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, Mamoru has the Golden Crystal.
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 12: Dark Journey
Mercury slipped through the shadows, butterflies in her stomach and filled with nervous energy. When Mars had told them her news, her hopes of stopping the epic battle against Beryl before it started…dashed. However, she was not so foolish to ignore the warnings and go for the attack anyway.
Her partner, who she observed quietly out of the corner of her eye, was stock still in the snow, his eyes watched the anomaly. She didn't blame him; she wasn't entirely sure that it wasn't in use at the moment.
Kunzite was a particularly cautious creature, she learned, much more so than Venus. While her leader was cautious to an extent, she was nothing in comparison to this man beside her. He was careful almost to a fault, unwilling to move forward until there was not even a shadow of a doubt about something.
Nephrite's news was somewhat more…uplifting, in her opinion. While he had less actual information to tell them, his rather vague but comforting statement had soothed her nerves before this venture had started.
The Senshi of Wisdom had rather wished that it was Zoisite next to her, but then she blushed at bit at the thought. She trusted him quite well, and she knew they worked very well together. However, she knew the wisdom of breaking up the special talents among the four pairs.
A beeping of her communicator caught her attention. She flipped the on switch quickly, in case any perimeter guards, of which they had found none, were nearby.
"Mercury here."
"Venus here. I see no movement. It's time to move."
Mercury glanced at Kunzite to see his assessment. After a moment of thought, he nodded.
"Affirmative," she replied. "Contact if someone finds the Princess and Prince."
"Remember, if someone does find them, the rest get out," Mars advised quickly. "And if you run into Beryl, turn the other way. Get out. Do not fight her, understand?"
A chorus of affirmatives followed her statement and they moved toward the hovering portal from all sides.
Zoisite waved the Senshi forward with a slow hand. Black hair nearly hit his face as she passed. He nearly smiled, thinking, That hair has as much fiery temper as she does.
"Where do you think we are?" Mars whispered.
He glanced around, analyzing with the gray and silver mini-computer in his hand. "My guess we're somewhere in the middle dungeons. According to my readings, there are at least five levels."
"At least? You mean, there could be more than five?"
"Exactly." He grimaced in distaste. "I suggest we start moving. I don't want to get caught here."
"Hear, hear," she muttered.
Every once and awhile, they had to hide and wait as a guard passed them by, but other than that, they did not have much trouble.
This was a good thing, he reflected, as he saw Mars get more and more irritated with no results from their searching of the cells on that level. She nearly punched the last door in frustration.
"So do we go up or down?"
"Normally, I would suggest splitting up, but—"
"Absolutely not," she hissed. "The Fire Sprite might not have stated it, but it implied it. We don't split up any more than we have now."
He sighed, a little irritated at interrupted. "I know, you told us. As I was saying, normally I would suggest splitting up, but that is not the wisest course of action at this point. My best guess would be to check the lower dungeons next."
"Why?"
"Haven't you ever played those Dungeons and Dragons games? If you're in a dungeon, looking for something, it's always on the bottom level."
Mars rolled her eyes. "Sure."
She followed him, nonetheless, as he found the stairs leading down, right next to the stairs leading up. Carefully, because of the sheer slickness from moss and damp made walking treacherous, he made his way deeper into the shadows.
At one point, Mars lost her footing and slammed into his back. Zoisite tipped precariously and grabbed her legs as they somehow found their way around his waist. He wavered there a moment before her hands gripped his upper arms, so she was effectively piggy-back. This didn't do except make him lose his balance completely.
He pitched forward and they rolled down the steep stairs, trying to keep from crying out at every step. They landed in a heap on slimy floor, covered in icky gunk and smelling thoroughly unpleasant.
Zoisite looked up long enough to notice the sleeping youma that was just coming awake before he rolled himself and the still dazed Mars into the shadowed corner to the left of the stairway.
Slowly, so slowly that he wanted to scream, it spewed out of the chair, as it was made of some kind of dark green sludge. It reeked horribly and almost made him retch as it glommed up the stairs. Mars, on his back as he knelt on his knees, craned her neck to follow its progress.
"It's safe," she whispered in his ear.
He sighed touchily. "Next time," he snapped acidly, "do NOT wear heels."
Her gloved hand slammed into the back of his head in anger. It was not hard enough to do actual damage, but enough to know that she did not appreciate the comment about her chosen footwear.
They sorted themselves out and began to peer in the cells. Five minutes later of fruitless searching, Mars gestured with her arms in hopeless frustration, motioning they should just give up on the dungeons.
Zoisite almost agreed with her until he heard it. He was almost afraid that it was the youma coming back, but it sounded more human than anything a youma. Mars didn't hear it and when she opened her mouth to ask why he had suddenly stilled, he held up his hand, waiting.
It sounded again and he followed it to the one cell that they had not noticed before, it was so well hidden in with the dark and dank of this place. Mars tapped her foot impatiently behind him.
He peered into the bars and let out a gasp, "Endymion!"
It certainly got the Senshi of War's attention and she rushed over to him. Since the grill bars were very small and could only accommodate one person in front of them, she practically climbed onto his shoulders to look over his head. Her weight was such that he almost bended double over, but was still able to look through the bars.
Sailor Moon was asleep, but his Prince managed to open his eyes. When he saw two shocked and happy eyes, one most notably green and the other violet, he jumped up with more energy than he looked like he had.
His hands gripped the bars tightly. "Zoisite!" he whispered gratefully.
Zoisite's hands went around his fingers, touching him reassuringly and giving him comfort, knowing by the dazed man's eyes that he wasn't entirely sure they were real, or if they were just part of a wishful and extremely wonderful dream.
Their voices, while low, penetrated into the restful doze the leader of the Senshi had been in, and her eyes fluttered open. He was quite sure she could see them, since the barred window in the door was very small, but she somehow managed to pick them out. She was on her feet in seconds, and assumed much the same position as Mars, only on Mamoru's back.
"Mars!"
Her happy and grateful mumble almost masked the noise of the youma guard returning. However, Zoisite's ears caught it and he turned to the empty stairs with a horrified look. Mars immediately jumped off of his back and stood to attention, facing the incoming threat, while he tried to find the latch to let the two out.
He managed to find it, superbly hidden, camouflaged with the old and dark wood of the door, near the right edge. Pulling out a kit that every team had been dispersed with, he attempted to pick the lock.
"Hurry," Mars warned him.
Zoisite knew he was no great hand at picking locks; he'd never done it before in his life. He wasn't entirely sure he could do it at all. His hands began to sweat in nervousness and his heartbeat sped up. The blood in his body doubled…no, quadrupled its speed until he felt as if he was going to get a migraine.
The lock finally gave and he pulled the door with all his strength while the two on the other end pushed. They slipped out and proceeded to close the door. They ran to the shadows, hiding in total fear, certain they would be found out.
Their luck held, and the youma guard simply slimed its way back into its chair. They waited until it was obviously asleep and nearly ran up the stairs to somewhere they could call the others and let them know that Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen were safe.
Jadeite resisted the urge to fidget as they tried to decide which corridor to take. Both looked like the last one they had just walked through. The same colored, greenish glop covered all the walls and the smell that filtered throughout the place reminded him strongly of dump heaps.
"Let's go left," Jupiter suggested.
"But we went left the last time," he protested.
"Don't you read a thing? You always go in the same direction when you're in a maze like this. So we decided left first off. Therefore, we continue to the hug the left wall."
He shrugged. "Fine," he said, somewhat crossly. Why did he bother? She never listened to him, not once since they had been paired together. He would rather be with Mars. She was quite unique and she would probably at least listen to what he had to say, before going in the direction she chose.
He followed her, not paying much attention to what was around them. It all looked the same anyway.
"So how do you suppose we'll clear the name of the Sailor Senshi and the Earthen Knights?" she asked him conversationally.
Jadeite shrugged again. "I don't know. I guess once we defeat Beryl, they won't be needed anymore. When they don't show up and nothing attacks, I think they'll forget about it."
"I hope you're right."
"It would probably be the first time, if I am," he commented.
She let out a low, peal of laughter and he grinned a little. While she didn't hit him like Mars, she still was fun to be around and enjoyed his jokes. He looked up as she stopped abruptly.
He knew without a doubt that the woman in front of them was Beryl herself. But his first emotion, rather than fear or anger, was irritation.
"'Always go in the same direction', she says," he sneered, "'Hug the left wall', she says. Now look where we are!"
She had the grace to look a little sheepish. But when Beryl smiled, his irritation vanished and he filled entirely with fear. A harsh beeping barely penetrated his terrified daze.
"We've got Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen. Let's go."
"It's Beryl, Beryl's in front of us," Jupiter said frantically.
Hearing her so scared didn't do much for his own nerves. An overriding voice, a commanding one, sounded and he only just recognized Kunzite's.
"Get out of there! Run! Remember what Mars said!"
He turned to do as ordered, but found more problems.
They were surrounded. Surrounded by hundreds of youma. And through their fear, all Beryl did was smile.
End Chapter 12