Author's Note:

Yes, another fanfiction. As before, the disclaimers go as follows:

My email address is Guardian4@atlantic.net. If you want to email me about my story, please put fanfiction in the subject line. Sailor Moon was made by Naoko Tacheuchi, I don't own it.

Also, Rei and Mamoru never went out, k? And Kunzite and Zoisite are not lovers. I also used the relationship between the Shitennou from the manga, not the anime, which means they don't hate each other. I also use only the manga attacks for the Senshi. (Since in the Manga, Mars doesn't have Fire Soul and only talismans in the first season, I'm going to borrow a second season one, even though she doesn't have her Star Power transformation.)

Hidden Truths

Chapter 3

Usagi and Ami were enjoying a tense lunch beneath two trees that provided a lot of shade when an entirely different shadow fell over them. They looked up sharply, henshin wand immediately in Ami's hand before they recognized who it was.

"Mako-chan?!" exclaimed Usagi, concerned and shocked.

"Why are you here? You should be at your apartment and watching Nephrite!" Ami scolded gently as she stowed away her henshin wand in her subspace pocket.

Makoto sat down and smiled. "Don't worry about it. He won't get loose."

"Get loose?" the two girls repeated in alarm.

"What do you mean 'get loose', Mako-chan?" asked Ami suspiciously.

"You'll see when you come over to my house after school."

Both girls exchanged glances and immediately sent a message to Luna, who passed it to Artemis, as both cats went to Rei and Minako's schools to inform them of the change in plans. Usagi had complained that they should use the communicators, after all, what else were they there for?, but was rebuffed by Ami, saying it would look suspicious and get the other two in trouble if it started beeping in the middle of class. Usagi had to admit that if Rei got in trouble because of her, she would be a barbequed Moon Princess.

Rei and Minako hurried up to the building, barely catching up with their three friends as they went inside. They frowned at the still not working elevators and went up the stairs again.

Makoto had initially been amazed that her lock had been unbroken that morning, but hadn't paid it much heed. She'd been late, no matter how hard she had run or how fast. Luckily, since it was the first time she had been late to school, she didn't have detention, only a warning from her teacher.

The other girls gasped when they entered the living room.

"Uh, Mako-chan?" Rei asked hesitantly.

"Yes?"

"Don't you think you overdid it a bit?" replied Minako.

Makoto looked at the couch where Nephrite lay. His head turned in the direction of the whispers, but couldn't make them out. He couldn't see, since he was blindfolded and couldn't speak since he was gagged. He had rope tied tightly on his hands and wrists. Around that, the rest of his body was wrapped with rope almost like a blanket and yet around that, she had tied his unmovable body to the couch, wrapping a lot of rope around that. All the knots were very tight, she assured them.

"Tight enough to cut off blood flow?" asked Ami sardonically, a rarity for her since she had usually had a lot of equability.

They transformed before walking up to the couch. If Nephrite was still evil then they didn't want him to know who he was dealing with. When Jupiter snatched off the blindfold, chocolate brown eyes stared at her, somewhat irritated, somewhat angry, and somewhat just plain confused.

He mumbled something.

"What did he say?" asked Moon.

"I don't know," replied Venus.

"How about we take the gag off?" suggested Mars dryly. "That should help his articulation."

Jupiter knelt down in front of him and his eyes followed her every move. She couldn't tell what went on inside his head for his expression was closed off. "You don't make any noise and talk civilly and we're good. Anything other than that, the blindfold and gag goes back on and we beat the living crap out of you, k?"

Nephrite simply stared at her. After a minute of measuring him, she nodded decisively and took off the gag. For a long moment, nothing was said on either side. Finally, a deceptively composed voice asked, "Is there a reason I must be tied as such?"

"You don't know?" replied Mars incredulously.

He favored her with a cool look.

"I don't think so, Mars," explained Mercury quietly. "I think that when he was blasted with the energy from Sailor Moon's attack, it might have scrambled his memory of the present time a bit. He may not even remember who he is."

"You," called Venus, deciding to test Mercury's theory, "tell us your name."

Nephrite raised an eyebrow. "You truss me up like an animal and you don't even know who I am?" He sighed. "Very well, I am Lord Nephrite, one of the Shitennou and high protectors of the High Prince of Earth, Endymion, and heir to Elysion. Now untie me," he ordered calmly.

Sailor Moon stepped forward and began to untie the ropes. The others jumped to restrain her.

"What do you think you're doing, Sailor Moon?!" demanded Mars.

"He said he protected Endymion. And he can't be evil because of my attack on him…"

"Just untie him; it might make him more forthcoming with answers and if not, we outnumber him five to one," said Venus, a bit irritably.

The other Soldiers let Moon untie him. When he was free, Nephrite stood slowly, rubbing his wrists together and watching them coolly with a puzzled frown on his face. The Senshi immediately grabbed their princess and placed themselves in front of her, a coffee table between them and the King.

He cleared his throat. "I remember the Senshi; you were always on the Moon and protected the Royal Family. However, I don't remember you and I would have with those distinctive colors," he said, pointing at Sailor Moon. "And I have no idea where I am." He cocked his head. "Have you seen my fellow Shitennou? My commanding officer is a relatively tall man with white hair with a slight greenish tinge. The other two both have blond hair, one very short with blue eyes and the other long with green eyes."

Their eyes narrowed. "Oh, we know where they are and who they are," Mars answered.

He studied them a moment, calculating them, and his eyes became suspicious. "How is that possible since you did not even know who I was?"

"Oh, that," said Venus, "we just wanted to make sure you knew who you were."

"And why would I not remember?" he asked.

His obvious and somewhat condescending patience grated on the Senshi's nerves. "Because you just got a blast at point blank range from Sailor Moon's wand and it might have scrambled your memories! It certainly wiped out the ones from the present!" Venus snapped hotly.

He didn't say anything and a tense silence filled the air.

"To make sure," Nephrite started, "What are my friends' names?"

Jupiter rolled her expressive green eyes. "Your commanding officer is Kunzite, the one with short hair is Jadeite and the other blonde is Zoisite."

"You said you knew where they were; tell me."

She frowned at his command. "They're in the Dark Kingdom, working for Queen Beryl and Metallia."

The sunlight flashed on metal and Nephrite had his sword out. The Senshi powered up as he snarled, "You lie! They would never betray their liege and friend by turning traitor to that witch!"

"We aren't lying," Moon said shakily. "We fight them nearly every day. The next battle we have, you come along and see for yourself. We're telling the truth. Maybe they were brainwashed; you were, you just don't remember."

"I would remember if I had turned traitor!"

"Did you hear nothing Venus said earlier?" snapped Mars. "She said that Sailor Moon blasted you at point blank range with her wand and it scrambled your memories! That's why you don't remember it!"

Nephrite's jaw clenched as they stared at him. His hand tightened and loosened convulsively on his sword. Finally with a twist of his wrist, the sword was gone, but not the anger nor the suspicion from his eyes.

"Fine, I shall come the next time you 'battle' my friends. Now, since you all seem to know so much," he said sarcastically with a roll of his eyes, "perhaps you can tell me where Prince Endymion is."

The Senshi glanced at Moon, whose face was as blank as a stone wall. "He was captured by the Dark Kingdom and is imprisoned there," Mercury said finally.

They watched for a reaction from Nephrite, but he just stood there, as if he didn't understand. "Do you understand what Mercury just said?" snapped Jupiter. "Prince Endymion is locked inside the Dark Kingdom, comatose and badly hurt, last time we saw him, nearly eight months ago."

Nephrite's breathing came a tad bit more heavily as his eyes flashed with insurmountable anger. "You mean to tell me that my prince, my FRIEND, has been captured by that vile creature, Beryl? And you did nothing to stop it?"

"Of course we did! How could we not when the man of my heart was being taken away from me?!" cried Sailor Moon, perilously close to tears.

Nephrite blinked and his jaw dropped. "Princess Serenity???"

She nodded slowly. Nephrite dropped down on the couch and put his head in his hands. "This is all entirely too much," he muttered. His voice seemed near to tears as well, though it seemed almost impossible for a man like him to cry.

Moon took pity on him. She walked to him and kneeled down. The Senshi almost stopped her, but one look from Mars and they stood still.

"Yes, he was taken, but we can get him back. We got you back; we can get your friends back; we can get him back. For now though, you need rest and Jupiter will let you stay here with her, for a while until we get everything straightened out."

Nephrite looked up at Jupiter and she nodded, if a bit sullenly.

"I suppose I have no choice, but…I must get back to Earth as soon as possible."

There was silence. "You are on Earth."

He looked at Mars. "I can't possibly be on Earth. Why would, excuse my rather blunt words, Jupiter, a Senshi, have a home on Earth when the Senshi don't even care that much for us?"

Moon swallowed with difficulty. "The Silver Millennium was destroyed, the Moon along with it. You're a thousand years in the future. On Earth."

This seemed a little too much for Nephrite to handle at the moment with them there and they left him alone as they retreated to the kitchen.

Immediately the Senshi rounded on their leader. "What on the gods green earth did you think you were doing, Usagi?" demanded Mars.

"I couldn't let him think he was still in the Silver Millennium."

"I wasn't talking about the Silver Millennium part!" was the hissed reply.

"Then what are you talking about?"

Mars made a frustrating gesture with her hand. "Everything! Telling him you were the princess, offering him a chance to contact the other Kings, who could brainwash him back!"

Moon's eyes filled with tears at the criticism at what she had thought had been a good idea.

Mercury put her arm around her shoulders. "Usagi-chan, we don't mean to criticize what you decided to do, but we're only concerned about you."

"I understand."

"We'll just have to be on a higher guard, that's all," said Venus soothingly as their princess controlled her tears.

They went back to the living room to find Nephrite as he had been when they had left: sitting on the couch and staring into space.

"Are you all right?" Jupiter called.

He started and looked at her, his eyes a little lost. "I'm sure I will be fine with a little rest. Do you have a room that I may sleep?"

"I have one guest room that you can use, I guess. Down the hall, first door on the left."

He nodded and followed her directions. A moment later, they heard a soft click as the door closed behind the King. The Senshi gripped Jupiter's arm in concern, but left the apartment. Jupiter, worried herself, slipped down the hallway and into her bedroom, being careful to lock the door. She had been so tired and hadn't slept much the night before, so she lay down for just a small nap.

She woke from a rather sound sleep, still in her Senshi fuku and on top of her comforter, by the sound of the shower running. For a moment she didn't understand why, until she remembered her…guest. It almost appalled her at how easily she had fallen asleep, knowing a potentially dangerous foe was living in her home. By all rights and her instincts, she shouldn't have slept so deeply knowing he was loose.

Jupiter got to her feet and slipped down the hallway on soundless boots. She found her hand on the bathroom doorknob before she caught herself. What was she doing? Was she acting like she was sneaking up on a thief or like something else? Her face burning red, she practically fled back to her bedroom, where she detransformed.

She was asleep again in a few seconds.

End Chapter 3