CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Zosite planned to obey Queen beryl and search out Tuxedo mask but first she had to see Malachite. She had to let him know that his sacrifice wasn't for nothing and that their enemies would soon pay. She found him in one of the dungeons hanging from the wall with his hands and feet chained to the wall.

Malachite she cried and rushed to his side. His body was covered with welts and bruises. She grabbed his head and turned it towards hers. His eyes were closed. One was bruised and swollen shut but the other one appeared unharmed.

"Malachite? Malachite can you hear me?" She heard his answering groan and watched as his good eye opened to look at her.

"Zosite" he whispered hoarsely and groaned as pain shot through his mouth from his split lip.

"Did Nephlite do this to you?" She cried angrily already thinking up ways to make him pay for it.

"Don't be mad at him Zosite. He actually went quite easy on me."

"Oh malachite" she sobbed and leaned into him. This was all her fault. If he hadn't risked going to the scouts to help her he wouldn't be in this situation.

"I'm sorry I cant hold you right now" he whispered brokenly He could stand the pain of his wounds but the pain he felt from not being able to hold her in what could be their final moments together was worse than anything Beryl or Nephlite could subject him to.

Zosite leaned back to look at him. With teary but determined eyes she hissed "I'll make them pay Malachite I swear I'll make them all pay."

Malachite sighed wearily. "No Zosite it's not worth the risk."

"It's too late" she stated defiantly even as her lips trembled. She thought revenge was the answer that it would take away the pain but being here with him now she knew she'd give up all thoughts of revenge if only their was some way they could be together.

"What have you done Zosite? Tell me" he demanded fearing the worst

She shrugged her shoulders. "Nothing really I just told the truth about that Darien person."

"What truth?"

"He has a thing for Sailormoon. It's true" she insisted expecting an argument "I saw the way he was with her the way he touched her. I don't care what you or Beryl thinks about his memory loss or his enforced loyalty I know what I saw.

"You told Beryl this?" He gasped his voice filled with horror.

She looked at him in confusion "He's the reason you're here Malachite. He needs to pay most of all."

"Oh Zosite what have you done?" he groaned he pulled against his chains in aggravation. He was helpless to protect her and she was going to need protection. Not from Beryl no for once Beryl was the least of their problems. It was the Dark Prince they had to worry about especially when he learned what she did "You have know idea what you've begun. When Prince Darien finds out…"

"Why should it matter is he finds out? What's the big deal anyway? I mean the only reason he was brought over to our side is that Beryl has the hots for him. He's nothing he's…" she stopped and thought for a second as something he had said registered with her. "Wait a minute did you just say Prince Darien?"

He shook his head "You don't even know the whole truth. You have no idea who he really is. Listen Zosite" he said earnestly "forget about getting back at him. Just stay away from him you have no idea who he is and what he's capable of."

She shook her head very confused. It sounded as if Malachite was scared of him. "It's too late Beryl has ordered me to find him and bring him to her. And to kill him if necessary."

Malachite bit back a curse. What was Beryl thinking? Was she so consumed with jealously that she couldn't see that Zosite had no chance against Prince Darien. Or maybe she did but she just doesn't care that she could be sending Zosite to her death.

"No Zosite he's much to dangerous. I don't think that even Beryl knows how dangerous he is.

"Malachite I don't understand. He's just some guy that dresses up in a tuxedo and throws roses."

Malachite shook his head frantically. "No Zosite he's much more than that ask Jedite he more than anyone has cause to fear Prince Darien. He can tell you what you need to know."

"Why can't you tell me?"

"Nephlite will be back soon. You cant remain here much longer."

Terror seized her at his words "no" she cried and tightened her hold on him.

He rubbed his face against the top of her head in a loving caress "You have to go Zosite."

She shook her head without moving it from his chest.

"I don't want you here when he comes back."

"Why are they doing this to you?" She cried

"They want to know what I told the scouts about Prince Darien."

"I don't understand."

"I know you don't that's why I want you to talk to Jedite before you confront Darien. Promise me Zosite. Promise me that you wont go after him until you know who he really is."

"I promise."

"Good now go. Please he begged when she still didn't move "Zosite please."

She didn't say anything for the longest time and Malachite was starting to get anxious he didn't want Beryl to know that she had been here least she start thinking that she couldn't trust Zosite either.

Finally she turned her head up to look at him. "I love you" she whispered mournfully

"Than leave."

Before she could respond a voice spoke from "Yes do leave already this little scene is getting quite tiresome and I would like to have a few minutes alone with Malachite here."

Zosite swung around to the open doorway to face the intruder and she and Malachite both watched as Prince Darien stepped through it.

……….

Luna almost fainted. Dark energy? Serena had dark energy in her body.

"What?" Artemis cried "How did that happen?"

"We don't know." Jupiter admitted "We weren't here."

"You weren't here" Luna shouted frantically "do you mean you left her alone with the Dark Prince?"

The sailor scouts flushed and fidgeted knowing that Luna had just cause to be angry at them. They screwed up.

"Luna don't blame them they had no choice the Dark Prince set a trap we were trying to protect Malachite when he got the drop on us."

Luna's eyes almost popped out of her head "Protect Malachite? Did I hear you right you said protect malachite."

Sailormoon nodded her head. "Yes you see Beryl encased Zosite in stone and Malachite wanted my help in releasing her."

"You didn't help him did you?" Artemis cried in disbelief

"Artemis" Venus reproved "let her finish telling the story"

"I did but only after I healed him with the crystal"

"Oh" Luna gasped eyes wide

"I know we couldn't believe it either" Venus cried with a dreamy look on her face "but it was so sweet. He gave up everything to be with her. And it was all in the name of love." she sighed happily looking off into space lost in her own thoughts.

Artemis snorted and looked back at Sailormoon "So then what happened?"

"Well I healed him and then I released Zosite but before I could heal her the Dark Prince arrived.

"That's right" Venus cried snapping out of her trance "he said that Malachite was pathetic and that by coming to us for help he fell right into his trap. And then he was sucked down into that black hole and it was all so sad. Poor Zosite her heart must be broken into a million pieces. I mean because when you really think about it he did it all for her. Ohhh I wish I had someone who could love me like that it's just not fair even Zosite can find love. What do you think I'm doing wrong? Maybe…"

Venus Artemis groaned interrupting her before she could really get started. "Will you please be quiet and let Sailormoon tell us what happened"

"Fine" she snapped "but when you want the details on my fight with that Yoma see if I tell you anything."

"What? What Yoma?" He cried in confusion

Venus said nothing. She just crossed her arms over her chest and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Venus" he growled

"Hey you guys that enough already. We still have to find out what happened here." Jupiter reprimanded

Artemis bowed his head "Your right Jupiter I'm sorry"

"I'm sorry to" Venus mumbled bowing her head

"Can we please get on with it?" Luna cried restlessly "The Dark Prince showed up and then what?"

"Well then the Dark Prince informed us that he had a way of dealing with us as well and he told us about the 7 Yoma's he had let loose on Tokyo."

"Seven Yoma's" Artemis shouted in amazement and then apologized when Luna sent him a warning glare.

"Anyway he was clearly after Malachite but I couldn't just go off and leave him to face the dark prince alone especially now that he was powerless so I told the others to go without me and that I'd face him alone."

Now it was Luna's turn to shout "You did what?"

Sailormoon shrugged her shoulders self consciously "Their wasn't anything else to do Luna."

"What were you thinking? You cant possibly fight the dark prince alone."

"I didn't have a choice Luna the Yoma's had to be dealt with and I couldn't leave Malachite to fend for himself.

"Yeah" Venus cried breaking her silence "He risked everything for his love the least we could have done was stand by him besides he was going to tell us all about the dark prince.

"What?" Artemis and Luna choked out at the same time earning them some curious looks.

Sailormoon nodded looking at Luna carefully. "He said that we don't know the truth about him. He said that their was something we had to know."

Luna swallowed nervously before asking "Did he say what this something was?"

"No" Uranus answered "he never had the chance but he seemed to think it was pretty important thing for us to know."

Luna fought hard to contain her relief. Who would have ever conceived that it would be one of Beryl's own soldiers that would come so close to revealing what she and Artemis have been fighting to keep a secret.

Luna? Are you okay?" Sailormoon asked with some concern.

I'm fine but lets finish this discussion at the temple. I want to get as far away from here as possible."

Why Uranus asked suspiciously looking around do you think the dark prince might come back.

Of course not Luna gulped nervously although that was exactly what she was afraid of until she learned exactly what happened between him and Serena when they were alone she didn't want to take any chances "Theirs nothing here that he wants." She looked Sailormoon dead in the eye trying to read her expression "Right?

Sailormoon fought not to blush and to keep her eyes steady. "Right." She agreed readily although the thought that he might come back made her want to stay not leave. Man was she in trouble.

Venus looked back and forth between them looking very confused. "But I thought he wanted the Imperial silver crystal?"

Both Luna and Serena blushed and looked away. "Oh yeah" Sailormoon murmured "their is that"

…………

Zosite turned to face him. She stood between him and Malachite defiantly.

Queen Beryl wishes to see you

He waved at hand at her dismissingly "I shall be their shortly now leave us."

"Queen Beryl wants to see you now." She persisted

His eyes flared dangerously "I said leave us"

Zosite looked to Malachite for guidance. She had promised to wait but did he still wish her to when it meant leaving the two of them alone. She caught his slight nod and with a slight caress of his face she left.

Once she left he got right to the point "I want to know why your still alive. He ignored Malachite's startled expression and continued "At first I just assumed Beryl was just being her usual vindictive self by keeping you alive only to torture you. But now I have the feeling that it's something else. She's worried about something. About something that you might have told the sailor scouts now I've racked my brain trying to figure out what that something might be and why it should be so fitile that the scouts don't learn. He paused and waited for malachite to say something. "well he drawled I'm waiting.

Malachite didn't know what to do while telling Princess Serena the truth seemed like a good idea but for some reason telling prince Darien didn't. What would he do if he knew the truth. If it was true what Zosite claimed that their was something between them already could it really hurt telling him? What would his reaction be when he learned that Sailormoon the defender of the universe Beryl's number one enemy was his wife. Would he be angry at what was done to him or indifferent. Their was no way of knowing. But the one thing he knew for sure was that prince Darien carried a piece of beryl inside him and that couldn't be a good thing. So that was why he couldn't tell him.

"I don't know what your talking about." he lied

Prince Darien sighed dramatically "Is that right? Oh well I guess I'll just have to get my answers out of the lovely Zosite." he looked at Malachite with false concern. "I hope she wont be as stubborn as you because if she is things could turn out very badly for her.

"You leave her out of this" Malachite cried angrily pulling at his chains

Darien shrugged his shoulder. "It makes no difference to me. But somebody will tell me and if it's not you…"he trailed off letting him fill in the rest. "The next time I come in here you better be ready to talk and if your aren't than I'll just have to get the truth out of her. One way or another".

Once Prince Darien had left Malachite slumped down in defeat. What was he going to do now?

"What ever happens whatever he threatens you cant tell him the truth."

Malachite's head shot up. "Who said that? Who's their?" when she stepped into the light he had a hard time catching his breath. "You?" he gasped unable to believe what he was seeing.

……….

When Prince Darien arrived before Beryl he felt the tension in the air and knew exactly what had caused it.

He sent Zosite who was standing beside Beryl a condescending smile before turning his full attention on Beryl.

"Prince Darien Zosite has just informed me that your behavior towards Sailormoon was anything but threatening. In fact she told me you were about to kiss her before she stopped you."

"If you call stopping me trying to kill me than yes what you've heard is correct."

Beryl stood up her whole body trembling with a terrifying rage. She ignored the fact that Zosite tried to kill him for now but instead her attention was focused on the fact that he didn't even try to deny that he was planning on kissing that moon brat. Jealously burned bright within her and without thinking she aimed her staff at him and let loose an attack.