Frozen Rain
Notes: Hi guys! Cricket chirps... Oh come on it has only been what...two months since I last updated so you guys couldn't have given up on me that quickly...cricket chirps. Okay maybe you have.
Thanks goes out to....
Nova33: Winces, yeah I kind of noticed that Ami seems to gradually become OOC with each chapter but I am glad that you are looking at it from a positive perspective though. I hope to squeeze in a few more tidbits in this chapter but something big is about to happen so there won't be much room.
Sailor Lune: Giggles, I know this may sound arrogant of me but I was laughing while I was writing that part of chapter ten because I could just picture them getting into petty childhood fight and look so adorable at the same time.
Jupitergreen12: Welcome aboard and thank you for your review!
Mistress of Ice: Blushes a deep red, Really? Glomps Mistress of Ice, Thank you!
Kaiya: Don't worry, even if I wrap this fic up in a few more chapters I plan on making sequels that will hopefully cover the rest of the Sailor Moon saga but that all depends on what develops in this story first. Bows humbly, Sorry for taking so long but first I was grounded from the computer for almost two months and by the time I was allowed back on my head was spinning with so many different ideas that this was once again pushed aside briefly for a new mind toy. Forgive?
Sailor Sagittarius: Cool name by the way, I...Thank you so much! Sorry about the cliffhangers, I try not to do it often but more times than not I end up just picking a random place to stop because I am so afraid of giving so much away in one shot. Again I am glad that you are taking this OOC issue positively.
Mercury Destiny: Hmm a plot twist huh? And here I thought I was just messing with people's mind not giving structure to the story but hey that works too.
Fiore Ami: Blushes a dark red, Thank you.
Now onward to chapter twelve
Chapter Twelve
Falling In Deeper
Serenity
Sometimes occurrences cannot be explained in mere words or thoughts, even with a vast array of lines written in epic flourish and description cannot begin to unravel such mysteries. My love for him is one such paradox.
From the moment we met we despised and yet were impassioned by each other. Awed by curiosity yet repelled the both of us tried to fight against what was meant to be. Now here I stand in this forgotten realm, still chasing after his shadow, hopelessly devoted to him even after my death. How pathetic can one get?
Yes, eventually our mutual "curiosity" and reluctant fondness towards one another did prevail but just when we were becoming romantically entranced by each other...the world crumbled, as if Fate herself had forbidden us to ever know just how great our love could have been.
If the truth were to be told my reincarnation and this young man who houses the soul of my lover are not straying too far from our beginnings. Usagi seems to despise him to no end but I have lived in the back of her mind for so long, have explored the depths of her soul and have understood the deepest desires of her heart to know that as much as this young man greatly annoys her...she still longs for him. Surprisingly this has nothing to do with the fact that she is me and I am her. These feelings were there before I could fully awake as her powers grew. Oh she tries so hard to deny it but I know that behind the lies she does care about him.
This is what I fear. Usagi was sent here to save this world, to repair what has become unraveled. I was meant to be the great ruler of these worlds, to bring peace, to be in love so deeply that it conquer just about everything, not this slip of a girl.
Why the disbelieving stares? Am I not the benevolent and loving princess that you expected to meet? True, I can be those things but please keep me in mind that I am human too, or at least I once was. It irritates me so that this child has to take my place even more so that my lover his making me "chase" him down so that we can enter paradise together, and then Kunzite. He is not reincarnated, this I wasn't shocked about but to find him with his sanity intact even after all of these years, after all he has done to my love and our merging kingdoms...
But I am above such childish displays of anger. Yes, I am calm and very mature.
Ah whom the hell am I kidding?!
"I hate you," I snarled just as Kunzite walked ahead of me, still carrying the corpse of the blue-haired child.
He spared me a brief glance before replying, "I am so glad that you've chosen now to express this," he bit back in return.
Gathering up the hem of my skirt I hurried to catch up with his longer strides, "You, by all rights should be dead. You have caused the entire Moon kingdom and your home world of a lot of pain and for what, for a woman who was already married. And now look at yourself, you have her pure, younger incarnation in your arms, as cold and stiff as any haggled corpse because she foolishly tried to defend your worthless hide." I hissed venomously. As the words run back at me through my mind they sting my soul but he deserves it, or at least that is what I tell myself.
There was a long silence as Kunzite pauses. For a fleeting but never the less terrifying moment I think, no believe, that he will strike me down where I stand. But instead his entire form seems to shake.
I can see his fingers curl so tightly into the girl's bloodless skin that it leaves visible marks. I wait for him to return a similar remark in my face.
Please, tell me that I am a fool for still chasing him when it is obvious that he doesn't want to be found.
Please say something that will make me regret for coming back just to see him one last time.
Please make me hate him because loving him so strongly is killing me all over again.
"You are right," was the only reply I could get out of him before he returned to his brisk pace.
I can only stare at his retreating form, with my bottom jaw hanging wide open. Who is this man? Not Kunzite, or at least the one whom was the captain of my lover's guard or even the man who coldly murdered him. Kunzite isn't one to be hot-temper by nature but he does have certain points where he can and will become deathly defensive. His love for the girl is one obvious flaw that he displays so openly that I thought it would be an easy target.
This may sound strange coming from a "princess", we're suppose to be sweet, caring, pure, and above all loving; but I want him to hate me so that I can find a reason to despise him. I need a reason to mock his strong affection for the water child so that I am not the only one who feels foolish for caring about someone so obsessively.
Slowly I move to follow him and despite my resolve, I gain a new, albeit grudging, respect for the former general.
Ami
It is strange to say the least just sitting here in the darkness while events of my past life play before my eyes like a movie. After that bitter scene between me and Kunzite I watch as the possible romance between me and Zoicite unfolds.
'You're quiet tonight," he commented to the small blue haired woman sitting across from him.
Turning her head away from the moonlit lake she smiled softly while placing the book in her lap aside.
"I was just thinking," she replied, almost sounding ashamed.
The boyish looking blonde chuckled, "If you ever "stopped" thinking I would be worried."
The lake grew quiet as his hands on the oars stilled. Leaning closer towards her Ami's smile was gradually wiped off with a sweet lingering kiss.
As always it was gratifying like a refreshing drink from a cool spring. It was pure as it is with the first dozen or so kisses from one's first love. But something was missing. Fighting that stray thought she decided to give in just a little and slowly pried her mouth apart, inviting intrusion.
Even after three months of courting Ami felt almost ashamed of the bold action, on her part, but Zoicite didn't seem to mind much as all. She gasped softly as his tongue dared to take advantage of the opening and caressed the rim of her mouth.
Breaking away slowly both of them glanced shyly at each other as Zoicite reached over to grasp her hand. Through the corner of his eye he could see a patch of newly flowering lotus blossoms. Releasing his grasp on her hand he moved one oar to turn the small boat around.
Glancing around Ami looked to see the shore coming in closer, holding back a sigh she feared that maybe she had somehow ruined the mood by being too forward. But then he veered sharply to the left at odd angle to be docking the boat since the pier was just a few inches away from them.
'What is he up to?' Ami wondered to herself.
Just as she questioned this Zoicite reached the patch of perfect white water plants. He tried to pull the boat in closer to the patch by dragging it with the oar by the veins of the plants only bogged his progression. Abandoning the oar he stood and bent over.
Unable to keep her curiosity to herself Ami asked aloud, "What are you doing?"
"Getting flowers for my lovely water nymph. Is that a crime?" Zoicite replied glibly.
"Zoicite!" Ami gasped, "No! Sit back down in the boat."
"It won't take but a moment." Zoicite replied trying to calm his lover just as he stretched more than half of his body over the right side of the boat.
Moving quickly Ami tried to pull him back in by his shirt, "Stop! You're going to tip us over!"
"No, you will if you won't let go of me either that or you'll tear my shirt. Hmm that might not be a bad idea." Zoicite joked.
Ami's eyes widened as she saw the bow of the boat dip into the water. Quickly she let go of Zoicite's shirt, which was not a smart move on her part since the sudden loss of force caused him to tip over into the water instead of the boat. Falling, rather abruptly and ungracefully into the lake Ami could only watch in horror as he disappeared under the murky waters.
"Zoicite! Zoicite!" she gasped as she looked around to see him surface.
"Oh god, I've killed him!" the blue haired child thought as she desperately tried to catch her breath. Suddenly she felt the boat rock from underneath her. Before she could even scream the boat capsized on her. Since the water was only three feet deep she easily swam up to the surface, sputtering and soaking wet. As she tried to pull back the plastered strands of her dark blue hair she could hear the boisterous laughter of a highly amused Zoicite. Frowning she pulled up her silk skirt and tried to half swim- half tread towards him.
"You think that is funny don't you?!" she growled.
"Funny? It was hilarious! You should have seen the look on your face when you fell in..." he trailed off into snickers.
Noting the still very peeved expression on his lovers face he choked back a final chuckle, "Oh come on Ami, you can't be that sore about this."
Splashing him with water she looked up only to gasp and then stifle her own chuckles.
"What?" Zoicite asked.
"You...you're hair...you've got a..." her voice dissolved into giggles unable to speak between laughing.
"My hair?" Zoicite questioned as he reached up only to come across something wet and slimy.
Ribbbit
Pulling the "object" out of his hair Zoicite looked to examine the rather large specimen of green amphibian that had attached itself to his hair at some point during the water fiasco.
Glaring down at the frog he said to it, "Okay buddy, free ride is over," before placing it back into the pond.
Still helpless with giggles Ami struggled to say, "Oh now look what you did. There goes Prince Charming."
"Pardon?" Zoicite questioned.
"You don't remember "The Frog Prince"? It was one of my favorite stories growing up. This princess found a frog that claimed he would turn into a prince if she kissed him. At first she didn't believe him but one day he finally convinced her and when she kissed him poof he transformed into a handsome prince. The End."
Zoicite pondered this for a moment then took a long look at Ami.
"What?" the girl asked.
"I was just wondering how many frogs have you kissed in your life."
Ami blushed, "Figuratively or literally?"
"Both."
"Well one. And you know what?"
"What?"
"I haven't kissed anyone else because he really was never a frog to begin with, so there was no reason to go looking elsewhere."
"Aw, that's sweet Ami. I feel flattered."
Smirking Ami turned her back wading towards shore, "What makes you think I was referring to you frog boy?"
"Hey! No, don't you dare walk away from me!' Zoicite said as he untangled his left ankle from a water plant.
Laughing Ami fully out ran towards shore but Zoicite had a longer stride so he quickly caught up with her and tackled her to the soft muddy embankment.
"Uggh, now look what you've done you big klutz! It will take weeks for this dress to get clean and it is one of my favorites too!" Ami started to berate him only to pause when she looked up to see his deep green eyes staring at her with a mix of affection and hesitation.
"Ami, I know this is very sudden but I am going to be leaving soon,"
"Again?" Ami interrupted sounding dishearten.
"Only for a few weeks but I can't wait to tell you this."
"What is it?" Ami breathed.
"Shh, be still, I am getting to it." the blonde replied as he gently stroked her wet hair back in place.
"I overheard Queen Serenity talking amongst the royal houses of both the Lunar Kingdom and the Earth nations. It's been settled."
"Oh no, Zoicite. I...am not sure if I am ready to get married. Not that I don't love you, I do...more than anything but..."
Kissing her brow Zoicite replied softly, "I understand. I am not ready for this either but I don't know maybe we will have at least some say in the matter. I highly doubt it though. On the other hand, would being married even at such a young age be so bad? We love each other right?"
"Right," Ami hesitated while in the back of her mind she was beginning to wonder if this was real honest to god "love" or just "puppy love". But she had never loved someone this much before so this must be true love, right?
Too afraid to voice the question Ami just quietly agreed.
"What I don't understand is why they are doing this?" Ami asked.
Above her Zoicite gave a bitter chuckle, "They are monarchies Ami, they don't need a "reason" so long as they are in control we are pawns in their games. I think that if there is a reason to this madness they are trying to marry all of off in hopes of "encouraging" Serenity and my prince into at least attempt at liking each other and their soon to be martial status."
"It's not fair," Ami couldn't help but choke out, "I love you but at the same time I want to get to know you more on my own terms and my in my own time. Getting married so quickly it might ruin us..."
"I know, I know Ami." Zoicite soothed as he tried to kiss away every stray tear that fell from her dark ocean eyes.
Soon they stood up, before Ami could say her goodbyes though Zoicite wrapped his arms around her in a heartfelt embrace.
Softly he whispered into her ear, "Just remember whatever happens Ami, I love you more than you can ever imagine."
Leaving a parting kiss on her left cheek he produced a pure white lotus flower and placed it above her right ear.
"Keep it until I come back. Hopefully I'll be able to replace it with a ring." Zoicite said sounding light hearted for someone who didn't want to be "forced" to marry either.
Leaving the grounds in a daze Ami never felt so confused in her life. One minute they were happy and carefree, just like young couples should be then she is hit with a cold dose of reality that the man she was in love with could very soon be her husband with or without her consent. Even before the plans of the marriages had been approved by all of the houses they had paired them all off. Makoto, the Amazon like princess of Jupiter paired with Nephrite, Rei, the hot-tempered princess of the war planet, with Jadeite. Ami shuttered, if there was one "paring" that unsettled her more than herself and Zoicite it was Minako with Kunzite, even though she wasn't as close to the blonde commander as the other girls she still felt bad to see the sweet bubbly Mina-chan be paired with that asshole. She deserved so much better than him, heck even one of the lesser guardsmen would be better for her than the silver haired demon!
As Ami climbed the stairs leading to her and the other's private quarters she pondered more on the might-be marriages.
The "outers" were strongly opposed to the idea so they haven't been seen in any of the castles for months, especially Princess Uranus and her "secret" lover Princess Neptune. Princess Pluto considered herself "immune" to this arrangement and Princess Saturn had the excuse of age. So that just left the four of them in this boat.
Speaking of which Mina had asked her to come straight to her room to relay details of her date with Zoicite; at that thought Ami felt very embarrassed and a bit immature, but hopefully since Minako was "coaching" in the ways of courting maybe the blond girl would commend on her achievement of finally being herself around Zoicite instead of thinking her childish for their antics.
Taking a detour from the welcoming door of her own room Ami ventured down the hall, pass Rei and Matoko's rooms she tried to steel her will about confessing to Mina everything.
'For all I know she probably already knows about the arranged marriages. God, I can't even begin to imagine her reaction when she finds out that she will have to marry that brute. Well I for one not going to be the one to tell her, why shatter that poor girl...'
But as Ami opened the door to Minako's room she was hit with the realization that maybe, just maybe "poor sweet Minako" just might like the "brute".
For a moment she really wasn't sure what she was seeing and then it hit her so suddenly that she could only opening gasp in horror, her body frozen.
There was Minako laying across her bed, naked save for her long flowing locks of golden hair, her mouth open and panting while above was posed the "brute" his back bared to her as he...
She couldn't help but scream. Thinking it all at bad dream she closed her eyes shut then stumbled backwards, knocking over a tall ivory pestle where a china vase sat. It crashed beside her shards flying everywhere, one just happened to embed itself deeply into her exposed ankle.
"What the..."
"Oh gods, Ami?!" Mina exclaimed as she pushed Kunzite aside with amazing strength. Not even considering modesty Minako got out of bed and rushed to her friends side.
"No, Mina don't you'll cut your feet."
She both ignore yet noted her friend's warning Mina carefully stepped around the pieces of china to look at her friend's bleeding ankle.
Hissing between her teeth she glanced up at Ami, "This looks bad."
Turning her head to Kunzite, who unlike Minako had taken the liberty of putting his pants on, "We'll have to take her to the healers."
Kunzite nodded and came forward to pick her up but Ami snarled as she tried to stand on her own feet.
"I don't need his help. I'll walk down to the Medical ward by myself." Ami growled.
"Ami, please, the wound is too deep..."
Ami glared over her shoulder, her stare icy cold, "I would rather die than receive help from him," the blue haired princess whispered so softly that only Minako could hear her, "so unless you wish to watch me strike my heart with one of these shards I suggest you let me go and return to your..."
She couldn't even finish the sentence, never in all of her born days had she felt so betrayed. Mina was sleeping with the "enemy".
It was "his" stupid promise that she never courted anyone else until Zoicite. As a girl she had hoped that he would find her and care for her just like the princes in the fairy tales she so loved to read. But months and years tarnished the once sweet memory until it was nothing but a chain pulling her down.
Staggering down the steps Ami winced with each painful step. Not even sparing a glance back at the couple she wanted desperately to say something biting to them, to him actually. Something that could make him remember her and make him feel guilty although more than likely he didn't have such an emotion.
"That's it." Kunzite growled as he picked her up off her feet.
Gasping Ami swung her uninjured leg against the banister to halt their progress.
"Put me down this instant or I swear to the gods that you will not live long enough to have children," she threatened darkly without looking at him.
"Another empty threat? Or do you actually plan on following through this one?" Kunzite growled in return.
"Just because a woman doesn't immediately follow through with her promise doesn't make it empty." Ami said coldly.
"Then save them so that you can give me as much hell as you want when we both have the energy and time to deal with it."
Minako watched this heated exchange looking very perplexed and yet slightly intrigued.
"I don't want or need you help!" Ami said using her arms to push herself away.
"Do you think I am enjoying this?" Kunzite hissed as he tried to manage her struggling form, "Trust me, you are the last person that I want to help but since I have been "volunteered" to do so just make it easier on both of us and stop squirming."
Ungenerously resigning to her fate Ami stilled in his arms, looking over his shoulder she glanced back at Minako that looked like a sick mixture of words, partially pity that the Minako seemed to actually care about this man so much that she would trust him, partially bewilderment at how the as said affection could be wasted on the likes of him.
"You don't deserve her," Ami murmured darkly once they entered the Grand Hall.
"Excuse me?"
Ami stiffened, "You heard me. I don't know Minako well but I do know one thing, scum like yourself isn't worthy enough to kiss the ground her feet has walked upon."
"Ah, I see so you hold affections for her." Kunzite half teased half inquired.
"No." Ami easily dismissed the comment.
"You wouldn't understand it but the four of us threat each other like sisters..."
"And yet you had no idea that she has been courting this piece of "scum" for at least six months. Oh yes you know her quite well." Kunzite mocked.
For a few minutes Ami was silent but not out offence but out of strategy.
It wasn't long before Kunzite found the Medical Ward. Walking through the starch white halls of the infirmary they both waited as a healer approached them.
"Oh dear," the older woman breathed as she glanced at the bleeding gash.
Looking up at Kunzite the older woman gave him a questioning glance but quickly dismissed any questions that might have popped into her head; she had worked at the palace long enough to understand that it was often best if one didn't question suspicious injuries and just threat the patient and send them on their way.
"If you'll just help me get her to a bed you'll be free to go," the healer said to Kunzite ushering him towards one of the back rooms.
Pulling back the clean coverlet and sheet the healer motioned for him to set her down on the bed.
Following the silent orders of the healer Kunzite eased Ami's body onto the bed. Grateful to be out of his arms Ami turned her head towards the healer whom was pulling up the length of her wet and muddy gown to her knee caps so that both of her ankles, the injured one especially, could easily be seen.
The older woman glanced down at the wounded ankle, nodded to herself and then exited the room.
Breathing a withheld sigh of relief she suddenly remembered that Kunzite hadn't left the room. Opening her eyes she caught him staring at her exposed ankles.
Forming tight fists around the cloth she moved to cover her feet again but a calloused hand stopped her. Looking up Ami glared hotly at him, trying to will him away.
He gently pulled back the cloth to reveal her other ankle, like the other it was smooth ivory and small but unlike the other a long fading scar no bigger than a silver piece was impressed into her skin. Defiantly his finger ran down the small line that ended in the smaller circlet, it was the same shape that...
He glanced up at Ami, whose face was turning a gradual shade of scarlet; the expression on her face was a mix of indignation, embarrassment and...fear. Why was she so afraid of him? Even when they met so briefly in that library she was deathly afraid of him even though he had never recalled doing anything, or even meeting her before that night, to cause her to fear him.
There was something familiar about her though. Blue hair. It was uncommon and he had remembered meeting a timid girl child with the same shade of hair and the same shade of blue in her eyes. It was years ago so by now her hair must have dulled to a ebony and those dark blue eyes must have darken to a black and she might already be married off to some lower lord. So what was the point of looking for her? Then again why was he even thinking of her after all of these years?
What bothered him was that the girl would come to the Golden Kingdom every year, during the transition between summer and autumn, until he had turned fifteen so he should have been able to at least recall her name. But he did remember the nasty scar that the arrow had left in her ankle. The exact length and shape of this one only it seemed to be fading away with age.
"What are you doing to my patient!?" the healer cried out as she swooped in like a angry mother hen, flapping the "wings" of her long white robes to shoo him away from Ami.
"Look, I don't care who you two are or just what attachments and such you have to one another but I will not have you," she pointing at Kunzite's chest, since it was at her eye level, "man-handling one of my patients while she is in my care! Now I suggest that you go back to your quarters and leave her alone for the rest of the evening."
"No, miss it's not what you think he was just..."Ami began only to trail off to ask, "Just what were you doing?" she questioned a bit breathlessly.
"Well what are you doing just standing there? Get out before I call the guards!" the healer shirked.
This comment caused Kunzite to smirk, "You do that my dear lady if you wish, but before I go there is one thing that I would like to ask you," he finished looking right at Ami.
She gulped, "Well, what do you want to know?"
"How did you get that scar on your left ankle?"
"I've had that scar since I was seven. I got it from a...bad fall when I was playing in a garden."
He did a double take at that comment but just as promised he left the ward.
'Just as I thought, he doesn't remember me. It's for the best. I mean it all works out now, with these new marriages being a likely possibility I belong to no one else but Zoicite and he...gag...belongs to Minako; poor girl, may the gods have mercy on her soul. Oh god! What if they have kids?! Oh, I don't even want to think about that demon spawning more "things" like himself.' Ami thought as she let her mind freely wonder as the healer finished stitching up the gash in her right ankle.
Okay, can we pause and rewind for just a minute folks? Thanks. Okay, let's get one thing straight if there was some sort of "love connection" or something going on between me and Kunzite way, way, way back when I for one and I am not seeing. But on the other hand it isn't me that he likes or love or whatever the heck you want to call it. Sure I am her incarnation but I am me too right? I can't be the carbon copy of her, for one thing she had gaudy taste in dresses, not trashy but bordering on it, and what's with all of the blue! I do wear other colors you know, it just happens that seventy percent of them are blue.
And yet...I can't help but feel a vibe of bitterness from my former...self. Was she really holding out for him for ten, no almost eleven years? Sure it was a crush but they, or is that we?, met when they, we?, were kids so why carry a torch for someone that long?
'Because it was and still is real,' a part of me coaxes.
Sighing I wish that someone upstairs would decide whether I am dead or alive because I could use a quick nap right about now, or at least a moment's peace where I can think clearly again without having a random thought or memory being thrown against the black expanse surrounding me with haunting images.
Kunzite
Each step was killing me. Princess Serenity had tried to bait me once and I almost fell for it; but holding Ami's limp form in my arms reminded me that I deserved every ounce of those acidic words coming from her mouth. I destroyed so much, took so much, sacrificed mine, Ami's, and even our own son's life, just to keep what I had deemed was rightfully mine.
I've known for years that it had been my fault. Years of waiting and looking into nothing but darkness, feeling so isolated even with my own body. Nothing that even rings of hope or happiness to grasp onto, always knowing that you had it all, everything you could have ever want in your grasp but one wrong choice, one mistake, one desire ruined it all brings you to simple terrifying truth, you are in a literally "living" hell. I blamed myself for half a century, revealing in the darkness, letting it consume me completely.
A small light came when I got it into my head that since Zoicite had "stolen" what was mine to begin with it was all of his doing. So when I was forced to train him I made sure that he felt every drop of my bitterness, that he experienced the pain on the physical level that I felt ten-fold. When his blood didn't satisfy, once his cries of pain haunted me in my sleep instead of warding away the nightmares did I realize that my blame was wrongly placed.
Then I blamed her, it was so simple and gratifying feeling that I wondered just why this revelation hadn't occurred before. Of course, she purposively went out and seduced Zoicite and then when he wasn't enough came to me. She was so sly and deceptive that she had me fooled into believing her lies. She had us both so tightly wrapped around her finger that we were willing to even kill each other just so that we can have her and in the ultimate act of betrayal she placed herself between us and defended him.
In a rage I ran them through, my sword pierced her heart first and ended in the back of Zoicite. Jerking back I could feel her weight fall fully on the sword. Her eyes wide and surprised, she must have honestly thought that I wouldn't do it but I did and it felt damn good. It wasn't until Zoicite, near death himself, had the "gall" to take her mortal body and kiss her cooling face as it drained of color, he held her close proving to her, to me, to the entire world that he always loved her more than I ever could.
That was impossible though. He never understood her like I did. He couldn't have, he was too wrapped up in being in love with her that he couldn't love the person that she was. He tried to change her, tried so hard to make her a social butterfly, to not be so shy and intertroved when all she wanted was some room to breathe. He never understood that about her. I did though. Things she would tell me, I knew that he couldn't have known because she was so afraid that he wouldn't love her anymore because she was too "strange" or even crazy to deem worthy of his affection. He saw her perfection, I saw her flaws because she was too afraid to let him see them. He knew that she was stable and sound of mind because he never listened to her when she was struggling to confess something, he never...
Pushing him aside I wanted to be with her more than anything, but the dark crimson stains pouring from rippled skin told me that there would be no hope for us in this lifetime. Picking up the sword stained with their blood and even a reaming stain of my lord's blood, I ran it through my own heart.
"Kunzite...Kunzite!" a sharp female voice draws me back to the moment.
"What is it?" I hissed in response.
"Stop daydreaming and help me find the dungeon!" Serenity snarled in response as she turned towards the cobweb-covered caverns.
Gently I placed my hand on her right shoulder to draw her away from the catacombs, "You won't find him in the dungeon," I replied cryptically.
Her large blue eyes widen a bit larger, "Don't tell me that...creature..."
"She's always lusted after him hasn't she?" I replied.
"No. It's not true he would never...he loves me!" Serenity screamed.
"There are two things you have learn quickly princess. One, he's not your prince from the Silver Millennium. Two, Beryl has more power in her pinky fingernail than you and your mother combine. She wants something she will have it all costs."
She shielded her eyes with her hands as if she thought that hiding her eyes would belittle the fact that she was upset about the news; which was a fruitless effort because when she spoke her voice trembled as if she was about to cry at any given moment.
"Please, tell me that it is not of his freewill. Please tell me that she has brainwashed him or something."
"To be honest, I am not sure. He is still the annoying ass who always interfered just when your reincarnation and her little friends were moments away from defeat. But at the same time there is something inhuman about him. It could just be that she has fussed his life energy with dark energy; but brainwash is a very likely possibility." I finished, trying to tell her the truth and to assure her enough so that she didn't go into hysterics.
Removing her hand away from her face I could see her dark blue eyes glisten wet with tears but the determination on her face left no room for questions about whether or not she would continue with her "rescue" mission.
"If he is that close to her then we are going to have to think of some sort of diversion tactic." Serenity stated as she glanced down at Ami's prone body.
"And I think that I just got a brilliant idea..." she mused as she gently touched Ami's forehead.
We took a very short detour to my quarters so that we could get what we needed to complete the plan. Handing Serenity at least four short handled dagger from the small collection that Ami had hidden within her boots, a vial of poison, and a small length of rope.
Soon we both stood in front of the sealed granite gate that leads into the hellish pit known as the Court.
"Ready?" I asked.
"As I'll ever be." Serenity said as she offered up her wrists to be tied.
All too soon the gates swung open, pushing forward a strong musky dank atmosphere around us. Thankfully the Court was empty of the queen's loyal youma since more than likely they were getting fed. Youma may not be the brightest creatures on the planet but they would have been able to sense almost immediately that Ami was not fully "dead" so we had to plan our entrance into the Court at just the right moment.
The doors creaked loudly as they were drawn fully back at a painfully slow rate. At last they are open wide to reveal a vast expanse of bare onyx title that is normally swarming with youma that are bidding for a meal if one of the Queen's human subordinates were to be killed on the spot from displeasing her. If we don't work quickly the three of us just might have our blood splattered against these titles, our bodies open for the ever- vivacious mouths of the youma.
'That won't happen if you focus,' I berated myself as I slowly take purposeful strides towards the center of the vast dark cavern.
Sitting on her throne carved out of pure green jade Beryl with her wild, almost alive, red hair stares down at me as I "humbly" approach the dais.
In truth I know that she knows my humility is false; but she keeps me alive because she knows that unlike my comrades I know when to hold my tongue and at least pretend to be submissive and follow orders even if I deem them underneath me or unfit, or just ridiculous.
Behind me Serenity tried to struggle against the ropes, crying out in pain as I dragged her across the title.
Beryl quirks a deep auburn eyebrow, but the puzzled expression was soon replaced with one of smugness as I knelt before her, forcing Serenity to fall to her knees as well. Roughly I drop Ami's body onto the base of the dais, Serenity had disguised her into her senshi costume and had also created the illusion of her chest being slit wide open with dried blood covering her torn white bodice.
"Lord Kunzite, would you mind explaining to me just what I am seeing?" she asked with a large smirk.
"Your majesty. I have mange to kill one of the senshi as well as capture the Moon Princess that they were zealously guarding.
"Ah, just as I thought, she does live in this world." Beryl stated haughtily as she arose from her throne, the shimmering purple fabric rippling around her ankles like a glittering pool. Her inhumanly long hands ending in crimson nails reached out to cup the princess's chin.
Serenity flinched at the touch and gasped when she felt a long nail embed itself in the soft ivory flesh of her cheek. Blood quickly came to the gash.
"For so long, you have tormented me in my sleep, with your doe like blue eyes, those tears of grief." Beryl hissed as she ran a single finger down the side of her face, toying at the edge of her left eye as if she was wondering whether she was going to gorge it out or not.
"Your hair, so soft and pure silver with that childish hair style," she hissed pulling at the tight round buns causing them to become undone. Serenity cried out in pain as Beryl jerked her around with fistfuls of hair. Beryl tossed her aside roughly across the titled floor.
Beside me I heard of soft moan. Looking through the corner of my eye I saw Ami's "corpse" rises up. Quickly I hand her a dagger from behind my back coated in poison.
"You know what to do," I hissed.
Ami nodded as she looked ahead at Beryl abusing Princess Serenity.
"Steady," I said, holding her back, "Don't move until she brings him out."
Ami watched silently as her former princess was being kicked and tossed around like some stuffing-less rag doll; quietly and calculating, waiting to make her next move.
Beryl dragged Serenity to her feet and shocked us all by bringing her in close and capturing her lips within her vile cold mouth.
"How does it feel?" Beryl hissed at Serenity, "How does it feel knowing that you are not the "best" that you are not his only "love" in fact you don't even have a honorable mention in the back of his mind. How does it feel?"
Serenity mustered up a cold smirk that marred the beautiful and pure features of her face, "Why don't you tell me Beryl? You should know better than anyone since you have had to suffer with his rejection for the last thousand years. It's you who are using him like a puppet just to gain his affection. How does it feel knowing that you will never feel loved by another human being unless you force them to against their will?"
Beryl's mouth curled back into a snarl as she smacked Serenity hard across the face then threw her against the opposing wall.
Her eyes wild with madness Beryl screeched at Serenity's momentarily stilled form, "I'll show you! I'll prove to you that he loves me and only me!"
Just as planned she summons "Prince Endymion" to her side. Faithfully he entered the Court, his boots clicking against the floor. I spare him a glare that is both spiteful and triumphant as he moves forward to kiss the cold-scaled hands of Beryl while on his knees.
Beryl glances over at Serenity with a poisoned glare, as she cups her right hand over the prince's head covered in thick black-blue hair.
"Endymion love, how much to you love me?" the demented queen purred to the younger man still standing on his knees with his head bowed.
"More than my life, my queen," he intoned in a dull deadpan tone, well that answers the "brain-washed or not" question either that or he is that slow in really life and I was always too annoyed to notice.
"Arise then my new lord of darkness." Beryl commanded.
His cloak of black with red lining rose up as he stood to his full height of six foot four, his armor a polished obsidian seemed not to disappear in the darkness but to almost shine in it. His cold gray-blue eyes seemed devoid of life as he moved forward to kiss Beryl fully on the mouth.
Forcing myself not to gag I try to silence Ami's cries of horror as the princess less than ten feet away from us shivers, her eyes welling up with tears as she tries to stifle her sobs.
Once the revolting pair separates Beryl glances down at Serenity like she was something very nasty on the bottom of the long train of her dress.
She smiled when she noted the tears now freely streaming down Serenity's face.
"You see Serenity, dear. In the end I've won. This is my world now and it runs on my commands, my rules, my very whim is obeyed. And soon, very soon, it will not just be this underworld but I shall rise up and take over the entire Earth!" Beryl said steadily growing louder until she was screaming it in the crying girl's face.
Raising her hands Beryl extended her claws and dove them into the girl's throat, a wet slick sound of ripping flesh, blood splattered against the floor in a large crimson puddle; stains of ruby seeped through her ivory dress. Choking she took one last glance at Endymion, her right hand shaking as it tired so desperately to reach towards him, the fingers trembling as blood flowed down her neck and chest. Her baby blue eyes slowly growing dull with death's shrouded light her now colorless lips mouthing words that she wanted to say but the bubbling blood and Beryl's claws prevented her from speaking them. With a harsh jerk Beryl extracted her nails from the girl's tender throat.
A dull thud followed her fall but nothing else since she was mostly dead anyway.
Beryl glanced at her blood-covered nails and cackled loudly, her laughter could be heard bouncing off of the walls.
"I've done it! She's dead! At long last I have Prince Endymion all to myself and there will be no one to stand in my way for taking over Earth!"
"Want to bet?" Ami growled behind me as she sprinted to her feet. With inhuman grace and speed she pulled out four of the poison coated daggers and with a flick of her wrists threw two into Beryl's back.
Her shrieks of laughter turned to one's of pain as the daggers sank deep into her back.
"What the...? Who would dare?!" she snarled.
"I would." Ami said as she stood in front of Beryl and her dimwitted "prince" holding the last of her daggers fanned out between her fingers of her right hand so that way her skin wouldn't come in direct contact with the lethal poison the blades were slathered in.
While Beryl was distracted I placed a strong binding spell on Endymion, as soon as he made a single move he would be paralyzed until myself or Ami releases him of the spell.
"You...but if you're not dead then...Kunzite!"
I smirked, bowing low I replied to the shriek, "My mistake Lady Beryl. Please forgive this humble servant of his misguided actions before you descend to hell."
"What?!" the queen roared as she tried to lunge forward at me but as she did Ami tackled her to the ground, pinning her left shoulder through the bone with the dagger and embedding it into the tiled floor; since the daggers were diamond they broke the weaker stone and forced Beryl to lay against the floor on her side.
As she tried to squirm free Ami pulled the last dagger out and rammed it into her right shoulder affectively trapping her against the ground.
Beryl snarled at Ami and tried to claw at her but the blue-haired girl quickly rolled out of her grasp. Pulling herself up to her feet Ami gave me a cocky smile before looking down at the trapped Beryl.
"I am very disappointed in you Beryl. I would have thought that by now you would have learned one very important lesson. The Lunar race always has a trump card." Ami said now smiling sweetly.
Beryl's eyes widen as she glanced over at the bloodied corpse of "Princess Serenity".
"No!" she screamed looking back at Ami, "It can't be you! I killed you with my bare hands! Your blood..."
"That was the "trump card"," Ami whispered as she snapped her fingers.
Instantly the mangled features of a dead youma replaced the form of the dead "Serenity", the red blood turned a vile acid green even the dried portion on Beryl's nails changed color.
"You...you little bitch! How dare you..."
"How dare I what? Defend my life? Rescue my true love when you captured him and made him your mindless puppet?" Serenity growled through Ami's clenched teeth.
"Serenity," I said grabbing the paralyzed prince by the collar and dragging him away, "we should leave before the youma come back."
The girl nodded in response and moved to follow behind me.
"This isn't over Serenity! My loyal youma will free me and I will hunt you down and I will..."
"Oh save your breath already." I snarled.
"He's right you know, you're going to need all of the energy that you can muster for screaming." Serenity smiled using Ami's face.
"You get back here..."
"Bye-bye!" Serenity said with a snicker as we walked out of the Court.
As soon as we were on the other side Serenity thanked me and took Endymion in her arms. She muttered a soft incantation and with a flash of white light the princess and her prince left leaving me with their incarnations that were slowly waking up.
Behind the closed doors I could hear Beryl's booming voice calling out to her youma that must have just now returned from their feeding frenzy.
"Find them and tear them apart but leave them with just enough life so that I can kill them myself!" she ragged.
I couldn't help but chuckle as a long pause followed her speech and then her shrill screams filled the air.
Sick as it may sound I found it highly amusing that Serenity hadn't informed Beryl that she had a second "trump card". She had cast another illusion this time on Beryl, so instead of seeing their distressed leader the monsters were actually seeing a steaming plate of raw meat just begging to be eaten by their greedy mouths.
Without explaining myself to the rather bewildered looking teenagers I headed towards my quarters where the real Ami would be waking up any moment now.
Notes: Cruddy place to leave off again I know but my Word Document page counter says that I have typed a total of thirty-two pages...in just two days!
Wow, that like a record for me...even though it took me over two months to actually buckle down and post it. I know the last part seems a bit rushed and I apologize in advance. I plan to wrap this fic up in four to three chapters, if this is the case they will be very long chapters since there is still a lot more places to fill in and of course we all know that Beryl isn't dead...yet...hehehehe. This was my first true attempt at Serenity and Endymion romance so if it is not really what you expected than you have just tasted a yet another portion of my demented views on love and relationships in both anime and life. Hmm maybe I should change the rating because there was a lot of blood and kind of gore-ish in this chapter...that's what I get for listening to the darker Evanescence songs and Mathew Good Band songs when typing.
Anyway enough of my yap! As of Friday I am officially on summer vacation so I plan on trying to update a lot more than normal but I also have to work and do some other stuff but thankfully these things won't be as stressful and time consuming as school. Is it just me or is this very long? Thanks for reading and peace
Notes: Hi guys! Cricket chirps... Oh come on it has only been what...two months since I last updated so you guys couldn't have given up on me that quickly...cricket chirps. Okay maybe you have.
Thanks goes out to....
Nova33: Winces, yeah I kind of noticed that Ami seems to gradually become OOC with each chapter but I am glad that you are looking at it from a positive perspective though. I hope to squeeze in a few more tidbits in this chapter but something big is about to happen so there won't be much room.
Sailor Lune: Giggles, I know this may sound arrogant of me but I was laughing while I was writing that part of chapter ten because I could just picture them getting into petty childhood fight and look so adorable at the same time.
Jupitergreen12: Welcome aboard and thank you for your review!
Mistress of Ice: Blushes a deep red, Really? Glomps Mistress of Ice, Thank you!
Kaiya: Don't worry, even if I wrap this fic up in a few more chapters I plan on making sequels that will hopefully cover the rest of the Sailor Moon saga but that all depends on what develops in this story first. Bows humbly, Sorry for taking so long but first I was grounded from the computer for almost two months and by the time I was allowed back on my head was spinning with so many different ideas that this was once again pushed aside briefly for a new mind toy. Forgive?
Sailor Sagittarius: Cool name by the way, I...Thank you so much! Sorry about the cliffhangers, I try not to do it often but more times than not I end up just picking a random place to stop because I am so afraid of giving so much away in one shot. Again I am glad that you are taking this OOC issue positively.
Mercury Destiny: Hmm a plot twist huh? And here I thought I was just messing with people's mind not giving structure to the story but hey that works too.
Fiore Ami: Blushes a dark red, Thank you.
Now onward to chapter twelve
Chapter Twelve
Falling In Deeper
Serenity
Sometimes occurrences cannot be explained in mere words or thoughts, even with a vast array of lines written in epic flourish and description cannot begin to unravel such mysteries. My love for him is one such paradox.
From the moment we met we despised and yet were impassioned by each other. Awed by curiosity yet repelled the both of us tried to fight against what was meant to be. Now here I stand in this forgotten realm, still chasing after his shadow, hopelessly devoted to him even after my death. How pathetic can one get?
Yes, eventually our mutual "curiosity" and reluctant fondness towards one another did prevail but just when we were becoming romantically entranced by each other...the world crumbled, as if Fate herself had forbidden us to ever know just how great our love could have been.
If the truth were to be told my reincarnation and this young man who houses the soul of my lover are not straying too far from our beginnings. Usagi seems to despise him to no end but I have lived in the back of her mind for so long, have explored the depths of her soul and have understood the deepest desires of her heart to know that as much as this young man greatly annoys her...she still longs for him. Surprisingly this has nothing to do with the fact that she is me and I am her. These feelings were there before I could fully awake as her powers grew. Oh she tries so hard to deny it but I know that behind the lies she does care about him.
This is what I fear. Usagi was sent here to save this world, to repair what has become unraveled. I was meant to be the great ruler of these worlds, to bring peace, to be in love so deeply that it conquer just about everything, not this slip of a girl.
Why the disbelieving stares? Am I not the benevolent and loving princess that you expected to meet? True, I can be those things but please keep me in mind that I am human too, or at least I once was. It irritates me so that this child has to take my place even more so that my lover his making me "chase" him down so that we can enter paradise together, and then Kunzite. He is not reincarnated, this I wasn't shocked about but to find him with his sanity intact even after all of these years, after all he has done to my love and our merging kingdoms...
But I am above such childish displays of anger. Yes, I am calm and very mature.
Ah whom the hell am I kidding?!
"I hate you," I snarled just as Kunzite walked ahead of me, still carrying the corpse of the blue-haired child.
He spared me a brief glance before replying, "I am so glad that you've chosen now to express this," he bit back in return.
Gathering up the hem of my skirt I hurried to catch up with his longer strides, "You, by all rights should be dead. You have caused the entire Moon kingdom and your home world of a lot of pain and for what, for a woman who was already married. And now look at yourself, you have her pure, younger incarnation in your arms, as cold and stiff as any haggled corpse because she foolishly tried to defend your worthless hide." I hissed venomously. As the words run back at me through my mind they sting my soul but he deserves it, or at least that is what I tell myself.
There was a long silence as Kunzite pauses. For a fleeting but never the less terrifying moment I think, no believe, that he will strike me down where I stand. But instead his entire form seems to shake.
I can see his fingers curl so tightly into the girl's bloodless skin that it leaves visible marks. I wait for him to return a similar remark in my face.
Please, tell me that I am a fool for still chasing him when it is obvious that he doesn't want to be found.
Please say something that will make me regret for coming back just to see him one last time.
Please make me hate him because loving him so strongly is killing me all over again.
"You are right," was the only reply I could get out of him before he returned to his brisk pace.
I can only stare at his retreating form, with my bottom jaw hanging wide open. Who is this man? Not Kunzite, or at least the one whom was the captain of my lover's guard or even the man who coldly murdered him. Kunzite isn't one to be hot-temper by nature but he does have certain points where he can and will become deathly defensive. His love for the girl is one obvious flaw that he displays so openly that I thought it would be an easy target.
This may sound strange coming from a "princess", we're suppose to be sweet, caring, pure, and above all loving; but I want him to hate me so that I can find a reason to despise him. I need a reason to mock his strong affection for the water child so that I am not the only one who feels foolish for caring about someone so obsessively.
Slowly I move to follow him and despite my resolve, I gain a new, albeit grudging, respect for the former general.
Ami
It is strange to say the least just sitting here in the darkness while events of my past life play before my eyes like a movie. After that bitter scene between me and Kunzite I watch as the possible romance between me and Zoicite unfolds.
'You're quiet tonight," he commented to the small blue haired woman sitting across from him.
Turning her head away from the moonlit lake she smiled softly while placing the book in her lap aside.
"I was just thinking," she replied, almost sounding ashamed.
The boyish looking blonde chuckled, "If you ever "stopped" thinking I would be worried."
The lake grew quiet as his hands on the oars stilled. Leaning closer towards her Ami's smile was gradually wiped off with a sweet lingering kiss.
As always it was gratifying like a refreshing drink from a cool spring. It was pure as it is with the first dozen or so kisses from one's first love. But something was missing. Fighting that stray thought she decided to give in just a little and slowly pried her mouth apart, inviting intrusion.
Even after three months of courting Ami felt almost ashamed of the bold action, on her part, but Zoicite didn't seem to mind much as all. She gasped softly as his tongue dared to take advantage of the opening and caressed the rim of her mouth.
Breaking away slowly both of them glanced shyly at each other as Zoicite reached over to grasp her hand. Through the corner of his eye he could see a patch of newly flowering lotus blossoms. Releasing his grasp on her hand he moved one oar to turn the small boat around.
Glancing around Ami looked to see the shore coming in closer, holding back a sigh she feared that maybe she had somehow ruined the mood by being too forward. But then he veered sharply to the left at odd angle to be docking the boat since the pier was just a few inches away from them.
'What is he up to?' Ami wondered to herself.
Just as she questioned this Zoicite reached the patch of perfect white water plants. He tried to pull the boat in closer to the patch by dragging it with the oar by the veins of the plants only bogged his progression. Abandoning the oar he stood and bent over.
Unable to keep her curiosity to herself Ami asked aloud, "What are you doing?"
"Getting flowers for my lovely water nymph. Is that a crime?" Zoicite replied glibly.
"Zoicite!" Ami gasped, "No! Sit back down in the boat."
"It won't take but a moment." Zoicite replied trying to calm his lover just as he stretched more than half of his body over the right side of the boat.
Moving quickly Ami tried to pull him back in by his shirt, "Stop! You're going to tip us over!"
"No, you will if you won't let go of me either that or you'll tear my shirt. Hmm that might not be a bad idea." Zoicite joked.
Ami's eyes widened as she saw the bow of the boat dip into the water. Quickly she let go of Zoicite's shirt, which was not a smart move on her part since the sudden loss of force caused him to tip over into the water instead of the boat. Falling, rather abruptly and ungracefully into the lake Ami could only watch in horror as he disappeared under the murky waters.
"Zoicite! Zoicite!" she gasped as she looked around to see him surface.
"Oh god, I've killed him!" the blue haired child thought as she desperately tried to catch her breath. Suddenly she felt the boat rock from underneath her. Before she could even scream the boat capsized on her. Since the water was only three feet deep she easily swam up to the surface, sputtering and soaking wet. As she tried to pull back the plastered strands of her dark blue hair she could hear the boisterous laughter of a highly amused Zoicite. Frowning she pulled up her silk skirt and tried to half swim- half tread towards him.
"You think that is funny don't you?!" she growled.
"Funny? It was hilarious! You should have seen the look on your face when you fell in..." he trailed off into snickers.
Noting the still very peeved expression on his lovers face he choked back a final chuckle, "Oh come on Ami, you can't be that sore about this."
Splashing him with water she looked up only to gasp and then stifle her own chuckles.
"What?" Zoicite asked.
"You...you're hair...you've got a..." her voice dissolved into giggles unable to speak between laughing.
"My hair?" Zoicite questioned as he reached up only to come across something wet and slimy.
Ribbbit
Pulling the "object" out of his hair Zoicite looked to examine the rather large specimen of green amphibian that had attached itself to his hair at some point during the water fiasco.
Glaring down at the frog he said to it, "Okay buddy, free ride is over," before placing it back into the pond.
Still helpless with giggles Ami struggled to say, "Oh now look what you did. There goes Prince Charming."
"Pardon?" Zoicite questioned.
"You don't remember "The Frog Prince"? It was one of my favorite stories growing up. This princess found a frog that claimed he would turn into a prince if she kissed him. At first she didn't believe him but one day he finally convinced her and when she kissed him poof he transformed into a handsome prince. The End."
Zoicite pondered this for a moment then took a long look at Ami.
"What?" the girl asked.
"I was just wondering how many frogs have you kissed in your life."
Ami blushed, "Figuratively or literally?"
"Both."
"Well one. And you know what?"
"What?"
"I haven't kissed anyone else because he really was never a frog to begin with, so there was no reason to go looking elsewhere."
"Aw, that's sweet Ami. I feel flattered."
Smirking Ami turned her back wading towards shore, "What makes you think I was referring to you frog boy?"
"Hey! No, don't you dare walk away from me!' Zoicite said as he untangled his left ankle from a water plant.
Laughing Ami fully out ran towards shore but Zoicite had a longer stride so he quickly caught up with her and tackled her to the soft muddy embankment.
"Uggh, now look what you've done you big klutz! It will take weeks for this dress to get clean and it is one of my favorites too!" Ami started to berate him only to pause when she looked up to see his deep green eyes staring at her with a mix of affection and hesitation.
"Ami, I know this is very sudden but I am going to be leaving soon,"
"Again?" Ami interrupted sounding dishearten.
"Only for a few weeks but I can't wait to tell you this."
"What is it?" Ami breathed.
"Shh, be still, I am getting to it." the blonde replied as he gently stroked her wet hair back in place.
"I overheard Queen Serenity talking amongst the royal houses of both the Lunar Kingdom and the Earth nations. It's been settled."
"Oh no, Zoicite. I...am not sure if I am ready to get married. Not that I don't love you, I do...more than anything but..."
Kissing her brow Zoicite replied softly, "I understand. I am not ready for this either but I don't know maybe we will have at least some say in the matter. I highly doubt it though. On the other hand, would being married even at such a young age be so bad? We love each other right?"
"Right," Ami hesitated while in the back of her mind she was beginning to wonder if this was real honest to god "love" or just "puppy love". But she had never loved someone this much before so this must be true love, right?
Too afraid to voice the question Ami just quietly agreed.
"What I don't understand is why they are doing this?" Ami asked.
Above her Zoicite gave a bitter chuckle, "They are monarchies Ami, they don't need a "reason" so long as they are in control we are pawns in their games. I think that if there is a reason to this madness they are trying to marry all of off in hopes of "encouraging" Serenity and my prince into at least attempt at liking each other and their soon to be martial status."
"It's not fair," Ami couldn't help but choke out, "I love you but at the same time I want to get to know you more on my own terms and my in my own time. Getting married so quickly it might ruin us..."
"I know, I know Ami." Zoicite soothed as he tried to kiss away every stray tear that fell from her dark ocean eyes.
Soon they stood up, before Ami could say her goodbyes though Zoicite wrapped his arms around her in a heartfelt embrace.
Softly he whispered into her ear, "Just remember whatever happens Ami, I love you more than you can ever imagine."
Leaving a parting kiss on her left cheek he produced a pure white lotus flower and placed it above her right ear.
"Keep it until I come back. Hopefully I'll be able to replace it with a ring." Zoicite said sounding light hearted for someone who didn't want to be "forced" to marry either.
Leaving the grounds in a daze Ami never felt so confused in her life. One minute they were happy and carefree, just like young couples should be then she is hit with a cold dose of reality that the man she was in love with could very soon be her husband with or without her consent. Even before the plans of the marriages had been approved by all of the houses they had paired them all off. Makoto, the Amazon like princess of Jupiter paired with Nephrite, Rei, the hot-tempered princess of the war planet, with Jadeite. Ami shuttered, if there was one "paring" that unsettled her more than herself and Zoicite it was Minako with Kunzite, even though she wasn't as close to the blonde commander as the other girls she still felt bad to see the sweet bubbly Mina-chan be paired with that asshole. She deserved so much better than him, heck even one of the lesser guardsmen would be better for her than the silver haired demon!
As Ami climbed the stairs leading to her and the other's private quarters she pondered more on the might-be marriages.
The "outers" were strongly opposed to the idea so they haven't been seen in any of the castles for months, especially Princess Uranus and her "secret" lover Princess Neptune. Princess Pluto considered herself "immune" to this arrangement and Princess Saturn had the excuse of age. So that just left the four of them in this boat.
Speaking of which Mina had asked her to come straight to her room to relay details of her date with Zoicite; at that thought Ami felt very embarrassed and a bit immature, but hopefully since Minako was "coaching" in the ways of courting maybe the blond girl would commend on her achievement of finally being herself around Zoicite instead of thinking her childish for their antics.
Taking a detour from the welcoming door of her own room Ami ventured down the hall, pass Rei and Matoko's rooms she tried to steel her will about confessing to Mina everything.
'For all I know she probably already knows about the arranged marriages. God, I can't even begin to imagine her reaction when she finds out that she will have to marry that brute. Well I for one not going to be the one to tell her, why shatter that poor girl...'
But as Ami opened the door to Minako's room she was hit with the realization that maybe, just maybe "poor sweet Minako" just might like the "brute".
For a moment she really wasn't sure what she was seeing and then it hit her so suddenly that she could only opening gasp in horror, her body frozen.
There was Minako laying across her bed, naked save for her long flowing locks of golden hair, her mouth open and panting while above was posed the "brute" his back bared to her as he...
She couldn't help but scream. Thinking it all at bad dream she closed her eyes shut then stumbled backwards, knocking over a tall ivory pestle where a china vase sat. It crashed beside her shards flying everywhere, one just happened to embed itself deeply into her exposed ankle.
"What the..."
"Oh gods, Ami?!" Mina exclaimed as she pushed Kunzite aside with amazing strength. Not even considering modesty Minako got out of bed and rushed to her friends side.
"No, Mina don't you'll cut your feet."
She both ignore yet noted her friend's warning Mina carefully stepped around the pieces of china to look at her friend's bleeding ankle.
Hissing between her teeth she glanced up at Ami, "This looks bad."
Turning her head to Kunzite, who unlike Minako had taken the liberty of putting his pants on, "We'll have to take her to the healers."
Kunzite nodded and came forward to pick her up but Ami snarled as she tried to stand on her own feet.
"I don't need his help. I'll walk down to the Medical ward by myself." Ami growled.
"Ami, please, the wound is too deep..."
Ami glared over her shoulder, her stare icy cold, "I would rather die than receive help from him," the blue haired princess whispered so softly that only Minako could hear her, "so unless you wish to watch me strike my heart with one of these shards I suggest you let me go and return to your..."
She couldn't even finish the sentence, never in all of her born days had she felt so betrayed. Mina was sleeping with the "enemy".
It was "his" stupid promise that she never courted anyone else until Zoicite. As a girl she had hoped that he would find her and care for her just like the princes in the fairy tales she so loved to read. But months and years tarnished the once sweet memory until it was nothing but a chain pulling her down.
Staggering down the steps Ami winced with each painful step. Not even sparing a glance back at the couple she wanted desperately to say something biting to them, to him actually. Something that could make him remember her and make him feel guilty although more than likely he didn't have such an emotion.
"That's it." Kunzite growled as he picked her up off her feet.
Gasping Ami swung her uninjured leg against the banister to halt their progress.
"Put me down this instant or I swear to the gods that you will not live long enough to have children," she threatened darkly without looking at him.
"Another empty threat? Or do you actually plan on following through this one?" Kunzite growled in return.
"Just because a woman doesn't immediately follow through with her promise doesn't make it empty." Ami said coldly.
"Then save them so that you can give me as much hell as you want when we both have the energy and time to deal with it."
Minako watched this heated exchange looking very perplexed and yet slightly intrigued.
"I don't want or need you help!" Ami said using her arms to push herself away.
"Do you think I am enjoying this?" Kunzite hissed as he tried to manage her struggling form, "Trust me, you are the last person that I want to help but since I have been "volunteered" to do so just make it easier on both of us and stop squirming."
Ungenerously resigning to her fate Ami stilled in his arms, looking over his shoulder she glanced back at Minako that looked like a sick mixture of words, partially pity that the Minako seemed to actually care about this man so much that she would trust him, partially bewilderment at how the as said affection could be wasted on the likes of him.
"You don't deserve her," Ami murmured darkly once they entered the Grand Hall.
"Excuse me?"
Ami stiffened, "You heard me. I don't know Minako well but I do know one thing, scum like yourself isn't worthy enough to kiss the ground her feet has walked upon."
"Ah, I see so you hold affections for her." Kunzite half teased half inquired.
"No." Ami easily dismissed the comment.
"You wouldn't understand it but the four of us threat each other like sisters..."
"And yet you had no idea that she has been courting this piece of "scum" for at least six months. Oh yes you know her quite well." Kunzite mocked.
For a few minutes Ami was silent but not out offence but out of strategy.
It wasn't long before Kunzite found the Medical Ward. Walking through the starch white halls of the infirmary they both waited as a healer approached them.
"Oh dear," the older woman breathed as she glanced at the bleeding gash.
Looking up at Kunzite the older woman gave him a questioning glance but quickly dismissed any questions that might have popped into her head; she had worked at the palace long enough to understand that it was often best if one didn't question suspicious injuries and just threat the patient and send them on their way.
"If you'll just help me get her to a bed you'll be free to go," the healer said to Kunzite ushering him towards one of the back rooms.
Pulling back the clean coverlet and sheet the healer motioned for him to set her down on the bed.
Following the silent orders of the healer Kunzite eased Ami's body onto the bed. Grateful to be out of his arms Ami turned her head towards the healer whom was pulling up the length of her wet and muddy gown to her knee caps so that both of her ankles, the injured one especially, could easily be seen.
The older woman glanced down at the wounded ankle, nodded to herself and then exited the room.
Breathing a withheld sigh of relief she suddenly remembered that Kunzite hadn't left the room. Opening her eyes she caught him staring at her exposed ankles.
Forming tight fists around the cloth she moved to cover her feet again but a calloused hand stopped her. Looking up Ami glared hotly at him, trying to will him away.
He gently pulled back the cloth to reveal her other ankle, like the other it was smooth ivory and small but unlike the other a long fading scar no bigger than a silver piece was impressed into her skin. Defiantly his finger ran down the small line that ended in the smaller circlet, it was the same shape that...
He glanced up at Ami, whose face was turning a gradual shade of scarlet; the expression on her face was a mix of indignation, embarrassment and...fear. Why was she so afraid of him? Even when they met so briefly in that library she was deathly afraid of him even though he had never recalled doing anything, or even meeting her before that night, to cause her to fear him.
There was something familiar about her though. Blue hair. It was uncommon and he had remembered meeting a timid girl child with the same shade of hair and the same shade of blue in her eyes. It was years ago so by now her hair must have dulled to a ebony and those dark blue eyes must have darken to a black and she might already be married off to some lower lord. So what was the point of looking for her? Then again why was he even thinking of her after all of these years?
What bothered him was that the girl would come to the Golden Kingdom every year, during the transition between summer and autumn, until he had turned fifteen so he should have been able to at least recall her name. But he did remember the nasty scar that the arrow had left in her ankle. The exact length and shape of this one only it seemed to be fading away with age.
"What are you doing to my patient!?" the healer cried out as she swooped in like a angry mother hen, flapping the "wings" of her long white robes to shoo him away from Ami.
"Look, I don't care who you two are or just what attachments and such you have to one another but I will not have you," she pointing at Kunzite's chest, since it was at her eye level, "man-handling one of my patients while she is in my care! Now I suggest that you go back to your quarters and leave her alone for the rest of the evening."
"No, miss it's not what you think he was just..."Ami began only to trail off to ask, "Just what were you doing?" she questioned a bit breathlessly.
"Well what are you doing just standing there? Get out before I call the guards!" the healer shirked.
This comment caused Kunzite to smirk, "You do that my dear lady if you wish, but before I go there is one thing that I would like to ask you," he finished looking right at Ami.
She gulped, "Well, what do you want to know?"
"How did you get that scar on your left ankle?"
"I've had that scar since I was seven. I got it from a...bad fall when I was playing in a garden."
He did a double take at that comment but just as promised he left the ward.
'Just as I thought, he doesn't remember me. It's for the best. I mean it all works out now, with these new marriages being a likely possibility I belong to no one else but Zoicite and he...gag...belongs to Minako; poor girl, may the gods have mercy on her soul. Oh god! What if they have kids?! Oh, I don't even want to think about that demon spawning more "things" like himself.' Ami thought as she let her mind freely wonder as the healer finished stitching up the gash in her right ankle.
Okay, can we pause and rewind for just a minute folks? Thanks. Okay, let's get one thing straight if there was some sort of "love connection" or something going on between me and Kunzite way, way, way back when I for one and I am not seeing. But on the other hand it isn't me that he likes or love or whatever the heck you want to call it. Sure I am her incarnation but I am me too right? I can't be the carbon copy of her, for one thing she had gaudy taste in dresses, not trashy but bordering on it, and what's with all of the blue! I do wear other colors you know, it just happens that seventy percent of them are blue.
And yet...I can't help but feel a vibe of bitterness from my former...self. Was she really holding out for him for ten, no almost eleven years? Sure it was a crush but they, or is that we?, met when they, we?, were kids so why carry a torch for someone that long?
'Because it was and still is real,' a part of me coaxes.
Sighing I wish that someone upstairs would decide whether I am dead or alive because I could use a quick nap right about now, or at least a moment's peace where I can think clearly again without having a random thought or memory being thrown against the black expanse surrounding me with haunting images.
Kunzite
Each step was killing me. Princess Serenity had tried to bait me once and I almost fell for it; but holding Ami's limp form in my arms reminded me that I deserved every ounce of those acidic words coming from her mouth. I destroyed so much, took so much, sacrificed mine, Ami's, and even our own son's life, just to keep what I had deemed was rightfully mine.
I've known for years that it had been my fault. Years of waiting and looking into nothing but darkness, feeling so isolated even with my own body. Nothing that even rings of hope or happiness to grasp onto, always knowing that you had it all, everything you could have ever want in your grasp but one wrong choice, one mistake, one desire ruined it all brings you to simple terrifying truth, you are in a literally "living" hell. I blamed myself for half a century, revealing in the darkness, letting it consume me completely.
A small light came when I got it into my head that since Zoicite had "stolen" what was mine to begin with it was all of his doing. So when I was forced to train him I made sure that he felt every drop of my bitterness, that he experienced the pain on the physical level that I felt ten-fold. When his blood didn't satisfy, once his cries of pain haunted me in my sleep instead of warding away the nightmares did I realize that my blame was wrongly placed.
Then I blamed her, it was so simple and gratifying feeling that I wondered just why this revelation hadn't occurred before. Of course, she purposively went out and seduced Zoicite and then when he wasn't enough came to me. She was so sly and deceptive that she had me fooled into believing her lies. She had us both so tightly wrapped around her finger that we were willing to even kill each other just so that we can have her and in the ultimate act of betrayal she placed herself between us and defended him.
In a rage I ran them through, my sword pierced her heart first and ended in the back of Zoicite. Jerking back I could feel her weight fall fully on the sword. Her eyes wide and surprised, she must have honestly thought that I wouldn't do it but I did and it felt damn good. It wasn't until Zoicite, near death himself, had the "gall" to take her mortal body and kiss her cooling face as it drained of color, he held her close proving to her, to me, to the entire world that he always loved her more than I ever could.
That was impossible though. He never understood her like I did. He couldn't have, he was too wrapped up in being in love with her that he couldn't love the person that she was. He tried to change her, tried so hard to make her a social butterfly, to not be so shy and intertroved when all she wanted was some room to breathe. He never understood that about her. I did though. Things she would tell me, I knew that he couldn't have known because she was so afraid that he wouldn't love her anymore because she was too "strange" or even crazy to deem worthy of his affection. He saw her perfection, I saw her flaws because she was too afraid to let him see them. He knew that she was stable and sound of mind because he never listened to her when she was struggling to confess something, he never...
Pushing him aside I wanted to be with her more than anything, but the dark crimson stains pouring from rippled skin told me that there would be no hope for us in this lifetime. Picking up the sword stained with their blood and even a reaming stain of my lord's blood, I ran it through my own heart.
"Kunzite...Kunzite!" a sharp female voice draws me back to the moment.
"What is it?" I hissed in response.
"Stop daydreaming and help me find the dungeon!" Serenity snarled in response as she turned towards the cobweb-covered caverns.
Gently I placed my hand on her right shoulder to draw her away from the catacombs, "You won't find him in the dungeon," I replied cryptically.
Her large blue eyes widen a bit larger, "Don't tell me that...creature..."
"She's always lusted after him hasn't she?" I replied.
"No. It's not true he would never...he loves me!" Serenity screamed.
"There are two things you have learn quickly princess. One, he's not your prince from the Silver Millennium. Two, Beryl has more power in her pinky fingernail than you and your mother combine. She wants something she will have it all costs."
She shielded her eyes with her hands as if she thought that hiding her eyes would belittle the fact that she was upset about the news; which was a fruitless effort because when she spoke her voice trembled as if she was about to cry at any given moment.
"Please, tell me that it is not of his freewill. Please tell me that she has brainwashed him or something."
"To be honest, I am not sure. He is still the annoying ass who always interfered just when your reincarnation and her little friends were moments away from defeat. But at the same time there is something inhuman about him. It could just be that she has fussed his life energy with dark energy; but brainwash is a very likely possibility." I finished, trying to tell her the truth and to assure her enough so that she didn't go into hysterics.
Removing her hand away from her face I could see her dark blue eyes glisten wet with tears but the determination on her face left no room for questions about whether or not she would continue with her "rescue" mission.
"If he is that close to her then we are going to have to think of some sort of diversion tactic." Serenity stated as she glanced down at Ami's prone body.
"And I think that I just got a brilliant idea..." she mused as she gently touched Ami's forehead.
We took a very short detour to my quarters so that we could get what we needed to complete the plan. Handing Serenity at least four short handled dagger from the small collection that Ami had hidden within her boots, a vial of poison, and a small length of rope.
Soon we both stood in front of the sealed granite gate that leads into the hellish pit known as the Court.
"Ready?" I asked.
"As I'll ever be." Serenity said as she offered up her wrists to be tied.
All too soon the gates swung open, pushing forward a strong musky dank atmosphere around us. Thankfully the Court was empty of the queen's loyal youma since more than likely they were getting fed. Youma may not be the brightest creatures on the planet but they would have been able to sense almost immediately that Ami was not fully "dead" so we had to plan our entrance into the Court at just the right moment.
The doors creaked loudly as they were drawn fully back at a painfully slow rate. At last they are open wide to reveal a vast expanse of bare onyx title that is normally swarming with youma that are bidding for a meal if one of the Queen's human subordinates were to be killed on the spot from displeasing her. If we don't work quickly the three of us just might have our blood splattered against these titles, our bodies open for the ever- vivacious mouths of the youma.
'That won't happen if you focus,' I berated myself as I slowly take purposeful strides towards the center of the vast dark cavern.
Sitting on her throne carved out of pure green jade Beryl with her wild, almost alive, red hair stares down at me as I "humbly" approach the dais.
In truth I know that she knows my humility is false; but she keeps me alive because she knows that unlike my comrades I know when to hold my tongue and at least pretend to be submissive and follow orders even if I deem them underneath me or unfit, or just ridiculous.
Behind me Serenity tried to struggle against the ropes, crying out in pain as I dragged her across the title.
Beryl quirks a deep auburn eyebrow, but the puzzled expression was soon replaced with one of smugness as I knelt before her, forcing Serenity to fall to her knees as well. Roughly I drop Ami's body onto the base of the dais, Serenity had disguised her into her senshi costume and had also created the illusion of her chest being slit wide open with dried blood covering her torn white bodice.
"Lord Kunzite, would you mind explaining to me just what I am seeing?" she asked with a large smirk.
"Your majesty. I have mange to kill one of the senshi as well as capture the Moon Princess that they were zealously guarding.
"Ah, just as I thought, she does live in this world." Beryl stated haughtily as she arose from her throne, the shimmering purple fabric rippling around her ankles like a glittering pool. Her inhumanly long hands ending in crimson nails reached out to cup the princess's chin.
Serenity flinched at the touch and gasped when she felt a long nail embed itself in the soft ivory flesh of her cheek. Blood quickly came to the gash.
"For so long, you have tormented me in my sleep, with your doe like blue eyes, those tears of grief." Beryl hissed as she ran a single finger down the side of her face, toying at the edge of her left eye as if she was wondering whether she was going to gorge it out or not.
"Your hair, so soft and pure silver with that childish hair style," she hissed pulling at the tight round buns causing them to become undone. Serenity cried out in pain as Beryl jerked her around with fistfuls of hair. Beryl tossed her aside roughly across the titled floor.
Beside me I heard of soft moan. Looking through the corner of my eye I saw Ami's "corpse" rises up. Quickly I hand her a dagger from behind my back coated in poison.
"You know what to do," I hissed.
Ami nodded as she looked ahead at Beryl abusing Princess Serenity.
"Steady," I said, holding her back, "Don't move until she brings him out."
Ami watched silently as her former princess was being kicked and tossed around like some stuffing-less rag doll; quietly and calculating, waiting to make her next move.
Beryl dragged Serenity to her feet and shocked us all by bringing her in close and capturing her lips within her vile cold mouth.
"How does it feel?" Beryl hissed at Serenity, "How does it feel knowing that you are not the "best" that you are not his only "love" in fact you don't even have a honorable mention in the back of his mind. How does it feel?"
Serenity mustered up a cold smirk that marred the beautiful and pure features of her face, "Why don't you tell me Beryl? You should know better than anyone since you have had to suffer with his rejection for the last thousand years. It's you who are using him like a puppet just to gain his affection. How does it feel knowing that you will never feel loved by another human being unless you force them to against their will?"
Beryl's mouth curled back into a snarl as she smacked Serenity hard across the face then threw her against the opposing wall.
Her eyes wild with madness Beryl screeched at Serenity's momentarily stilled form, "I'll show you! I'll prove to you that he loves me and only me!"
Just as planned she summons "Prince Endymion" to her side. Faithfully he entered the Court, his boots clicking against the floor. I spare him a glare that is both spiteful and triumphant as he moves forward to kiss the cold-scaled hands of Beryl while on his knees.
Beryl glances over at Serenity with a poisoned glare, as she cups her right hand over the prince's head covered in thick black-blue hair.
"Endymion love, how much to you love me?" the demented queen purred to the younger man still standing on his knees with his head bowed.
"More than my life, my queen," he intoned in a dull deadpan tone, well that answers the "brain-washed or not" question either that or he is that slow in really life and I was always too annoyed to notice.
"Arise then my new lord of darkness." Beryl commanded.
His cloak of black with red lining rose up as he stood to his full height of six foot four, his armor a polished obsidian seemed not to disappear in the darkness but to almost shine in it. His cold gray-blue eyes seemed devoid of life as he moved forward to kiss Beryl fully on the mouth.
Forcing myself not to gag I try to silence Ami's cries of horror as the princess less than ten feet away from us shivers, her eyes welling up with tears as she tries to stifle her sobs.
Once the revolting pair separates Beryl glances down at Serenity like she was something very nasty on the bottom of the long train of her dress.
She smiled when she noted the tears now freely streaming down Serenity's face.
"You see Serenity, dear. In the end I've won. This is my world now and it runs on my commands, my rules, my very whim is obeyed. And soon, very soon, it will not just be this underworld but I shall rise up and take over the entire Earth!" Beryl said steadily growing louder until she was screaming it in the crying girl's face.
Raising her hands Beryl extended her claws and dove them into the girl's throat, a wet slick sound of ripping flesh, blood splattered against the floor in a large crimson puddle; stains of ruby seeped through her ivory dress. Choking she took one last glance at Endymion, her right hand shaking as it tired so desperately to reach towards him, the fingers trembling as blood flowed down her neck and chest. Her baby blue eyes slowly growing dull with death's shrouded light her now colorless lips mouthing words that she wanted to say but the bubbling blood and Beryl's claws prevented her from speaking them. With a harsh jerk Beryl extracted her nails from the girl's tender throat.
A dull thud followed her fall but nothing else since she was mostly dead anyway.
Beryl glanced at her blood-covered nails and cackled loudly, her laughter could be heard bouncing off of the walls.
"I've done it! She's dead! At long last I have Prince Endymion all to myself and there will be no one to stand in my way for taking over Earth!"
"Want to bet?" Ami growled behind me as she sprinted to her feet. With inhuman grace and speed she pulled out four of the poison coated daggers and with a flick of her wrists threw two into Beryl's back.
Her shrieks of laughter turned to one's of pain as the daggers sank deep into her back.
"What the...? Who would dare?!" she snarled.
"I would." Ami said as she stood in front of Beryl and her dimwitted "prince" holding the last of her daggers fanned out between her fingers of her right hand so that way her skin wouldn't come in direct contact with the lethal poison the blades were slathered in.
While Beryl was distracted I placed a strong binding spell on Endymion, as soon as he made a single move he would be paralyzed until myself or Ami releases him of the spell.
"You...but if you're not dead then...Kunzite!"
I smirked, bowing low I replied to the shriek, "My mistake Lady Beryl. Please forgive this humble servant of his misguided actions before you descend to hell."
"What?!" the queen roared as she tried to lunge forward at me but as she did Ami tackled her to the ground, pinning her left shoulder through the bone with the dagger and embedding it into the tiled floor; since the daggers were diamond they broke the weaker stone and forced Beryl to lay against the floor on her side.
As she tried to squirm free Ami pulled the last dagger out and rammed it into her right shoulder affectively trapping her against the ground.
Beryl snarled at Ami and tried to claw at her but the blue-haired girl quickly rolled out of her grasp. Pulling herself up to her feet Ami gave me a cocky smile before looking down at the trapped Beryl.
"I am very disappointed in you Beryl. I would have thought that by now you would have learned one very important lesson. The Lunar race always has a trump card." Ami said now smiling sweetly.
Beryl's eyes widen as she glanced over at the bloodied corpse of "Princess Serenity".
"No!" she screamed looking back at Ami, "It can't be you! I killed you with my bare hands! Your blood..."
"That was the "trump card"," Ami whispered as she snapped her fingers.
Instantly the mangled features of a dead youma replaced the form of the dead "Serenity", the red blood turned a vile acid green even the dried portion on Beryl's nails changed color.
"You...you little bitch! How dare you..."
"How dare I what? Defend my life? Rescue my true love when you captured him and made him your mindless puppet?" Serenity growled through Ami's clenched teeth.
"Serenity," I said grabbing the paralyzed prince by the collar and dragging him away, "we should leave before the youma come back."
The girl nodded in response and moved to follow behind me.
"This isn't over Serenity! My loyal youma will free me and I will hunt you down and I will..."
"Oh save your breath already." I snarled.
"He's right you know, you're going to need all of the energy that you can muster for screaming." Serenity smiled using Ami's face.
"You get back here..."
"Bye-bye!" Serenity said with a snicker as we walked out of the Court.
As soon as we were on the other side Serenity thanked me and took Endymion in her arms. She muttered a soft incantation and with a flash of white light the princess and her prince left leaving me with their incarnations that were slowly waking up.
Behind the closed doors I could hear Beryl's booming voice calling out to her youma that must have just now returned from their feeding frenzy.
"Find them and tear them apart but leave them with just enough life so that I can kill them myself!" she ragged.
I couldn't help but chuckle as a long pause followed her speech and then her shrill screams filled the air.
Sick as it may sound I found it highly amusing that Serenity hadn't informed Beryl that she had a second "trump card". She had cast another illusion this time on Beryl, so instead of seeing their distressed leader the monsters were actually seeing a steaming plate of raw meat just begging to be eaten by their greedy mouths.
Without explaining myself to the rather bewildered looking teenagers I headed towards my quarters where the real Ami would be waking up any moment now.
Notes: Cruddy place to leave off again I know but my Word Document page counter says that I have typed a total of thirty-two pages...in just two days!
Wow, that like a record for me...even though it took me over two months to actually buckle down and post it. I know the last part seems a bit rushed and I apologize in advance. I plan to wrap this fic up in four to three chapters, if this is the case they will be very long chapters since there is still a lot more places to fill in and of course we all know that Beryl isn't dead...yet...hehehehe. This was my first true attempt at Serenity and Endymion romance so if it is not really what you expected than you have just tasted a yet another portion of my demented views on love and relationships in both anime and life. Hmm maybe I should change the rating because there was a lot of blood and kind of gore-ish in this chapter...that's what I get for listening to the darker Evanescence songs and Mathew Good Band songs when typing.
Anyway enough of my yap! As of Friday I am officially on summer vacation so I plan on trying to update a lot more than normal but I also have to work and do some other stuff but thankfully these things won't be as stressful and time consuming as school. Is it just me or is this very long? Thanks for reading and peace