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 6

Jadeite and Kunzite had their fill of knowledge from the Dark Kingdom. They somehow had to contact the Senshi, Nephrite and Jadeite, and smuggle the prince out and the only way they could do that was to remain in the Dark Kingdom. They had to make the appearance that they were still under Beryl's control.

For that was what had happened. Beryl and Metallia had gotten control of them and turned them traitor. Traitor. The word burned in Kunzite's gut, making his vows of the Silver Millennium worthless. Sure it had taken a lot of power to convert the Shitennou against the Prince, but it had been done. How could they now convince the Senshi that they had not been working of their own free will? It was impossible, but the two had to try. They would go insane if they didn't.

Jadeite, though, remembered something that he had not mentioned to Kunzite. He couldn't bear to, not with the weight already on his leader's shoulders. He remembered Princess Raye, of Mars. She had been his lover and the last day together she had told him she was Sailor Mars. It had been a great concession, and Jadeite had promised never to betray that trust.

It was little consolation to know that he hadn't. Not after everything else that had happened. Reincarnation and still taken by Beryl. He could only hope that she remembered nothing of the previous life, nor any of his comrades. It would be too painful, bringing false expectations into this now free life. Perhaps he could build another relationship with her, but he hardly expected it.

"We should appear by the park," Kunzite whispered.

"What happens when we appear there and then are unable to get back here? Maybe when that cleansing happened, it took away our opportunity to get back."

Kunzite leaned back in his chair and stared at the far wall of his room. His was the most secure, so they always held their conferences there. "We shall have to hope that that isn't the case.

"Regardless, we have to tell, or rather ask, Beryl to 'visit' the other Shitennou to see if 'they found anything out yet'."

"Do you think she'll let us? Without being watched?"

"We'll have to hope she won't."

When they entered the throne room, Beryl was peering deeply into the depths of her crystal ball. They waited until she looked up at them, a trifle annoyed. Kunzite cleared his throat and began his well-rehearsed speech.

For a moment, nothing happened and he feared that she had seen through their façade. Then she nodded and dismissed them with a hand, immediately turning her attention to something else. Kunzite and Jadeite let the shadows take them from her view and when she could no longer see them, they breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's time to go."

The two Kings had not been in the park for a minute when the Senshi appeared, with Zoisite and Nephrite.

"Zoisite! Nephrite!" Jadeite exclaimed with relief and attempted walk forward.

Kunzite dragged him back when the Senshi and their comrades tensed. He cleared his throat, much like he had with Beryl, and said, "Sailor Senshi…" He found he didn't know what to say, though. How could he put it so they would believe them?

He tried again, but this time not even their names would come. He was at a loss for words and he didn't know what to do about it.

"You're different," commented Mars.

Kunzite almost looked relieved when she started the conversation. Perhaps he could find a way to say it later on. "How so?"

"Well, gee, I don't know. You're not trying to kill us, for one," she drawled sarcastically.

"Sailor Senshi, we are eternally regretful of doing something like that," Jadeite said quietly and sincerely from behind him.

There was a tense disbelief. Finally Venus asked, somewhat skeptically, "You are?"

"Absolutely," Kunzite answered.

"Mercury?" asked Sailor Moon.

"Nothing," she replied. "They're free of evil energy and are as clean as Nephrite and Zoisite and I've done a thorough scan of them."

"Well," said Venus, "then we need to talk. Follow us."

Kunzite and Jadeite did so, feeling apprehensive. Instead of dimming when they got to a tall building, it only grew when the Senshi looked carefully around them, almost as if they were searching for something.

When they seemed to be satisfied, they led them to an elevator and rode upwards. It dinged open in the silence after a few minutes. Jupiter unlocked her door and waved them inside, watching one particular door down the hall. She slipped inside it quickly just as the other door opened.

She locked it when she was inside and listened, her ear pressed against the wood. Whatever she had been listening to must have stopped because she pulled away and gestured for them to sit down.

Out of compassion for their obviously distraught friends, Nephrite and Zoisite allowed Kunzite and Jadeite to sit on the sofa, them leaning against the arms. The Senshi placed them strategically in chairs opposite them or standing near them.

"Do you know what has been going on?" Venus asked at last, her attitude all business.

"Yes, we know about the fall of the Moon Kingdom. We did our research before attempting to contact you."

"And what is the condition of the Dark Kingdom? Does Beryl know about the missing Shitennou?"

"She knows," Jadeite replied, "though we managed to convince her that they did not turn good. Rather, that they played good and are trying to infiltrate the Senshi. She believes it, for now."

"And what excuse are you using to come here today?" asked Mercury.

"That we had arranged a meeting place with the other Shitennou to ask if they found out anything important."

"And she bought this?" Mars asked, rather incredulously.

"We don't know if she bought it for certain, but she bought it enough that we could leave without being followed or observed," Kunzite said.

"How is Endymion?" demanded Sailor Moon desperately.

"He is not well." Kunzite's grim words only intensified the desperate look on Sailor Moon's face. "He has a deep gash on his side. It is healing, but slowly. Beryl is not overly concerned about returning him to health, but instead for wiping his memory of the love that you and he shared."

Jupiter placed her hand on her leader's shoulder in comfort. "Do not think I trust you just yet, but can you get back there and smuggle him to us?"

"We were planning on such a thing," Jadeite responded. "But we had to contact you first. We would need a place where he could recover in safety and a place where we could hide when Beryl figures out we are no longer under her control."

"Yes, she would know you wouldn't be when Endymion disappeared," Mercury murmured.

"Unfortunately we do not have a key to Mamoru's apartment," Venus said.

"Can you have a key made for the lock or replace it?" Zoisite asked, a little wistfully.

Venus allowed him a small smile. "No, none of us have that kind of money nor could we give a plausible excuse for wanting to do that when none of us know him that well except perhaps Mars or Moon," she replied, thinking of Moon's relationship with him and Mars' sometimes run-ins at the dojo she went to.

"I didn't think it would be that easy."

"We must be going."

"But you've only been here an hour!" Jadeite protested. "We still have to talk!"

"We know this and we should stay, but our lunch time is over," Venus answered. "Even as Senshi, even running, we will still be late back to classes."

They slipped out of the apartment without another word. "What was that all about?" Jadeite demanded.

"They are civilians and have civilian lives," answered Nephrite. "If they are the age they look, they will be in school."

"Luckily we don't have that problem," replied Zoisite dryly.

For indeed, the Shitennou looked to be at least between the ages of 20 to 22, Kunzite being 22 and Jadeite, the youngest, 20.

"Let us fill you in on what has been going on," Nephrite began…

When Makoto arrived home, she was tired, hot, and sweaty. But she still had to be on her guard because of the Shitennou staying in her home.

Nephrite was waiting for her when she closed the door. "Kunzite and Jadeite had to go, but they outlined to us what they are going to do. In two days, we must be at the park at midnight and be ready. That is when they will have the Prince." He hesitated. "I'm assuming we will come here for the time being. But I am curious. Will you allow them to stay here as well, after that?"

Makoto staggered forward, her gritty eyes trying to fall shut and her willpower keeping them open. "It will be a tight squeeze, but you all might be able to fit until we can think of a way to open Mamoru's apartment. I have one extra mattress in storage. I can bring that out for Mamoru to lay on, because I assume he will be asleep for some time past that. However, you Shitennou will have to double up on the other beds. I have no more mattresses or room. If necessary, there is the couch or…" She hesitated, "my room."

"We would not presume to accommodate your room," Nephrite replied, relieved. "If necessary, we will sleep on the sofa. But, if I may say so Ju—Makoto, you look dead tired. I would suggest you sleep."

"I think I'll do that," Makoto replied and she proceeded to waver forward to her room at the back of the hall. As she passed the guest room, she heard deep breathing and assumed Zoisite was asleep.

Her last thought that night was that she needed to tell the Senshi about what would happen in two days.

End Chapter 6