suddenly, Mina's body whipped around, and her eyes grew wide in shock and fear. Malachite let his own eyes flow in the same direction, and he echoed her feelings.
Two beings stood, haloed in golden light, on the far side of the room. Their features echoed with an otherworldly calm, and he could easily see through their transparent bodies.
"Aphromina. Remis," whispered Selenity in shock. The woman with the surprising resemblance to Mina smiled at her with love. She held tightly to the hand of the big man standing by her side. "Hello, Selenity," she said.
She turned back to Mina/Cassenian. "It's time to let Mina go, Cassenian. We won't let you do to her what you did to us." She gestured with one of her transparent hands, and the bubble around Mina's body became solid once more.
Mina/Cassenian pointed the crystal sword at the spirit of Mina's mother. "You can't win, mortal queen. She's under my control." The spirit man sighed sadly. "I will always curse the day I found you, Cassenian. For fifteen long years, we waited in that tomb, hoping someone would destroy you before you could spread your infection. You forced me to kill my wife in front of my daughter, dooming her to a lifetime of guilt and nightmares. It won't happen again." He looked at his daughter, searching for some last trace of her soul. He smiled. "Mina is still there, Cassenian. She's too strong in spirit for you to completely expel her. Come out, Mina, and help us fight her." Aphromina, too, looked at Mina. "Do what you have to, Mina. We're waiting for you." The two ghosts wavered and disappeared.
Mina slowly stood, and the pain splashed once again across her features. "I'm coming," she said as she forced the crystal sword into her own stomach. Golden blood welled from the wound, pooling on the floor as she collapsed. The golden shield around her faded as Malachite rushed to her side. He pressed two fingers against her neck, trying desperately to find a pulse.
There wasn't one.
He cradled her head in his arms, and pressed his lips briefly to hers. "Good-bye, love," he whispered as his heart broke into a thousand pieces.
Malachite waited impatiently in the throne room of the palace. He couldn't get Mina's sad face as she thanked the old hermit out of his mind. Images of Mina flashed constantly before his eyes. He kept picturing Mina as he had first seen her, as she waited with her hand on her hip for him to apologize for treating her poorly. Mina, in the early days of their acquaintance, perched in his chair as they argued philosophy and books. Mina, asleep in his chair, one of his books lying open in her lap. Mina taking one last look at him as her attackers swarmed around her. Mina, chained to the wall, golden blood poring from the wound in her head. Mina, lying all too still in the coffin-like bed in the infirmary. Mina, eyes fluttering open as the hermit pulled his hand out of her hair. Finally, Mina, wings unfurling as she plunged headfirst off the cliff. Guilt ate away at him, adding to the worry he already felt over her absence.
He felt a hand lightly touch his shoulder. He turned, surprised to see Raye standing beside him. Her usual expression of extreme dislike was gone, replaced by sympathy and compassion. He nodded slightly, aware that she could read his emotions like a book. She walked away, returning to her place by Jedeite's side.
As he leaned against a balustrade, he wondered again when Mina would make an appearance. The goddess said she'd come back, he reminded himself. I just hope she'll still be Mina when she does.
He glanced around the throne room, observing the other people in the room as they, too, waited for Mina. The princess Serenity leaned lightly against her brother's shoulder. Endyimon hovered nearby, obviously wishing that Serenity would lean against him instead of her brother. Raye, of course, was with Jedeite. A brief smile tugged at Malachite's lips. Jedeite had finally caught the fiery Raye in his trap, and she, in return, had trapped his heart in her own.
The ever-intelligent Amy leaned against suave Zoicite's side as they discussed the evolutionary properties of the senshi. They both spoke in quick, animated bursts, using words that only the two of them could understand. Nearby, the tall brunette known as Lita discussed cooking techniques with Nephlite, who listened avidly as her green eyes sparkled. In another corner, Malachite's rude guide, Artemis, discussed his upcoming wedding with his future bride, Luna.
At first, Malachite resented their conversations, but he quickly realized that their discussions were only a pitiful attempt to concentrate on something other than their worry for Mina. He understood. He was worried, too.
Suddenly, a bright flash of golden lightening flashed in the center of the throne room. Even before she fully materialized, Malachite knew that Mina had finally come. He knew, too, that something was desperately wrong with her.
Mina finally appeared, and all three of the other warriors gasped in fear. He glanced quizzically at Zoicite, who shrugged with equal puzzlement. The other three senshi were backing away from Mina in alarm. Malachite felt an icy finger of fear trail down his spine as he saw the absolute horror on their faces. He glanced at the queen, and was startled to see that the look of horror shadowed her own face.
Malachite looked back at Mina, and his heart constricted as he saw the coldness of her expression. That must be what she sees when you look at her. Mina's gaze passed over each of them in turn, lingering for a moment on Selenity. Pure hatred filled her eyes, and she spoke in a voice that was totally unlike her own. It sounded like the voice of an old woman, roughened with disuse. "Selenity. We meet again. Unfortunately for you, it will be the last time we meet."
Selenity stood, gazing at Mina with anger on her face. "Cassenian," she greeted coldly. Her normally calm face twisted in hatred. "Let Mina go, now, and I might not kill you."
The gravelly voice coming from Mina laughed harshly. "You can't stop me. No one can stop me. I've got your pretty little niece trapped in her own body, and her powers are under my control. The universe is mine."
"Not if I can help it!" shouted Raye, her flaming arrows forming in her hands. "Mars Flame Sniper!" The arrow streaked across the room towards Mina, who disrupted it with a wave of her hand. "Nice try, Martian wench." She held up a second hand, and a gleaming crystal sword appeared from nowhere. "You'll be the first to die." She started to charge, but stopped as suddenly as though she'd hit a brick wall.
"What's going on?" asked Jedeite. Raye scowled at him. "Cassenian may have control of Mina's body, but she can't totally erase Mina's spirit. Mina's fighting her."
Indeed, Mina appeared to be winning. Her body fell to her knees on the cold floor of the throne room, pain and fury covering her features like a shroud. Suddenly, a bubble of bright light filled the air around her, effectively blocking herself off from everyone else in the room.
Raye started to run forward, but Mina held up a shaking hand. "Stay back, Raye," she said in her own voice. "I can only fight her for so long." Her features cleared, and the gravelly voice came back. "Stop fighting me! It's only a matter of time before I have you under as much control as I had your father." She laughed maliciously. "It'll be such a pleasure to get you to kill your beloved as your father killed his." She grinned evilly at Malachite. "How does it feel, earth lord, to watch your soul mate die?"
She stood and picked the crystal sword from off the floor where it had fallen. "I think I'll start with you, after all."
She pointed the sword in Malachite's direction, and the shield that Mina had placed around her began to fade. Suddenly, Mina's body whipped around, and her eyes grew wide in shock and fear. Malachite let his own eyes flow in the same direction, and he echoed her feelings.
Two beings stood, haloed in golden light, on the far side of the room. Their features echoed with an otherworldly calm, and he could easily see through their transparent bodies.
"Aphromina. Remis," whispered Selenity in shock. The woman with the surprising resemblance to Mina smiled at her with love. She held tightly to the hand of the big man standing by her side. "Hello, Selenity," she said.
She turned back to Mina/Cassenian. "It's time to let Mina go, Cassenian. We won't let you do to her what you did to us." She gestured with one of her transparent hands, and the bubble around Mina's body became solid once more.
Mina/Cassenian pointed the crystal sword at the spirit of Mina's mother. "You can't win, mortal queen. She's under my control." The spirit man sighed sadly. "I will always curse the day I found you, Cassenian. For fifteen long years, we waited in that tomb, hoping someone would destroy you before you could spread your infection. You forced me to kill my wife in front of my daughter, dooming her to a lifetime of guilt and nightmares. It won't happen again." He looked at his daughter, searching for some last trace of her soul. He smiled. "Mina is still there, Cassenian. She's too strong in spirit for you to completely expel her. Come out, Mina, and help us fight her." Aphromina, too, looked at Mina. "Do what you have to, Mina. We're waiting for you." The two ghosts wavered and disappeared.
Mina slowly stood, and the pain splashed once again across her features. "I'm coming," she said as she forced the crystal sword into her own stomach. Golden blood welled from the wound, pooling on the floor as she collapsed. The golden shield around her faded as Malachite rushed to her side. He pressed two fingers against her neck, trying desperately to find a pulse.
There wasn't one.
He cradled her head in his arms, and pressed his lips briefly to hers. "Good-bye, love," he whispered as his heart broke into a thousand pieces.