Title : Wipe Out
Fandom : Sailor Moon (anime) Dark Kingdom
Pairing : Kunzite / Zoisite
Rating : a bit of violence and hints of sex
Copyright : Zoisite, Kunzite, Sailor Moon and the rest are the property of Naoko Takeuchi and Toei Animation, if I recall.
Author's notes : misunderstandings deepen. Also another familiar character comes back into the plot (because I don't know you, but with just Zoisite and Kunzite it could become boring after a few chapters).
Chapter 6 : Secrets
Shiro avoids me this morning. It's probably as well. I don't want him to be around for what I have to do today.
We have a fast breakfast and split. I didn't have the time to teach Shiro how to drive, so I take the car. I drive to Shibuya and park at a distance from Bandana's apartment.
She's the only one of my youma who lives permanently on Earth. When we were unsealed last year and I sent her spying here, she found out that she liked the modern Japan.
I watch the neighborhood for a while, analyzing energy patterns around to detect traps or alarms spells. But there is none.
Bandana eventually comes out, in her human disguise. I follow her along a couple of streets, and when I'm sure that nobody else is surveying her, I hasten to her level and call her softly.
She turns to me and her eyes widen.
"Lord Kunzite! You shouldn't show around here!"
She grabs my wrist and draws me into the nearest coffee shop, looking around discreetly. We sit in the less visible corner of the room, keeping an eye on the doors.
"Gomen for the draw, Lord Kunzite. I heard you've been banished and... What happened? Can I help?"
It's good to hear that.
See, that's something that Tanzanite never understood, and how I got most of my information about him. He treated his youma badly, and even though they were scared of him, they didn't hesitate to betray him. Intimidation works only that far, but people can't give their maximum if they're fretting all the time. And why would they bother if they have nothing to lose?
"I just want to know what's going on in the Dark Kingdom. Did the Queen put her hands on the Ginzuishou?"
"Not that I heard of."
Interesting. So the Senshi must have managed to grab it when I left it at the Starlight Tower. It means that Queen Metallia is still sealed, and the Princess still has in her hands the way to defeat her.
"Has Queen Beryl taken measures to find us?"
She nods.
"She appointed Ashura to track you down. So Lord Zoisite is with you?"
I hesitate just a second. I don't want to get into details on what I've lost, and I don't want her to meet Shiro. She might give him suspicions on his past.
"Yes, he is. There's only Ashura?"
"The rest of the youma are pretty disorganized by now. She didn't give precise orders. It looks like she doesn't know what to do next. We assume we're to take over from your and Lord Zoisite's tasks, so we gather energy and look for the Ginzuishou."
Nothing new here. Strategy has never been Beryl's strong point.
I'm relieved that Ashura is the only one who is looking for us. She's one of Beryl's most trusted youma, but she's not the brightest. And even though she's more powerful than regular youma, she's not a match for me.
Bandana adds :
"From what I've been told, she seems more interested with Tuxedo Kamen for now."
It doesn't really surprise me. He has been her obsession from the start. Maybe the reason why she wanted Metallia's power, more than ambition itself.
"Youma who were in the throne room told me that the Queen had blasted Lord Zoisite. They didn't think he would survive."
"I didn't think he would, either."
She gives me a shy smile, something quite unlikely from her.
"It was... surprising to hear the news. I'm glad you're both all right."
I'm slightly taken aback. I didn't expect my youma to show sympathy. Maybe Zoisite's constant outburst of emotions ended up affecting us all.
I smile back.
"Thanks. Didn't Queen Beryl offer a reward for our capture?"
She wrinkles her face.
"We all know the only kind of reward that Beryl can offer, Lord Kunzite. Lord Zoisite achieved more successes than Nephrite and she didn't even think of the harm it'd do to our forces before blasting him. Lord Jadeite could have been more useful, too."
I sneer. Poor Beryl. She's not any better than Tanzanite in dealing with her troops.
"Do you want our help, Lord Kunzite? I know a few youma who are still faithful to you. We could take her down and replace her by you as the leader of the Dark Kingdom."
I shake my head.
"Unfortunately, we can't. Queen Metallia mixed too much of her energy with Beryl in order to survive the Ginzuishou healing. They can't be separated anymore. And without Metallia..."
"The Dark Kingdom will fall."
I notice the "will" instead of "would".
"You think it's going to happen?"
"Well... The Moon Princess has awakened. She has the Ginzuishou. And we don't have any Tennou in our ranks anymore. What are our odds against five Senshi when none of you managed to kill them ?"
"Do you resent me for leaving?"
She shrugs with a fatalistic smile.
"Would it actually have changed anything, if Beryl remains our leader? She might as well have decided to kill you too for a reason or another."
That soothes my suspicions a little. She's right, actually. I might...
The alarm spell in my head! Shiro has drawn his dagger.
"Sorry Bandana, I need to leave. Thanks."
So much for the discretion. I extend my consciousness to locate the dagger, and teleports a few steps above it to identify the danger.
Shiro is lying on the ground, unconscious it seems, surrounded by four Senshi and two other girls. I cast the Darkness Dome spell on them and levitate Shiro out of it.
Silly girls. I'd gladly make them pay for hurting Shiro, but I need them to counter-act Metallia's plans and win me some time.
I think I manage to talk them into not trying to give us more troubles. But maybe we should move out of the country, or at least out of town to avoid them.
I didn't want to confuse Shiro even more, but it should be fine as long as we stay in Japan. That would mean I'd have to build a new lair from scratch as Nephrite did, though.
I teleport with Shiro back into Nephrite's mansion, hoping that neither Ashura nor Beryl noticed the recent display of magic.
At least in what has become our home I can practice more safely. The protective spells also block out people from sensing magic used within its walls.
I unweave the Shabon Spray effect and Shiro opens blurry eyes on me. He focuses on me without saying a word.
"Are you okay?"
"Cold and bruised. But it's getting better. Thank you."
Damn! Why does he have to be so distant?
"What happened?"
He takes some time before replying.
"Two girls recognized me. One of them was a Senshi. She called the other ones, I figure."
That doesn't sound like him to be so reserved about it. Usually he would be raging about the girls or bouncing around to convince me to go get back at them.
Zoisite...
"What happened, then? How did you find me?" he asks back.
I point at the dagger I brought back with us.
"The alarm spell in your weapon got triggered when you took it out. And I can locate it."
He doesn't look exceedingly grateful about it. Knowing his sense of pride, I can tell that his relief to have been rescued is probably overshadowed by his frustration over his defeat and over the fact that I checked him out.
That, at least, didn't change...
I can't take it.
"Call me if you need more healing."
He nods but doesn't call me back as I move to the other room.
to be continued
