Author's Note:

The normal disclaimers here of course and that I'm certainly not doing this for money.

There are a few elements that are exclusive to the manga, as you will read, but those only involve character differences than from the anime, such as the Shitennous' relationship. Also, the Golden Crystal, which Mamoru has.

If you need to contact me, my email is Guardian4@atlantic.net. Please put fanfiction or something in the subject line so I know what you're emailing me about. And if you're a really nice person (if this pertains to a certain fanfiction that I've done) you might want to put the name of the fanfiction you're referring to somewhere in the email.

All names are like the Japanese say them, last name first. So Kunzite's name would be Kail Rainer in America, but in Japanese it would be said Rainer Kail.

Army of Immortals

Chapter 8: Fighting Spirit

He held her as she shuddered, trying to control her pain. Another day and night of torture. Not since that first night in the throne room were they together when Beryl tried to get information out of them. Because of it, they could not give each other comfort, but he had told her that the memory of her was enough to keep him going through it all. She had blushed, then, and responded that it was the same for her.

Mamoru could barely believe it, how it could happen. How could love blossom in a dark and painful place as this? It was something he couldn't understand, but the feelings were there all the same. He loved this warrior, this Sailor Senshi, in a way that he hadn't ever felt for any other girlfriend that he had before. How had it started? When had it started?

When he had first met her, when her eyes had first connected to his. Something had happened, then, that he was sure they both felt. But he didn't know what the something was. That locking of eyes, though, had started it all.

It wasn't as if he loved her on sight, nor that he only loved her because she was the only non-evil creature besides himself in this place. No, it had taken a lot of nights talking about themselves to keep their minds from the pain. They knew each other's likes and dislikes intimately; things they hated and things they loved.

He had found himself describing in-depth all about his friends, how he had met them and how they had all come about to be a group.

"Tell me about them again," she pleaded, breaking into his thoughts.

"But Sailor Moon, I've told you about them at least five times already," he protested.

They never referred to themselves as anything other than 'Sailor Moon' or 'Tuxedo Kamen'. It was a precaution in case there were spies about, but it was enough that they knew who they were in their minds.

"But it's so funny, listening to how you all got along at first."

Mamoru sighed, knowing there was nothing that he could deny her. "Very well. I met Nephrite first, after he had warned me away from a girl that had just asked me out. I had told her I would think about it and he had come up to me just after she had left, telling me that I would beware of her. I was hesitant to heed to this man's advice since I didn't know him and he could be a jealous ex-boyfriend. But I looked into his eyes and trusted him. Not many can do that, earn my trust as easily as all that, but he did. So I politely turned her down the next day. I had never been so happy that I did, with how she acted. She threw a fit, like a child, and demanded me to rethink my decision. I don't work well in that kind of relationship, so I was glad I listened. After that day, I went looking for him again. We became great friends, went everywhere together."

She giggled a bit. "Who was next to your group?"

He smiled, thinking about it. "Believe it or not, though you know, it was Zoisite. At first glance, he seems to be all pretty-boyish. Everyone had always assumed that he was gay, but it wasn't true. He had stumbled to Nephrite one day, dropping his load of advanced chemistry, calculus, and engineering books right on his feet. Those books are lethal, let me tell, and it hurt to have them dropped full force on your feet. It didn't endear him to Nephrite at first, but when Zoisite offered to buy him lunch to make it up to him, he agreed. Nephrite, in all the time I had known him, never turned down a free meal. He regretted it, though, when all next day they asked him if he was dating Zoisite. When he confronted Zoi about it, the man nearly burst into tears, having heard it too much. I think it must have worn on his nerves through the many years of being assumed he was gay. He told us that he just hadn't found a girl he liked yet. That's how he became the third member of our group. Only when you've known him you can see that he isn't as girlish as he might seem to the passing eye. He's got quite a bit of muscle on him, more so now when we became the Earthen Knights."

"What about Kunzite and Jadeite?"

"Those two came at the same time. Jadeite was lost, just transferring in, and had commissioned Kunzite to show him around. It wasn't as if he had asked, he had basically told him that he was going to show him around. Kunzite said he was so amused by his attitude that he had agreed without thinking about it. Unfortunately, neither knew the school that well. They ended up bumping into me, waiting for Nephrite and Zoisite in the hallway. I found myself becoming their friend and introducing them to the other two. We became the five-some after that. Our friendship lasted through the years and numerous hard times, and still it survived. So we pretty much guessed that it was meant to be, our group."

She sighed into his chest. "I didn't know the Senshi for as long as you have. I've only known them for about a few months."

"If we ever get out of here, you'll have a few years to test your bonds and see if your group was 'meant to be' like ours was."

"That still leaves if we get out of here."

"I have no doubt we will."

Her eyes stared at him beseechingly. "I promise," he told her to her unspoken question.

His lips hovered near hers, questioningly. She touched them with hers and he knew it was forever. He could never let her go, never let her leave him. Without her, he was nothing.

It lasted for no more than a few seconds, but it was enough that he knew she felt it to. She smiled at him and it was enough.

End Chapter 8