Shadows on the Wall

Chapter Twelve

Disclaimer: I do not own the Sailor Scouts or the Ronin Warriors. The only thing that belongs to me is this story, I regret to say. I own next to nothing, besides the clothes on my back.

(A/N: Please forgive me if I don't update as soon as I would like to. I'm preparing to go to college, so yea… Just keep on my case and I'll work as fast as I can.

And thank you, Tyria Sarkin!

I left that there because I wanted to do a really bad cliffhanger, and I think it worked. And so, in this chapter, you get your first glimpse of the bad guy. And if you could send me a copy of that picture, that would be great! I couldn't find it anywhere! .

And MoonlightBushido-

clears throat

Yes, Mina still does have the orb. She wasn't willing to give it back to him, not to mention the fact that she's going to need it. And don't worry- I won't change Sage too much. He is going to have to admit, even if it is just to himself, that he does have emotions. He's just going to have to live with that fact. . Haha! I loved writing the video game part. I know that Mina is good at video games, and Rowen's the best! I did go back and change the 'Meet at the park' thing. I decided that wasn't what I wanted to do since I liked this better. And thank you!

I love writing this story as much as you guys like reading it! . Things are looking up for me, but not so good for Mina, Rowen, and Sage. Luckily, Artemis is going to be helping out, now that he can do more than talk the Shadow Demons to death.

Anyway, here's the next chapter!)

As they all whirled, standing back to back just in case, the four saw no one. The place where they had been sent was dark and dreary, not to mention tedious. The least they could do was add something interesting, such as fire or something, Mina, now Sailor Venus, mused with a shake of her head.

Feeling her companions' gazes, Sailor Venus turned and caught the scowls on both Rowen and Sage's face, although they were now Halo and Strata. She frowned slightly, shrugging. "I can't help what I wear," she announced wearily, instinctively tugging on her skirt, although it did no good.

"Welcome Princess Mina and Prince Rowen," the voice mocked, alerting both Mina and Rowen that the person knew exactly who they had been in the past. To Sailor Venus, that said a lot. "Greetings Sage, knight of Jupiter and champion of Princess Mina."

All at once, the memories began…

"Rowen, I'm not sure I want to be here."

Clutching her brother's arm like a lifeline, Mina glanced around at all of her suitors uncertainly before catching a glimpse of their father's smirk. He was certainly up to something, she mused. Rowen, for his part, remained calm, his arm becoming numb from his sister's grip.

"Mina, I vow, you're going to amputate my arm with that grip of yours." As Mina relaxed her grip, Rowen brushed her hand off his arm, instinctively knowing that she was frightened. "I told you I would watch over you, did I not? I'm not going to break my promise to you."

Still, Mina remained fidgety, even as she tried to pretend that there was no one there at her birthday ball that would try to marry her for her money. Unfortunately, she realized with a sinking heart as she gazed out amongst her suitors, there were none that she could see that were any different. With a sigh, she gestured towards the gardens.

"Would you take a walk with me, dearest brother?" She asked in a pleading tone of voice, forced to step back so that she could look up at him.

With a sigh of his own, Rowen nodded. "As you wish, dear sister, as you wish."

As they moved towards the garden, Mina felt some of the anxiety she'd felt leave her and she relaxed, although just a tiny bit. She didn't dare let her guard down, fearing that one of her suitors would attempt to stalk her as she strolled in the garden. Halfway into the garden, where both she and her mother had planted many species of roses, Mina stopped and turned to her brother. "Would you be as so kind to leave me for just a moment?"

Nodding, Rowen disappeared into the gardens, close enough to hear if his sister screamed for help, but far enough away to allow for her privacy.

Mina spotted her favorite rosebush, the one she and her mother had planted two years before, on her thirteenth birthday. It was a special plant, consisting of white and light pink roses, and it was Mina's absolute favorite. Not caring about her dress, Mina knelt down in the damp earth and inhaled the scent of the roses. This was where she spent many hours agonizing over her father's decision to pressure her into marrying someone that he wanted her to marry, but she had stood steadfast against him and refused to submit to his requests. Of course, he resented her for that, but Mina was beyond caring. All she wanted was to marry for love, but she hadn't found anyone yet, and she still had her father breathing down her neck.

As she struggled to snip a bud from the bush, Mina was just about to give up when a hand appeared out of nowhere, snipping it for her. Slowly, not quite sure she wanted to look up, Mina's gaze traveled up until she locked gazes with the stranger, feeling her face turning red even as she did so.

Gallantly, he offered her the rose and she gracefully accepted, her face retaining a pretty pink blush

"Thank you, kind sir," she managed to say, smitten by this handsome gentleman. As she took the rose in her hand, however, Mina managed to stab herself in the thumb with one of the numerous thorns. Before she had a chance to even remove the glove, the stranger's hand covered hers and a green light covered it.

The stinging pain that had accompanied being pricked by the thorn disappeared, and when Mina removed her hand from the knight's, she found that even the blood that had soaked the thumb of her glove was gone. Astonished, she met the stranger's gaze.

"Thank you!"

She pursed her lips as he merely smiled at her, bowing slightly in acknowledgement of her appreciation. Suddenly, she felt shy and unworthy of being seen with such a gentleman, but it would be rude of her to just run off and leave him standing out here in the garden.

"I-I-I must go," she choked out, turning on her heels and rushing out of the garden as quickly as she could.

He merely watched as she disappeared, a ghost of a smile crossing his handsome features. He fully intended on seeing her again, but he just wasn't sure why she was so frightened of him all of a sudden. He had a sinking feeling that it had something to do with his ability to heal…

Sailor Venus pursed her lips, knowing that wasn't the end of her memories of him. Somehow, she knew that there were far more than that, and her past with him didn't end there. On the other hand, she wasn't sure if she was quite ready for that.

"What's so interesting about my past?" The Scout demanded, hands planted firmly on her hips. "As far as I'm concerned, my past has nothing to do with you, and I won't have you ruining my future."

She looked so brave and determined, standing there and staring into the face of the man that would become her ultimate enemy as he ascended from the darkness above, smirking mischievously.

"What makes you believe that, my dearest Princess? What makes you think that I will not be a part of your future?"

The man's sapphire eyes seemed to light the darkness, illuminating his form. He was cloaked in a black cloak, but as Sailor Venus, Halo, and Strata watched, the cloak fell away, revealing the muscular form of a man that seemed vaguely familiar to all three of them. His long, raven-black hair fell to his knees, and his face seemed almost demonic as he stared at Sailor Venus almost hungrily. He wore a black outfit much like Prince Damien's, and the black aura surrounding him caused Venus to involuntarily take a few steps back, shuddering.

"Do you not remember our engagement, dearest Mina? Do you not remember that you were supposed to marry me?"

His eyes never left her thin form as she trembled before him, but when Halo spoke, he forced his eyes to focus on the warrior that had long been his enemy.

"Why would she want to marry a bastard like you?" He growled in a soft tone of voice, feeling uncharacteristically gallant for this enigmatic girl that had drawn him into a web of mystery. Still, he felt partially responsible for what happened to Mina, and he wasn't about to allow this mysterious stranger lay one hand on her.

The stranger smiled eerily. "She had no choice in the matter," he replied airily, dismissing the question with a wave of his hand. "She was promised to me, and I've come to retrieve the coveted prize that I have both longed and waited for, a prize that has taken a thousand years in coming."

Venus rushed into Strata's arms, trembling uncontrollably. She couldn't bring herself to meet his gaze, but she felt his arms tighten around her and, for the first time, the blue-armored warrior spoke.

"If you want her, then you'll have to pry her from my cold, dead grasp," Strata growled, staring at the stranger with his own piercing blue eyes.

The stranger laughed; it sounded cold and heartless, a sound that Venus never wished to hear again as long as she lived. "That really wouldn't take too much effort on my part," he replied casually. "I will have my prize and it will be soon."

His piercing gaze flashed momentarily before the man disappeared into the darkness once more, the sound of his laugh echoing through the darkness as well.

Whimpering slightly, finding that she was barely able to keep herself upright, Venus glanced up, her eyes scanning the darkness for any signs of the man that terrified her so badly. Glancing up, she could see Halo and Strata's sympathetic yet determined gaze. She was not alone in this battle, she thought with a tiny spark of hope lighting her eyes, and she knew that they would do anything they could to help her.

"Let's go home, shall we, sis?"

At Rowen's words, Venus nodded. Reality shifted once more, and the four of them found themselves back in Rowen's living room, which looked the same as it had when they left.

With a sigh of relief, she collapsed in Rowen's arms, squeezing him lightly as she hugged him. "Thank you, Rowen. Thank you so much!"

Neither of them noticed when Sage slipped out the door, but they spent the rest of the night remembering things they had done in their past lives and things they wanted to go together for the rest of their lives…