Chapter 3: Which Once Was Sought...
Usagi, Rei and Luna all sat at the round table in the middle of
the meeting room. "Why don't you just see him?" Rei asked suddenly,
breaking the silence that had held them for several moments now. Usagi
looked to her, starting to say something, but quickly dismissing the
thought of arguing with her. "I know I should.." she said, resting her
head down upon the tabletop. She was drained, it seemed, not really
having the strength nor the ambition to actually do anything. "Well, if
you aren't going to see for yourself, stop acting like a child." Rei
scowled, turning her head in disgust,"Princess." turning just enough
to offer Usagi a heated glare. This was enough to grab Usagi's
attention, to what effect known only to her as she merely stood from
the table, walking up the small stairway and out of the Crown.
"Rei-chan.. you were right." Luna added carefully, as if afraid that
Usagi might hear. "I never said I wasn't."
Makoto stopped to catch her breath, collapsing onto a near
bench as she passed through the park. "This is hopeless." she
admitted to herself, sighing loudly. "Usagi-chan, I'm sorry." Kino
Makoto, desperate to see her friend's happiness from a once lonely,
desolate life before meeting the senshi. It was this reality that
fueled her as both a friend and soldier. She began to stand, even as
tired as she was. "Ma..ko-chan." an almost wickedly sweet voice called.
Makoto eyes grew large, turning quickly as she had no doubt as to who
the voice belonged to. "Ami-chan!" she called, the nega-tranced, former
soldier stood there, a devious smile upon her lips. "All alone out
here, Mako-chan..." shaking her head as she began to near her,
swinging her arms rather innocently. "It's most fitting," Ami ended.
Makoto took a few careful steps back,"Ami-chan.. no.. you have to stop
this!" Ami only smiled, steadily walking towards her. "You aren't the
prey of choice... but you'll do. You all have to die either way. You
should be honored to be the first," that same mischevious smile showed
itself as Ami went into her henshin stance. "Ami-chan don't!" "Dark
Power ... Make-Up!" Ami entered the henshin sequence that would leave
her as the reborn soldier of the Negaverse, Dark Sailor Mercury. "I
won't fight you, Ami-chan!" Mercury merely laughed, raising her hand
skyward, dropping it quickly to reveal a sword carved of pure Ice.
"Then you may not last five minutes."
"No more!" screamed Mamoru, his voice dripping with agony. He
hung loosely from the ropes he'd been binded with, his head lowered
to the floor. "Endymion.. quitting? No.. I don't want to remember you
like this. Where's the man that showed no compassion for his people?!"
bringing the whip down upon his back once more, warranting another howl
from the imprisoned figure. "Enough." another voice called. The female
that had been standing in front of Mamoru faded into nothingness,
leaving only the trails of spent nega-energy in its place. Mamoru tried
with all he could to look up, to see the face of the real enemy. "My
dear Endymion.. all that was said was true.." stepping from the shadows
would be the form of Queen Beryl, the dark attire that she adorned
almost glowing in the radiance of her even darker smile. She brushed
the tips of long, crimson colored nails along his chin,"Do you not
recall?" as she snatched his chin into her hands. "You'll be sure to
remember when I am done." she hissed, reaching down to take the fallen
whip into her own hands. "Beryl." commanded a masculine voice that
protruded from the shadows. "We should have this man killed." the voice
belonged to the general, Kunzite. Beryl turned to him, noticeably
offended at the way he would speak to her. "Learn your place, Kunzite!"
He smirked devishly, tilting his head in her direction. "Master no
longer holds any purpose." Mamoru squirmed some in the bindings,
"Master?" recalling what Zoisite had been telling him. "If he remembers
it will bring us nothing but pain!" Kunzite yelled, the echo of his
voice drawing the attention of others, primarily a close Nephrite and
Jadeite. "Kunzite I will allow no such disrespect from you. Your
only concern is the princess and the Ginzuishou." she said sternly,
staring him down in his place. Kunzite displayed the playful smirk once
more. "As you wish." offering nothing more than a cynical bow before
turning away. Mamoru looked up as he recognized the last of what was
said,"Princess..." quickly passing flashbacks of himself and Usagi,
dreams he'd had of the Princess and the determination he had himself
to get his memories back. "You don't need to worry about the princess
my love." Beryl said quietly, gripping the hold of the whip strongly.
"There's only you and I now." drawing her arm back and bringing it
down upon the already tattered form of Chiba Mamoru.
Usagi, Rei and Luna all sat at the round table in the middle of
the meeting room. "Why don't you just see him?" Rei asked suddenly,
breaking the silence that had held them for several moments now. Usagi
looked to her, starting to say something, but quickly dismissing the
thought of arguing with her. "I know I should.." she said, resting her
head down upon the tabletop. She was drained, it seemed, not really
having the strength nor the ambition to actually do anything. "Well, if
you aren't going to see for yourself, stop acting like a child." Rei
scowled, turning her head in disgust,"Princess." turning just enough
to offer Usagi a heated glare. This was enough to grab Usagi's
attention, to what effect known only to her as she merely stood from
the table, walking up the small stairway and out of the Crown.
"Rei-chan.. you were right." Luna added carefully, as if afraid that
Usagi might hear. "I never said I wasn't."
Makoto stopped to catch her breath, collapsing onto a near
bench as she passed through the park. "This is hopeless." she
admitted to herself, sighing loudly. "Usagi-chan, I'm sorry." Kino
Makoto, desperate to see her friend's happiness from a once lonely,
desolate life before meeting the senshi. It was this reality that
fueled her as both a friend and soldier. She began to stand, even as
tired as she was. "Ma..ko-chan." an almost wickedly sweet voice called.
Makoto eyes grew large, turning quickly as she had no doubt as to who
the voice belonged to. "Ami-chan!" she called, the nega-tranced, former
soldier stood there, a devious smile upon her lips. "All alone out
here, Mako-chan..." shaking her head as she began to near her,
swinging her arms rather innocently. "It's most fitting," Ami ended.
Makoto took a few careful steps back,"Ami-chan.. no.. you have to stop
this!" Ami only smiled, steadily walking towards her. "You aren't the
prey of choice... but you'll do. You all have to die either way. You
should be honored to be the first," that same mischevious smile showed
itself as Ami went into her henshin stance. "Ami-chan don't!" "Dark
Power ... Make-Up!" Ami entered the henshin sequence that would leave
her as the reborn soldier of the Negaverse, Dark Sailor Mercury. "I
won't fight you, Ami-chan!" Mercury merely laughed, raising her hand
skyward, dropping it quickly to reveal a sword carved of pure Ice.
"Then you may not last five minutes."
"No more!" screamed Mamoru, his voice dripping with agony. He
hung loosely from the ropes he'd been binded with, his head lowered
to the floor. "Endymion.. quitting? No.. I don't want to remember you
like this. Where's the man that showed no compassion for his people?!"
bringing the whip down upon his back once more, warranting another howl
from the imprisoned figure. "Enough." another voice called. The female
that had been standing in front of Mamoru faded into nothingness,
leaving only the trails of spent nega-energy in its place. Mamoru tried
with all he could to look up, to see the face of the real enemy. "My
dear Endymion.. all that was said was true.." stepping from the shadows
would be the form of Queen Beryl, the dark attire that she adorned
almost glowing in the radiance of her even darker smile. She brushed
the tips of long, crimson colored nails along his chin,"Do you not
recall?" as she snatched his chin into her hands. "You'll be sure to
remember when I am done." she hissed, reaching down to take the fallen
whip into her own hands. "Beryl." commanded a masculine voice that
protruded from the shadows. "We should have this man killed." the voice
belonged to the general, Kunzite. Beryl turned to him, noticeably
offended at the way he would speak to her. "Learn your place, Kunzite!"
He smirked devishly, tilting his head in her direction. "Master no
longer holds any purpose." Mamoru squirmed some in the bindings,
"Master?" recalling what Zoisite had been telling him. "If he remembers
it will bring us nothing but pain!" Kunzite yelled, the echo of his
voice drawing the attention of others, primarily a close Nephrite and
Jadeite. "Kunzite I will allow no such disrespect from you. Your
only concern is the princess and the Ginzuishou." she said sternly,
staring him down in his place. Kunzite displayed the playful smirk once
more. "As you wish." offering nothing more than a cynical bow before
turning away. Mamoru looked up as he recognized the last of what was
said,"Princess..." quickly passing flashbacks of himself and Usagi,
dreams he'd had of the Princess and the determination he had himself
to get his memories back. "You don't need to worry about the princess
my love." Beryl said quietly, gripping the hold of the whip strongly.
"There's only you and I now." drawing her arm back and bringing it
down upon the already tattered form of Chiba Mamoru.
