AN: Okay I finally got the chapter done, sorry about the delay, but I to have a life. Right now softball is taking up a lot of it, we are currently in a tournament and I don't get to stop working it until about 9 every night, I start at nine in the morning, with games in between, if we play. Finals are also coming up, so be patient with me, it will speed up once school ends, and my life slows down.
I skimmed over the chapter, so if there are any mistakes I am sorry you guys, I tried, but it is currently 11:34 at night, and I have had a long day. I will re-upload later, once I go back over it, but I figured you all would want the chapter before much longer.
Warnings? Um, Justin is freaky again, and slight cussing, also all questions shall in the end be answered.
Thank you, all of you, who have reviewed my story so far, you all are the best! I really appreciate it, and I will do my best to get my chapters out as soon as I can for you all!
Okay enough rambling on my part, here is your chapter.
~~~
They were the hunters; they were the hunted. They were the Prince's of darkness; rulers of the night. No man dared deny them; no women tried. It was a curse that should have killed them, only to make them even stronger…
As they thirsted for blood, for innocence, and what they could never have…
They were the hunters; not just the hunted…
Revenge was first on their mind…hatred was not far behind
As they searched the world for those they had lost.
And soulmates they could only dream about, it was a danger world, and one they took hand in hand. To defeat the queen, and free themselves of a curse.
~~~
Minako had, had many reactions in her life, to various things, but never in her life had she been as shocked as she was when Lady Venus had appeared in her head, and told her that she was actually her. That she, Minako, and the Lady were one and the same. That in one far off time and place she had been the high commander of great armies, chief protector of the Princess Serenity-who was Serena-that she was also the Princess, and heir, to Venus, and she could kick some major ass. Even take on that asshole, who had almost made her into chop sticks, and win. Now, she was dressed in a mini skirt, a ridiculous-but kinda cute-bow, had a ribbon in her hair, and had sandals on. She also knew she had a wicked sword somewhere-at the moment she didn't have a clue where it was-and all this knowledge came from the words, Venus Power. She was gonna have to be careful how she threw those particular words around.
Taking a look at the girls in front of her, her amazement grew. They too were wearing matching outfits, very similar to her, but with differences. From Rei's-she fought back a snicker-high heel's, to Makoto's funny hairdo. They also had jewelry on. Letting her hands go to her neck, she found, that she to had a necklace on, her hands going further upward, she found the earrings, in her previously none pierced ears.
For only married women were allowed to wear them, it was sign that they had given themselves totally to a man, and their love would not change. If a women took off her earrings she was put to death, for it meant she no longer obeyed her husband. That was one of the three deadly crimes. Shuddering slightly she looked at the others, again, and found to her amusement that they too were slightly stunned fish looks. Especially Makoto, who had refused as a child or adult to wear anything feminine, and since she was bigger that the rest of the women in the village, and men didn't give a crap, she generally got her way.
"What is going on?" Serena demands, her hands propped on her hips as she glares at the others as if they had something to do with the fact that she was in a mini skirt, and her normal hairstyle had some funny looking round things on it.
"We, apparently, become one with the Ladies again." Ami says, while eyeing the rest of the girls, as if afraid that they would jump down her throat about speaking up.
Minako had the funny feeling that Ami would be able to figure this whole thing out, and come up with a plan of action, while she Minako just gapped at her. Mentally slapping herself, she brought her mind back to the present, she needed to pay more attention to the others, she was the leader now, or at least that was what the little voice in the back of her head was telling her.
"Go on." Rei says weakly, the color had returned to her lips, but her face was still pallor that usual. The only consolation that the others had that she was going to be okay was that her eyes sparkled with a hidden fire and she looked ready to take on the world, or fry one specific blond. Minako realized suddenly.
"You at least have an idea." Makoto finished for her while her eyes took in all the girls to make sure they were all right. She had always been sort of the mother of the group.
"What I got from Lady Mercury, was the every planet had a guardian in the past. We," Motioning to the other girls she nods and continues, "Were those guardians. Not only did we defend out planets in time of need we protected, the Princess of the Moon. That was Princess Serenity, no known as Serena."
Nodding her head Serena smiled weakly. "That much I know."
Gaining confidence in her knew knowledge, Ami smiles softly. "There was a war, and all the kingdoms were destroyed, beyond repair, and most of the people fled to the earth. Even the people of the moon, we stayed with the Princess, and when another war broke out with our enemy, the five of us used our powers to lock the evil within her back. We could not lock the carrier up, but we did lock the dark one up. We also had to stay here, our essences, to keep watch until we were reborn. Not just because of Mar's prophecy," For they all knew now who had had the dream of fate, "But because if Earth was to survive we had to keep our knowledge in tact."
"Great," Makoto mummers while glaring at the trees.
She, Minako, could only guess at what information they had just imparted on her friend. Whatever it was it did not make her happy. Deciding not to ask just what they were telling her yet she turns to the rest of the girls. "So what is our next move?"
"We must go to Teko." Serena says thoughtfully.
"Why?" Rei demands, weakly, but it was still a demand.
"Because that is were we hid those books Mercury, didn't want anyone else to find. You don't remember it?"
Blinking Minako, nodded, she did. She remembered the fear of that night, that they would not get it done, or would be found. She remembered sneaking around, whispering sweet nothings in guard's ears, only to have Makoto beat them with some kind of stick-or staff-and she remembered the relief they had all experienced at having the job done.
"I remember." We all seemed to say at the same time; our voiced were grated, cold, as if we were trying not to. Those had been hard, cruel times, and I for one was not happy that we had to re-live them.
"She is right you know." Makoto murmurs softly, while a scowl made itself across her features.
"What do you mean?" Rei grumbles, her expression stating she didn't want to anywhere.
"I mean the trees are reminding me of that god-forsaken library, and there is something else there as well. Something they say we need to take care off." Shrugging at their questioning looks she sighs. "I don't know what it is either."
"Then I guess we need to get going," Minako murmurs, before hesitantly reaching up, and touching her tiara, when she suddenly was in her normal clothes, she felt like crying with relief. She had really not wanted to have to deal with a mini skirt in that big town. It had been bad news hundreds of years ago; she did not want to think about how bad it would be now.
Following her example the other girls did the same, and all of them-especially Makoto-had relief plastered across their features at the ability to take of the skirts.
Leaning down Makoto picks Rei's still form up, before nodding her head. She would carry Rei, Minako realized, before throwing her hands up in defeat. Maybe one day she would stop this second guessing shit, until then, life was going to be interesting, at the very least.
~~~
"What happened to those girls." Endymion demands angrily, his expression cold. They were walking calmly throughout their city, one of them anyway it was not heavily populated by their people, and they were constantly fighting werewolves out of here.
Shrugging Kunzite kick's the sign, which read 'Welcome to Teko' in big bold letters, over. "I have no clue," Came his cold voice, it was distant though, as if he was not really paying attention. Then again he probably wasn't.
"Wherever it was, I guarantee you, we won't be able to track them, if she is a carrier like you said she was." Zach murmurs softly, his own features more thoughtful than angry. "In fact they all may be carriers."
"Of the moon? Hardly not, the little firebrand threw fire, not silver light." Justin replies, his expression amused, but anger glittered in his blue eyes, dangerous anger.
"Do they have to be off the moon?" Nathan questions his friends; he off all the others held more wonderment than anger. Endymion knew why.
Nathan was a mind master; he could control a human's mind without really trying. He was also the most skilled at coming up with the hidden messages just from watching someone walk or talk. A trick they had developed with the help of long hours just watching people interact. The fact that the girl had kept him off balance, and had kept him from reading his mind made her dangerous. But because the stars would not let him kill her that made her more, it made her an equal, and a potential mate, and that made her even more dangerous.
"No," Zach murmurs his mind whirling; they could in fact almost see the wheels moving. "If there is a carriers of the moon then why not a carrier of another planet, or moon?"
"Excuse my stupidity but what is a carrier?" Justin demands, while glaring at the rest of the men.
"You mean you don't remember our classes on the planets before they were destroyed or at least what little we knew, when we were younger?" Endymion says surprised, it had been his favorite class, one of the few he had paid attention to.
"If your talking about a class from hundreds of years ago, then the answer is NO. Besides I never paid attention in those classes." He snaps angrily his blue eyes practically glowing with his emotions. He was a very passionate man, and gave his full with everything he did. So the fact that a mere women, powerful or no, was escaping him was infuriating him. Combine that without a good feeding in about 48 hours and you had one moody Justin.
A vampire had to eat more frequently when his or her abilities/powers were used more often. With the attacks of the werewolves, and tracking the girl, they were all getting frustrated. Which was why they were here, it had been about 48 hours since they had lost track of the women, and they had been looking for them since, they had given up in the light of the fact that they needed to eat, some of them more than others, but still all of them needed food. The bigger the town the easier it was to find some miserable person who didn't need to be around anymore. An abusive husband, a drunk, or someone who didn't give a shit what they did to someone else. They were cruel, but if they could help someone by taking away a family member who was doing them more harm then good, then they did. It was one of the few things they could not for people anymore.
"Apparently every planet had guardians/carriers though very little is known about them. The moon though, we did know more about. It was the most powerful and was recognized by silver hair and a silver light when their powers were used. Thus the reason the moon light is silver, or so they said." Endymion recites dutifully, his mind taking him back to the classes from so long ago.
Those had been easier times, before the war, before the pain, before the destruction. When it had been just him, and his general's, they had been happy to. Dancing, chasing the girls, and basically living life to the fullest. They had been 17 when they had started a war, 22 when they had ended it. Then at 23 they had been changed, forever. Thanks to the bitch, there lives goal was now, to find someone to mate, and to kill the bitch. So far nothing was working, they had a better chance of someone breaking the curse.
"Which would explain why they can control the elements and we can not." Zach says.
"Ya, they would be controlling what their planet granted them. Like we control, crystal, earth, power, stars, and mind stuff." Endymion replies with a nod.
"Mind stuff?" Justin growls dangerously.
"Sorry Justin," Endymion answers testily. Justin controlled the mind, and plasma bolts, which was funny because he was not as good as Nathan at persuasion. Could he take down your defensives, and if he needed to your body? Hell ya, he just could not persuade you to do stuff, he made you do it.
"Forgiven." The older man grumbles, his emotions still running high, he really needed to eat.
"I think we should split up before we kill each other," Kunz says calmly, "Not only will it give us time to think, but it will be easier to find food if we do."
"I will go this way." Justin snaps stomping off.
"Really some times he reminds me of a child." Zach murmurs, "You coming Endy?" Nodding his head the King follows his general. Zach had a lot of talent for finding people who needed to leave the world. And he was getting very hungry.
Shrugging Kunz and Nathan rolled their eyes.
"After you." Nathan mummers calmly, before following his leading commander.
~~~
"Finally," Rei mumbles, while limping behind Makoto. They had been walking for two days and had come across more problems than any of them had ever wanted to mess with.
First Makoto had fallen into that damn hole with the both of them, effectively covering them with mud. Then Serena had fallen in the river, how she had managed that neither one of them knew. Then Ami had proclaimed that they needed to cross the swamp, shuddering slightly Rei tried not to think about all the snakes they had seen. She Rei hated snakes, with a passion; they were nasty smiley creatures that needed to be taken down big time.
Pulling her mud caked hair out of her face Minako shook her head. "Where is this library again? I want in and out of this city, I don't like it."
"Me either." Rei murmurs looking around, she had the funny feeling that they were being watched. She didn't like it either.
"There are no plants," Makoto whispers looking around, "How do you live without plants?"
"This place is so sad." Serena murmurs looking around her large eyes even bigger, "And everyone looks so sad."
"Let's get moving," Ami says softly, her tiny super computers in her hand and it was beeping softly. "Things are heading towards the city, I am not sure what they are, but I think they are werewolves, what we want is on the edge of the city, so we must get going."
"Let's go them." Taking off in a very fast walk they found the library without much trouble. Once there it took Ami only a few moments to find the books that they had hidden so long ago.
Looking at the slightly musty books in front of them, the girls all raised their eyebrows.
"Huh, this is nice." Serena says, while using her thumb and for finger to plug her nose. "They stink."
"They have been buried for a few hundred years, what did you expect?" Rei snaps irritable.
Blinking at her friend Serena shrugs. "They still stink."
"I think they are all intact." Ami murmurs softly, her expression delighted, as she looks them over. "But I need to be in a place where I can look them over better to make sure."
"Let's get going then." Rei says, "Whatever you found on your scanner is getting closer."
Nodding their heads the girls stand as one, only to get hit from behind.
"What the hell?" Minako snarls while flipping the wolf off on her back.
"Were under attack!" Serena screams.
"Really?" Rei snaps back before throwing her hand up. "Mars Power!"
The pillar of flame, which erupted around her, managed to kill the beast coming at her from behind. Whirling around, she nodded, at the site of the rest of the girls, once again, in their Senshi forms, only to have something rip down her side, and back causing. Falling to her knees, she gaps with pain, it felt like fire was running up, and down her back, and she was powerless to stop it.
"REI" Makoto yells horror written across her features, before determination replaced them.
"Supreme Thunder!" Ripped from her lips, as thunder rolled towards the creature. 'Sorry Rei if I hityou.' A few moments later the creature was effectively knocked off her friend, and into the wall.
"We have to get out of her now!" Serena yells grabbing her crystal.
"There are just to many of them!"
"Teleport now!" Minako yells, praying that they could handle the blind teleport, without problems, or death.
A blind teleport could kill you, if you were lucky, the least it would do was remove a few limbs. Minako had the vague feeling, that they had done it more than once in their past life, she was praying that their luck was still with them, before all of them disappeared in flashes of light.
"Nodding their heads, the five girls concentrate, before disappearing from sight, leaving several creatures confused. Where had their prey gone?
~~~
Walking calmly down one of the deserted streets of the city, Justin smiled coldly to himself. It was easier to find prey around here than it was anywhere else. They were always huddled up in a corner somewhere praying that God would come, and take their poor contemptible lives from them. He was no God, but immortal came damn close, at least it was as close as they in their pitiable lives were going to see.
For him the luck never stopped running, in fact it took him little to now time to find a meal. It was an old beggar, who had nothing to look forward to. No children, no wife, no family, his legs had long ago stopped working thanks to blot clots, and diabetes. The only reason he was even alive was that an old women brought him food each day, she felt sorry for him, but even in his state of mind, he felt wrong about taking from her.
Shaking his head Justin grabbed him; the man would no longer have to worry about his inability to help himself. Or taking from an old woman, he would take care of all of it. In the process he would be helping someone, someone who would make sure that his gift of his life's blood would be put into good use.
Draining the man took little under three minutes the man really was not a full meal, but he eased his hunger, taking off down in the street he calmly looked for another sacrifice.
Turning the corner something red caught his eyes, to the point of where if forced him to turn around. The color screamed at his eyes, it was to bright for this part of town, to rare, no one would be caught dead wearing the color anyway. It was symbol; a symbol that stated you belonged to one of the un dead, for it was what they marked their treasures with. Or at least that was what the commoner believed, personally it depended on your tastes. Or at least what your mate preferred.
Walking towards the thing he felt his breath catch in his throat, it was the girl, it was Rei. What he saw shattered his soul. She was lying in a pool of her own blood, and she was paler than death herself.
Leaning down quickly Justin checked her pulse, it was weak but still there, he had to strain his ears to pick it up in fact. She would not-he realized-last much longer. There was no time to call Zach, grabbing the knife out of his boot Justin sank his fangs into her wrist, and drank, not much for she had little to give. She was already in the danger area, for her blood was sweeter than honey, it was that stage right before one died. Pulling away he slit his own wrist before moving it to her lips. Letting the blood run onto her pale lips, tilting her head back her forced her to drink. The magic in his blood, combined with what he had just taken from her, would save her. But it would also bond her to him; it was, he knew, inevitable. He had known from the beginning, she was a possible match, but only time would tell if the bond would work.
Scooping up her smaller body he cuddled her close, before he started walking back through the streets. It was up to her now; he had given her the means to survive, now it was up to her will, and her ability to fight off the darkness. For better or worse, if she lived, a part of her belonged to him now.
~~~
Opening her eyes Ami looked around cautiously, they were in one piece, and by the loud breathing she guessed that it was Serena, w ho had managed to tag along with her.
"Ami?" Serena questions her voice a mixture of joy and fear.
"Ya, Sere?" The blue headed Senshi answers just as softly. Her rapid heartbeat slowing as they stood their, her own relief at having one of the girls with her showing in her eyes. She would hate to be alone right now, with werewolves running around, and vampires ready to make you into a stake meal.
"Where are we?" She questions while trying to take in the whole scene, her already large eyes bigger than the rest of her.
Following suit, Ami looked around the place, her own eyes widening slightly. They had arrived in the rich part of town. The houses were five times anything Ami had ever seen in her life, even when she and her mother had walked around the towns, when they were younger, just to see the houses. They also screamed 'rich people', which made Ami nervous she had never been good with those types. They had always looked down upon her and her family because they could not afford silk clothing or items.
"Somewhere with a lot of lavish people." Ami murmurs softly, it was as if they were under a spell. If they moved or breathed wrong all the richness would leave, and be gone and they once more would be in the dark part of the town. All by themselves with out the others and that alone scared Ami. She had never been good without someone their to back her up. She loved Serena but all the girl could, at the moment, was throw a crystal around and wave magic words. It didn't really help them in the long run.
"Well, well what do we have here?" A male voice grated out over the night air, its tone sent chills up and down the girl's spines, turning, they knew, what it was before they ever saw it.
There were five of them to be exact, and all of them were looking at them like they were their next meal. Before anyone could react Ami moved.
"Ice shards," She breathed coldly, no one was eating her today. That was when she noticed a couple of things. Her attack was powerful, so powerful in fact that it almost sent her to her knees, as ice came from deep within.
"Ami!" Serena yells her voice horrified as she watched the pain show clearly on her friend's face.
"I am all right." She murmurs before looking up and finding to her surprise, that that all the remained was a bunch of dust. "How odd."
"So look who decided to show up in our neck of the woods?" A smooth male voice murmurs.
Whipping around the two girls started in shock at the two men they had been trying to avoid for the last to days. "Endymion," Ami says coldly, "Zachary."
"That is Zach to you my lady." He murmurs his eyes taking her form in.
"Bastard works just as well." Serena chirps causing their eyes to fly upwards in surprise.
Using the distraction Ami called her abilities up once more, "Shabon Spray." She snaps, causing her fog to envelop the night air.
"Didn't we just run?" Serena wails softly.
"Yes, and were doing it again, now run." Ami snaps, all the while praying, that they would not catch them.
~~~
"Where they hell are we?" Minako raps to Makoto, while picking herself out of the position that they had managed to fall into.
"Your guess is as good as mine." Makoto replies sarcastically while shoving the smaller girl off of her, she had gotten a face full of butt, somehow, and did not appreciate it in the least. "I would say the druggie part of town."
"Great, just great, if anyone tries to cop a feel I swear they are dead faster then I can muster an attack." She snarls her eyes taking in the surroundings. She was after all the leader of the Senshi, and as far as she was concerned, that meant, no touchy.
"Okay." Looking around at her surrounding's Makoto could only shake her head in sympathy. She had not been kidding earlier; this was the worst place she had ever seen in her life. The streets were littered with trash, and there was some kind of nasty-green looking-ooze running down the street. The houses were dark, and falling apart, each one of them looked like a storm would knock them down.
"How can someone or something let this much pain happen to their people." Minako whispers, her eyes filled with pain, she to carried much compassion. Even though it was hidden behind her facade of anger, or coolness.
"Looks like dinner ran into us tonight." A soft female voice says, its tones ringing across the small open space in the filth.
"Didn't we just leave this group?" Makoto groans her green eyes flashing with a deep anger; she was tired of all this running.
"Don't worry when we are through with you wont have to run any more." The woman replies her dark eyes darting rapidly around the girls.
"You know," Minako drawls her expression mischievous, "My mother always taught me never to hit a lady." Clenching her fist she hit the women faster than Minako had ever seen, a person hit someone else. "But for you I will make an exception." She mummers while watching the woman's body fly through the air and make a satisfying thunk into the wall.
"Hey I think I can handle this." Makoto says a huge smile spreading across her face; these were like puppet vamps, no problem at all.
A few fists, one attack, and two kicks, later they were in the clear, and there was literally, just piles of dust lying around.
"Impressive." Kunzite murmurs causing the two women to whip around, their faces pale at the sight of the two men.
"Definitely," Nephrite murmurs, while letting his eyes travel up and down the girl. "Very impressive."
"Shit." Makoto and Minako yelp at the same time, this was not good. Not good at all!
~~~
"You failed me, again." The old woman snarls, before waving her hands in a motion, effectively ending the creatures life. There was no room for failure in her world, none at all.
Nodding to the new appointee she turned her gaze to the crystal in front of her. "Soon your powers will be mine you little weaklings, and soon I shall have you all, even you Endymion, even you."
Letting her laughter filter across the room she smiled satisfied, at least for the moment, until her eyes landed on Justin.
"That fool." She snarls her eyes, and magic, able to pick up the lines between the two. "You are going to ruin everything aren't you?" Chuckling evilly she nods to her general.
"Fetch the girl, destroy the general, and if you fail me, I will kill you as well." Nodding his head the general heads from the throne room. Sitting back into her chair she smirks to herself, things would not fall out of place. They world would be hers, and those girls would not get in her way, not this time.
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