Chapter Twenty
Haruka watched silently as her best friend said good-bye to her brother. It was truly a sad sight really. They had just been reunited for the first time in over millennia, and yet they had to part immediately due to a war going on. A war they had already died in once. And it was not that farfetched that they would again.
She sighed and threw a glance at her lord and the soul mate of Buffy. He had an absent look on his face even as his eyes shone with worry about the people he loved. And it wasn't too surprising. It had to be hard to keep contact mentally with up to four teams simultaneously. She could not even begin to understand how that wore on his mind.
The abrupt increase and decrease in lightning alerted the blonde senshi to the portal Buffy had opened and closed. Their part here was done now. It was time for them to depart to Metalia's palace as well now. Finally, it was time to fight.
Swiftly walking over to the petite blonde in the black fuku, she touch Buffy's arm gently.
"Buff?" she softly said. "It's time."
The Slayer took a deep breath and turned to her friend, her green eyes determined and focused.
"Yes," she quietly said. "This must finally come to an end."
And so, they gathered together in the middle of the room, grasping each other's hands and summoning the powers of their planet crystals. Just a minute later, they flashed out of existence.
Kunzite was almost panicking. There were minor skirmishes going on all around the castle, and multiple groups of guards had been killed by the senshi already. Not to mentions that the youma that made up his troupes were quickly starting to rebel and desert. These were not times when he relished being the right hand of the general. Especially when said general had disappeared and then reappeared only to be fighting with the other side.
"Kunzite!" It was Jadeite, coming running from one of the side corridors, a breathless look on his face. "The Outer senshi has arrived with the Slayer at the main entrance. Nephrite and Zoicite are already there with all the youma they could find, but they will not be able to hold position for a very long time."
The white-haired ex-general groaned. This was not good. But then again, what had gone good since their prince had called them back into service. The answer was nothing. He was seriously starting to doubt the saneness of himself when he had pledged himself to Metalia at his prince's wish. It was obvious to him that he wasn't on the winning side right now. He certainly wasn't on the good side. If it weren't for the damned soul bond the red-haired witch had on him, he would have followed his minions' examples and deserted as well.
"I'm coming," he tiredly said to his friend. "Gather all youma you can find in this miss and go to them. I'll follow as soon as I have reported to Beryl."
Something he certainly wasn't looking forwards to. The hell queen had been in an utterly sour mood lately as the fight to gain control of all the rainbow crystals had proven itself to be much harder than they had expected it to be. The last time he had been there with Endymion, his prince had been able to calm her down with sweet words, but Kunzite didn't have the same talent with words as the court borne Endymion had. Not to mention that he hated licking people's boots. Oh what you did to stay alive! Even if he was seriously starting to doubt that living was the better alternative.
Porting away to the throne hall belonging to the hell goddess' pawn, Kunzite appeared with a deep bow, desperately trying not to look into her eyes. He knew that she wouldn't take the disgust and hatred towards her that she would see in his eyes lightly. And as long as there was hope, he preferred to stay alive, thank you very much.
"What news have you, young Kunzite?" the queen indulgingly asked. Good, she seemed to be in a good mood at the moment. Not that he was as stupid to believe that it would last with the news he had to give her.
"My queen," he started, "as you asked of me a few hours ago, I went to summon Endymion before you. Unfortunately enough, I have since then come to understand that Endymion has abandoned your side and went to fight with the senshi. He has most likely been healed by one of them, and has now broken to bind you had over him.
"As for more, the Inner senshi are slowly but surely closing in on your throne hall and."
He didn't get any further as a furious onslaught of the redheaded woman's power slammed into him, throwing him clear across the room, sliding across the floor. Trying not to scream in pain, Kunzite grimly decided that it probably was quite safe to say that she was not happy over the news. The continuous onslaughts of pain told him that he was quite right.
Then the pain disappeared as Beryl's attention was drawn elsewhere. Kunzite didn't stop to see what, but quietly and swiftly ported away, taking the direct way to the main entrance. Landing on the middle of a hallway, he fell into a crumbled mass before princess Briseis feet, trying to look into her eyes.
"Help me," he hoarsely whispered. "I don't want to do this anymore. I refuse to fight for her anymore. This is the end."
Then everything went black.
As he opened his eyes, he was quickly alerted to the fact that healing energy was pulsing through him, strengthening him and healing him in ways that he never thought possible. It felt like he was built from the scratch into a new, whole and strong person. And it all originated from two small hands and a pair of luminous purple eyes.
"Sleep," a voice said. "You're safe now, and so are your fellow generals. You chose the right side at the end, and that's all that matters. You are forgiven."
Buffy sadly looked at the place where the portal had stood that she used to move the redeemed generals into the healing hands of Hotaru.
"It's so sad," she murmured.
"Yes," the soft voice of Michiru said next to her. "But we don't have the time to dwell on it now. You are needed in the throne hall, Buffy. Lave this to Setsuna and me and go with Haruka. There's not much time left now."
"Yes,"
TBC
Haruka watched silently as her best friend said good-bye to her brother. It was truly a sad sight really. They had just been reunited for the first time in over millennia, and yet they had to part immediately due to a war going on. A war they had already died in once. And it was not that farfetched that they would again.
She sighed and threw a glance at her lord and the soul mate of Buffy. He had an absent look on his face even as his eyes shone with worry about the people he loved. And it wasn't too surprising. It had to be hard to keep contact mentally with up to four teams simultaneously. She could not even begin to understand how that wore on his mind.
The abrupt increase and decrease in lightning alerted the blonde senshi to the portal Buffy had opened and closed. Their part here was done now. It was time for them to depart to Metalia's palace as well now. Finally, it was time to fight.
Swiftly walking over to the petite blonde in the black fuku, she touch Buffy's arm gently.
"Buff?" she softly said. "It's time."
The Slayer took a deep breath and turned to her friend, her green eyes determined and focused.
"Yes," she quietly said. "This must finally come to an end."
And so, they gathered together in the middle of the room, grasping each other's hands and summoning the powers of their planet crystals. Just a minute later, they flashed out of existence.
Kunzite was almost panicking. There were minor skirmishes going on all around the castle, and multiple groups of guards had been killed by the senshi already. Not to mentions that the youma that made up his troupes were quickly starting to rebel and desert. These were not times when he relished being the right hand of the general. Especially when said general had disappeared and then reappeared only to be fighting with the other side.
"Kunzite!" It was Jadeite, coming running from one of the side corridors, a breathless look on his face. "The Outer senshi has arrived with the Slayer at the main entrance. Nephrite and Zoicite are already there with all the youma they could find, but they will not be able to hold position for a very long time."
The white-haired ex-general groaned. This was not good. But then again, what had gone good since their prince had called them back into service. The answer was nothing. He was seriously starting to doubt the saneness of himself when he had pledged himself to Metalia at his prince's wish. It was obvious to him that he wasn't on the winning side right now. He certainly wasn't on the good side. If it weren't for the damned soul bond the red-haired witch had on him, he would have followed his minions' examples and deserted as well.
"I'm coming," he tiredly said to his friend. "Gather all youma you can find in this miss and go to them. I'll follow as soon as I have reported to Beryl."
Something he certainly wasn't looking forwards to. The hell queen had been in an utterly sour mood lately as the fight to gain control of all the rainbow crystals had proven itself to be much harder than they had expected it to be. The last time he had been there with Endymion, his prince had been able to calm her down with sweet words, but Kunzite didn't have the same talent with words as the court borne Endymion had. Not to mention that he hated licking people's boots. Oh what you did to stay alive! Even if he was seriously starting to doubt that living was the better alternative.
Porting away to the throne hall belonging to the hell goddess' pawn, Kunzite appeared with a deep bow, desperately trying not to look into her eyes. He knew that she wouldn't take the disgust and hatred towards her that she would see in his eyes lightly. And as long as there was hope, he preferred to stay alive, thank you very much.
"What news have you, young Kunzite?" the queen indulgingly asked. Good, she seemed to be in a good mood at the moment. Not that he was as stupid to believe that it would last with the news he had to give her.
"My queen," he started, "as you asked of me a few hours ago, I went to summon Endymion before you. Unfortunately enough, I have since then come to understand that Endymion has abandoned your side and went to fight with the senshi. He has most likely been healed by one of them, and has now broken to bind you had over him.
"As for more, the Inner senshi are slowly but surely closing in on your throne hall and."
He didn't get any further as a furious onslaught of the redheaded woman's power slammed into him, throwing him clear across the room, sliding across the floor. Trying not to scream in pain, Kunzite grimly decided that it probably was quite safe to say that she was not happy over the news. The continuous onslaughts of pain told him that he was quite right.
Then the pain disappeared as Beryl's attention was drawn elsewhere. Kunzite didn't stop to see what, but quietly and swiftly ported away, taking the direct way to the main entrance. Landing on the middle of a hallway, he fell into a crumbled mass before princess Briseis feet, trying to look into her eyes.
"Help me," he hoarsely whispered. "I don't want to do this anymore. I refuse to fight for her anymore. This is the end."
Then everything went black.
As he opened his eyes, he was quickly alerted to the fact that healing energy was pulsing through him, strengthening him and healing him in ways that he never thought possible. It felt like he was built from the scratch into a new, whole and strong person. And it all originated from two small hands and a pair of luminous purple eyes.
"Sleep," a voice said. "You're safe now, and so are your fellow generals. You chose the right side at the end, and that's all that matters. You are forgiven."
Buffy sadly looked at the place where the portal had stood that she used to move the redeemed generals into the healing hands of Hotaru.
"It's so sad," she murmured.
"Yes," the soft voice of Michiru said next to her. "But we don't have the time to dwell on it now. You are needed in the throne hall, Buffy. Lave this to Setsuna and me and go with Haruka. There's not much time left now."
"Yes,"
TBC
