"What?!" Satoru exclaimed angrily. He made his way to the monitor
to look at the map, and in doing so, pushed Hiromi out of her chair. The redhead
scientist let out a small, angered shriek as she fell to the floor with a resounding
'thud'.
Ignoring the low, furious growl which came after the 'thud', Satoru stared at
the map before him. Sure enough, there were no signs to indicate that 'they'
were still inside the cavern.
With all her might, Hiromi managed to push Satoru out of her way, and taking
her place back on the chair. "Stay out of my business, you hear? It was
hard enough to trace them, and I doubt if I can pull it off again! This is your
fault!"
"Don't put the blame on me, woman. You were doing your work over here,
and I was minding mine. You lost them, not I!"
"Oh, just shut up," she wailed, burying her face into her hands. After
a few moments, when they had both calmed down, she lifted her head up and asked
him, "Now what do you plan to do?"
Frowning, Satoru answered, "We wait. We've no choice but to wait and see
what will happen next."
"That's all? Don't you think it would be wise to go after them?"
He shook his head in response. "No. At least not yet. We don't know our
circumstances. It's best we keep out of their way
first."
She closed her eyes and sighed.
* * *
'Makoto...?'
It was his first conscious thought.
Nephrite moaned softly, his head aching. "Makoto?" he called out in
a low, muffled voice. He couldn't shake his senses to proper functioning; he
did not even notice that he was lying face down. He was careful not to budge,
lest his movement cause him worse headache. Damn, where was she? "Mako...?"
A groan answered him. That prompted him to lift his head up slightly. "Makoto,"
he said, in a louder voice, "is that you?"
"It's me," came the feeble reply. Then in a stronger, indignant voice,
"Do you mind unburying yourself from my--from me?"
thing--or rather someone soft underneath. With a start, he rolled off from what
he assumed was Makoto. "Sorry," he mumbled.
"So heavy...couldn't breath..." Makoto muttered, catching her breath
as she sat up. She mumbled something more, but Nephrite thought he heard enough
and grudgingly apologized.
"Sorry. Couldn't see you."
"Sure," she grumbled. Then blinking a few times, she said, "I
can't see a damn thing either! Where are we, anyway?"
"I don't have any idea..." he replied, and then paused, feeling her
shiver. "What's the matter?" he asked.
"I feel strange...warm and lightheaded. What about you?"
"I don't feel anything, except for this hell of a headache."
"You're one to talk," she snapped. "You fell on top of me, not
the other way around. I should be the one feeling pain right now."
"Thanks," he said, grinning unrepentantly. She couldn't see it anyway.
But she detected amusement in his voice. "What for?" she asked him.
"For catching me."
She snorted in disgust. "Well, I--what the heck?!"
Greenish light suddenly flashed, blinding them both. Makoto tried to shield
her already hurting eyes, and Nephrite did the same. When she felt the area
gradually becoming less bright, she opened her eyes slowly, and then gasped
at the sight that greeted her.
They were in the center of a large area enclosed by crystalline walls. Walls
that emitted a faint, emerald glow. Tiny, cylindrical crystals which were bright
green in color randomly outlined the whole place, standing like candles offered
in prayer.
Nephrite couldn't believe his eyes. As he slowly got to his feet, he murmured
dazedly: "What is this place?"
"I don't know," came Makoto's reply, "But I think this means
we're close to getting what we came here for." She stood up slowly after
making that speculation and instinctively moved closer to him. Her eyes searched
for anything that would prove her opinion true.
Suddenly, she began to feel lightheaded again, but this time, her skin only
felt a certain coolness.
"Uhh, Makoto?"
His voice sounded a little strange. "What is it?", she asked, still
not facing him.
"We're floating."
She gasped in surprise, as she glanced down at their feet which were dangling
in the air. "What's happening?"
"Well don't ask me," he said, looking around him, a bemused look on
his face. "If I knew, then don't you think I would have said something?
Shouldn't you know about this kind of stuff?"
When she didn't answer back at all, Nephrite's attention turned back to her.
He watched, with growing confusion, as her eyes shut close and her face contorted
in pain. Alarmed, Nephrite called out her name. Seeing that she seemed to have
lost her consciousness,
he closed the distance between them and drew her into his arms as heshook her
gently, calling out her name again in a soft whisper.
"Makoto.. Mako, come on, what's wrong with you?" He shook her again,
and tapped her cheek lightly, hoping to get more reponse. "Makoto, snap
out of it!"
"She cannot hear you, mortal. At least not yet..."
Startled at the mysterious voices he suddenly heard, Nephrite immediately took
a defensive stance, but saw then that there was no one else in sight except
for Makoto and himself. "Who are you?" He demanded. His eyes narrowed
suspiciously, and he felt his senses sharpen in pure instinct.
Again, both voices spoke simulatenously in response, as if they were coming
from one source. Nephrite took note of the difference between the voices; one
was deeper, sounding like a grown man's, while the other was a lighter and more
delicate tone of voice, similar to a female's. "I believe I should be asking
you that, impudent mortal."
Nephrite ignored the threatening way the words were said, and bit right back,
"Show yourselves!"
Bone-chilling laughter burst in response. "Yourselves? You are obviously
under the wrong impression...that there is more of me."
"What are you trying to say?"
Whoever or whatever it was, wasn't one to mince words. "That I am a single
being. The lone spirit of mikazuki cavern."
~ ~ ~
"Ami? Ami!?!"
Her breathing was shallow. And she would not wake up.
"What did you do to her?" Zoicite demanded angrily from the mysterious,
unseen being which had spoken to him earlier. Carefully, he lifted the unconcious
lady in his arms with ease, as his eyes searched for some place where he could
tend to her properly.
Without a single word spoken, he walked calmly to a corner, where he brought
Ami down with care. As he stood up, he slowly unsheathed the broadsword from
his side.
In a low voice, deceptively devoid of emotion, he asked, "What do you want?"
"If you worry for the woman, mortal, you can set your mind at ease."
After a few seconds of silence, he repeated his question, ignoring the earlier
statement, and the tone of his voice unchanged.
Zoicite glowered at the meaning implied by the words spoken to him. He decided
to ignore it. And then, as if an afterthought, he said, "You can't know
who she is. You're not making sense."
Ominous laughter followed his words. "You don't need to protect her from
me, mortal."
"I'll be the judge of that," he bit back.
"It is you who should be doubted."
Zoicite straightened up, his brows knitted together in confusion. But before
he could question further, the mysterious being spoke again, in a voice that
chilled him to the core.
"You came here for something of value, have you not? But surely you don't
expect to get it so easily. That shall be rectified, I assure you. Are you prepared,
mortal?"
This time, Zoicite did not bother to question the guardian's motives anymore,
as much as he wanted to. For some strange reason, he suddenly felt the urgency
to protect and defend himself as well as Ami from this mysterious being.
And so his answer was to hold his sword tightly in front of him, keeping his
senses sharp to feel every possible movement around him. He did not fully comprehend
why all of these were happening, but what he did understand was that danger
was fast approaching. And until everything made sense, he had to be alive, fighting
his way for it.
~ ~ ~
'Princess!'
'What? Where...am I?'
'Princess Venus...'
'...'
'Princess... I know you can hear me.'
'Who are you? And what have you done to me? Why can't I see a thing?'
'Patience, princess. You are unharmed.'
'Why do you keep calling me that!? Who are you?'
'I am the guardian of this cavern. Don't be afraid.'
'I am not. But how do you know me?'
'Unlike your male companions, I know who you are, princess. Because you are
a guardian, same as I, but much more different. You are one of the sworn protectors
of the Moon Princess, who is the temple of the ginzuishou. And as immortal as
your ward and the rest of your fellow guardians.'
'You are...'
'Yes, the guardian of the blue crystal fragment who has been awakened by her
disappearance and your coming. It is time, isn't it?'
'...Yes.'
'I have figured as much. Already I can feel the power trapped by mortal blood
which flows inside of you. It has not yet taken root completely, and that proves
your fortune. Yes, it is time. I shall give you the nijizuishou, and bid you
good luck in finding the others.'
'You do not know where they are?'
'Unfortunately, princess, only one of them fell in my grasp. The others have
taken root elsewhere. But the one I am about to give to you and your fellow
guardians is a clue itself. It will be a great help in finding the other ones.'
'We appreciate this loyal service of yours.'
'Indeed, you are very kind princess. But I was created to serve this sole purpose.
I exist for no other reason.'
'I see... The queen was truly wise.'
'And one other thing.'
'What is it?'
'Your companions... The men.'
'What about them?'
'I sense trouble in them.'
'Trouble? What do you mean trouble?'
'A strange feeling. A very disturbing one. Why are you and the others with them?
You could be endangering yourselves.'
'It's not as if we've revealed who we really are. And...we need them. We found
out something about them that may prove very useful as well. Actually, Mercury
did, and it is quite opposite of what you are feeling. We think that they or
at least some of them may be the keys, or one of the keys to unlocking the mystery
of Serenity's disappearance.'
'Why is that?'
'General Zoicite unknowingly confided a strange link, or a connection to Prince
Endymion. It seems the case with the lot of them. We very well can't let them
slip from our midst if that is indeed the case.'
'Perhaps. You could be right. In any case, I am putting them all in a test.'
'A test you say?'
'Yes. Care to take a look?'
~ ~ ~
'Of course...'
'Very well.'
Rei opened her eyes, albeit dazedly at first. She blinked a few times, in attempt
to clear out her blurred vision. When she finally did have a clear view, she
gasped.
'Are you sure I'm awake?' she asked.
'Of course. Your general is right in front of you.'
'And so am I! Is that myself I'm seeing or what?'
Rei continued to stare, aghast at seeing herself--rather, her unconcious body
lying on the ground.
'That's you, alright. But not to worry. You'll return to your body soon enough
after this is over.'
'After all this was over?' Rei thought to herself. 'But what happens
if he fails?'
'We'll see.'
Rei remained quiet, transfixed at the scene unfolding before her. For some reason,
she chose not to discuss it anymore.
We'll see...
Jadeite.
'Do your best...' Rei mumbled softly, as she mentally wished the handsome
general good luck. Then she continued to watch, as Jadeite fought hard against
his opponents, his face with an unmistakably determined look...
His lips curled slightly into a triumphant smile as he saw that the lot of the
youma did as he expected. But his triumph was short-lived, as he brought down
a single, swift slice in front of him, and found out that he might as well have
sliced through thinair.
His eyes widened considerably at what he just witnessed, and he felt a growing
dread within him, making his blood run cold. 'How could this be?'
A hard blow to his chin was delivered in his momentary daze, but he quickly
retaliated as a reflex action with a slash of his blade. But like what happened
before, his sword sliced through thin air, the youma left unharmed.
Unmistakable confusion crossed his handsome features. Then slowly, realization
began to pour in. 'They're not...'
He held his ground for a moment, before flipping nimbly to the other side, then
dashing to open space. The pain in his jaw lingered for a moment, so he brushed
the back of his fist against the edges of his mouth. He was not surprised as
the sight of bright red blood greeted his eyes.
"Damn..." he cursed silently. The feeling of dread grew increasingly
strong.
Positioning himself at a safer distance, he resumed a defensive stance. Grim
thoughts continued to flow through his mind, ever since realization hit him...hard.
A single question was at the surface of these very thoughts...
How is he going to fight enemies that were not real?
them, and yet they remained unharmed, like they were not there. Does
this mean...?'
'Have you figured it out?'
'Illusions?'
'Yes. It's all an illusion, but it can hurt him still. Unlike you, Princess
Mars, I was not born with such a powerful gift. My creator, Queen Serenity,
could not allow me the freedom to weild that kind of power of course, and also--she
wouldn't be able to handle it. But she did give me "this" as a weapon
to mislead possible humans who might reach far enough inside this cavern in
search of treasure. Also, I was only a back-up plan, so she was not even certain
if the need for me would arise.'
'I see, but... These illusions are able to hurt him, but the same thing can't
be said for him. How is he going to win this fight?'
'They are merely illusions. He only has to see through them, distinguish
what is real and what is not with senses that can be trusted. If he is a formidable
ally, he'll find his way through. If not, he isn't worth your time.'
Rei turned her gaze mutely back at the fight in front of her. Would he be able
to it? "Come on, Jadeite," she found herself saying through gritted
teeth. "Don't let them fool you. You must find a way to defeat them!"
His eyes shut close as he received the impact of the blow. But even then, he
didn't need to see just how far he was thrown back because of it, having felt
the full force on his whole body. The excruciating pain made his lids heavier,
and the pouding on his chest faster and louder.
He was not aware of it, but his breathing became deep and heavy. The beating
of his heart slowed down to its normal pace.
But still he did not move.
The youmas were not real. But how was he going to make them go away?
He could feel nothing.
Hear nothing.
Flesh instinctively enclosed on cold steel. Jadeite found his hand gripping
the handle of his broadsword tightly. His eyes remained closed as he strained
to hear or feel anything at all. He waited. He stood up slowly, but did not
open his eyes. There it was, another blow. He was struck hard.
But still he did not open his eyes.
Because now he understood what he must do.
He concentrated hard, focusing mind and soul on his objective. It was like grasping
desperately on something invisible to the naked eye. Feeling his way, like a
blind man searching his way with his palms.
Now he knew.
They did not exist. They were never real. It was his own feeling of urgency
and fear that he was fighting with. The images he could see were sent to confuse
his mind. And that was what he was fighting with all along.
But now his eyes were closed. The window to his mind was closed. And his resolve
to feel the empty space around him made the barrier more invincible.
Be gone, be gone. A chant that echoed through his mind.
Slowly, he opened his eyes.
There it was, right before him. The youma. The illusion.
A thunderous roar came out from it's monstrous mouth, as it lifted its arm to
strike once more. But Jadeite remained still. He did not move.
The youma's arm came down...and went through the young general's body, as if
he weren't there.
General Jadeite's lips curled once more into a triumphant grin.
'He passed your test,' Rei remarked.
'Yes he did. And so did the other generals.'
'What do you mean? They are safe?'
'Yes. I told you that all of them should be tested for
competence. All of them passed; each in the same shape as the
other. It was no easy task for mortals, I'll have you know.'
'So they got their beating, too, didn't they?'
'You could say that. And now as I promised, I shall return
you to your body, and hand over the nijizuishou. But Princess...'
'What is it?'
'Please be careful. They may have proven their skills, but
do not trust them so easily. Find out as many as you can about
them. I can still sense something in them, something different from
the other mortals and it may be dangerous. You cannot be so sure
as of now. Take care.'
'I will.'
~ ~ ~
Ami opened her eyes, and the first sight that greeted her was General Zoicite's
handsome--even if it were a bit bruised--face, looking over hers in obvious
concern. She reached out to touch the hair which had come loose from his ponytail
and were now spilling from the sides of his face--also matted in sweat and blood.
Ami shook her head to clear her muddled thoughts and tried to sit up. "I'm
alright. But what about you?" She frowned, looking over the general's tired
face. "You look awful. We should get it cleaned up right away, Zoicite-sama."
Zoicite winced. "Please, Ami. That's even worse than calling me 'General'
all the time."
Ami looked up at him and blushed. "W-well.."
"Call me Zoicite, alright?" He said to her with a boyish grin on his
lips.
A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. She couldn't help it, with him looking
at her like that. "Zoicite," she said then with a flourish, and laughed
with him afterwards. She shook her head. "Come on," she said, pulling
him with her as she stood up. "You've worked your way through, and now
the guardian is giving us what we want."
He looked at her questioningly. "What do you mean? Are you saying you knew
what was going on, about the fight? But you were unconscious!"
She sighed. She explained to him about the spirit-guardian and the nijizuishou,
leaving out the particular details he was not supposed to know yet. She promised
to explain further on their way home. "Right now, we should hurry,"
she insisted. "We still have to clean you up."
"But how are we going to get out of here?"
"Don't worry," she replied. "It should be any minute now."
She almost laughed aloud when Zoicite cast her another another frustrated and
confused look.
~ ~ ~
A bright white light blinded them both, and interrupted Kunzite in the middle
of his scolding.
One minute the silver-haired general had his hands on her shoulders, looking
as if he were going to throttle her, the next, they were in a glittering room
surrounded by the rest of their party. Minako blinked once...twice...then cried
in joy as she leapt towards Ami, the one nearest to her, arms wide open. "Minna!
You're alright!"
Kunzite's stern look faded a bit, as he watched the blonde-haired girl hug her
friends. He shook his head, deciding to give up for now. But he would definitely
have his talk with her about her impulsive actions. He remembered how she immediately
jumped in to follow her friend, Rei, as she saw her disappearing slowly before
her very eyes. It was a very impulsive move, one that could have caused her
her own life. She agreed to be under his protection for this mission, so he
would make sure of her safety as he saw fit. He had to make her see his point.
A hand rested upon his shoulder to call him to attention. Kunzite turned around
and saw that it was Zoicite. "Kunzite," he said. "Don't look
so grim. We're going to get the nijizuishou, so try to look a little happier,
okay?"
Jadeite came behind them, along with Nephrite, chuckling. "He's right.
We're one step closer to Mamoru-kun."
At the mention of their Prince's name, Nephrite grunted. Then he looked around
them, and said, "Well, what now?"
Barely had he finished speaking, when the ground shook and a smooth, slab of
stone emerged from below. It was the same one they saw earlier, before they
all got separated. But this time, a small shining blue gem floated in the center
of the star. It was the nijizuishou.
A hush fell over them, and for a moment, all of them just stood there, staring
at it.
Then Kunzite stepped forward, reaching out to get a hold of the blue crystal.
Holding it carefully between his hands, he slipped it in a small, velvet pouch,
then handed over it to Minako.
Minako looked at it for a long time, before finally looking up at him.
"Let's go," he said.
She nodded, and followed after him. She smiled to herself.
They were one step closer to Serenity.
* * *
Kunzite did not look at her as he answered, maintaining the serious look on
his handsome face. "Yes. We're entering the gates now. Rest, and don't
worry about it. Prince Saitou has undoubtedly been informed of our arrival.
I will handle it from here."
Minako turned to look at her friends. Ami and Rei were both sleeping. Generals
Zoicite and Jadeite were both quite awake, as were Kunzite and Nephrite. Makoto,
who was of course, riding with General Nephrite, was awake as well, even though
she looked so tired. Minako sighed then, and allowed herself to lie softly against
Kunzite. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.
Kunzite stiffened slightly as he felt the girl's weight against his chest. He
resisted the overwhelming urge to look at her sleeping face, which he knew would
look soft and angelic. This girl was affecting him strangely, especially in
her cheerfulness, though he would never admit it. He did not know what it was,
but he didn't think he liked it.
His thoughts broke off for a moment when felt her head slipping from its position
on his shoulder, and he moved to adjust it comfortably. He heard her sigh contentedly,
and softly, almost inaudibly...
He frowned, suddenly uneasy.
Strange.
* * *
"You think you're strong, don't you?" She said in her low, husky voice.
She smiled smugly at the image that appeared in her crystal ball as she stroked
its smooth, glassy surface. Brilliant, violet lights shoot from within the orb
to follow the trail of her fingertips.
"You are, you know, for having eluded me all this time. That is why I have
been so patient with you." She laughed, and her crimson eyes seemed to
sparkle in the darkness of her lair. She stood up from her throne, her auburn
hair gracefully cascading over her shoulders as she did so.
Then her eyes narrowed to tiny slits, as she hissed at the image of the girl
in a long, white dress, curled up in a fetal position, and her hair flowing
about her shoulders. "But for how long will you last, my sweet, moon princess?"
-----------------------------
Sorry for taking such a long time to finish this chapter. And yes, I know--it's
not so great even after all that time (and it is kind of confusing, the
way I switched from one scenario to another--that's why I decided to do it in
one whole flow). This is a rough draft. But anyway, I plan the next chapter
to be more on character development, so it's bound to be better! ^_^ Please
tell me what you think, and if you have questions, don't hesitate to ask.
I added a few more things. I've told you before that it was still a rough draft
when I submitted it. Actually, I just changed the Prince of Leon's name, and
I added a few more paragraphs in the scene of Minako and Kunzite as they enter
the Kingdom of Leon (Silverwood).
It's not really important but I try to add as much character development as
I can.