sabina21: I actuaoly can't wait for you all to see how that goes down. So read and see.

smoon4409: Yeah i wanted to also make sure it was out of Usagi's training in other areas and that while she didn't 'win, win' all three rounds, she still came out victorious in the end. It was a personal goal victory.

kera69love: yes there is so much that will be discovered and innitially yes for Rei but tihngs have obviously twisted and happened to turn things around.

AvatarUzumaki: yes Luna does have issues. The rest may not be that way for long...or will it...;)

4 reviews, nice, lets see how you all like how this is going to go, only a few more chapters to go so let me know what you all think! Read and review!

The devil within ch.15

Evil Endymion POV

Now that Malachite is on board with everything and has my back as he used to things are falling into place even more smoothly than I would have given it credit for. However, our work isn't done yet. There are still key moments to play out here before we can end this chapter of our lives and by doing so end Beryl and Metallia. We sneak away and head down to the area where the prisoners are at.

There are many youma down here but there so far gone mentally that there speaking more gibberish than words. Part of me wants to put them out of their misery, but I don't know what they did to earn their stay here so I hold off. Besides, I don't want to cast suspicion on either of us by doing something that's not part of the plan. Still though as I look at one who gives me a half heart expression as if begging me for death Malachite nudges my shoulder gaining my attention as he sees the youma too.

"Don't forget your training, do not engage in unnecessary conflict, failing will initiate a tactical withdrawal."

I nod knowing he's right as we head further down the dark corridors and find Jadeite in his ice prison. As we agreed earlier Malachite stands by the closest entry point to make sure we don't get any visitors while I use my powers to break Jadeite free of his prison which is harder than expected to do quietly but not impossible.

Beryl didn't exactly make the spell impenetrable. She just wanted to make sure HE couldn't break out of it. I place my hand on the cold ice and focus as I feel the pain he's suffering. "Soon brother," I mutter lowly vowing to get him out as I use my powers to first crack before breaking open the seal on his 'ice coffin'. The cracks keep going, forming more cracks till pieces begin to splinter off.

I put the final push on it as Malachite whisper shouts a warning, "Hurry up! We don't want to start lagging."

Knowing he's right I apply just a bit more pressure as it nearly explodes on me as the ice crumbles into nothingness, the spell now broken as he falls out just as awake as he was when he was first in there. The eternal sleep spell he was under is only effective for as long as their in the ice coffin.

Now that he's out he's awake again and gasping for breath he crouches. However, it occurs to me as he recognizes me that he's still the same Jadeite that was an enemy to the Senshi and myself and a loyal subject to Beryl, despite the spell she placed on him and at the time I was the enemy he was fighting with before the plane hit him, wounding him pretty decently before Beryl had enough.

So as soon as he gets his bearings righted and realizes that it is me he sees that we are in the Negaverse's prison. He instantly goes to use his dark powers on me. Out of fear, out of instinct, or in a last-ditch attempt to please Beryl I'm unsure. Being stronger than him though, as I always was, I wave my hand around and stifle his powers with mine which confuses him further as he senses my darkness.

"How?" He demands of me as I suppress my smirk as much as I can.

"All in due time...brother."

He cringes in both shock and anger as he attempts to hit me with physical combat. I go to grab him to free his mind only for him to evade my movements at the last minute. Jadeite always was a bit squirmy. He tries to use his powers to call up a sword but they are a tad depleted from his imprisonment so the sword takes a moment to produce itself.

"I don't know how you're here or how you freed me, or why…," He begins as he circles me with his sword while I have not produced mine. I'm not aiming to hurt him. He doesn't know that though, he's going off of instinct and the darkness within him still from Beryl's leadership. I notice he's even looking a tad crazed but considering where he was at for all this time it's no wonder he's a bit paranoid to see me here.

I could only imagine how it'd be if he saw one of the Senshi here instead. "But I'm sure that once I bring your head to Queen Beryl she will grant me free - "

Getting tired of his demented mantra already and having ZERO time for this, I rush him. He tries to swipe at me with the sword and had he been in peak condition he would have had no issues injuring me, especially since I didn't use one myself. However, he was reacting off of confusion, and paranoia, and still under Beryl's last orders.

"Has it occurred to you there's a reason why I released you?" I asked him as he took another swipe at me, dodging it of course.

"Don't care, probably something to do with trying to get me to betray my Queen."

He takes another swipe as I remark, "Trust me when I say that Beryl is NOT your true Queen."

The slight moment of confusion presented grants me the chance I need and use the few seconds granted to give me access to his mind as I did with Malachite.

He goes to swipe at me again, only this time a direct hit aimed at my neck. I catch the blade with both of my palms. Not an easy feat mind you. Stunned that I caught it I grip the sword hard to prevent it from slicing my palms and fingers. He tries to wiggle it but his strength is still very weak. He gets angrier which makes his focus more unstable. "Your true Queen is a wonderfully beautiful, benevolent woman who has a heart bigger than anyone I've ever known...she's graceful and powerful in her own right..."

His frustration is mounting and while he doesn't appear to be hearing me, as he's lashing out trying to hit me in any way he can, it's how he's lashing out that tells me he's hearing me. From one brother to another I can see it in how he's more aggressive but less focused. He's trying to avoid listening to me but knows that something is definitely off since I'm here. His own senses are telling him that things aren't what they appear to be.

Yet he doesn't know how to handle it and therefore is lashing out without care. He's not even trying to shimmer out anywhere just attacking me, "I have no idea what you're talking about, my true Queen is Beryl and you will not convince me otherwise. Once I've killed you, I'll convince the TRUE Queen Beryl to let me go after the Senshi, after all, I remember their true identities."

I frown as he smirks. I'd forgotten about the fact he figured that out. He must have barely gotten back and Beryl was my guess is, so furious with him that he failed in killing him that he never got the chance to rat the girls out before the slumber spell was cast on him. He really thinks he has a win here and the problem is...he does...IF he gets past either myself or Malachite speaking of, I can hear a warning once more coming from the General.

"Just do it already."

Hearing Malachite throws Jadeite for a loop. He's not sure if Malachite is talking to him or to me now and it's the confusion that I needed as a distraction to make my next move. I snap the blade back and shove the butt of the handle that he's gripping hard enough up to smash into his nose. He backs up a few feet from the impact as the sword disappears. I go up to him, stop his persistent fighting and place my hand on his head.

"Trust me…," I begin to tell him as I undo the lock on his memories just as I did with Malachite, even as he screams in pain, just like with Malachite. "You'll thank me for this...at some point."

I use my powers to destroy the block in his mind. Preventing him from ever being turned by an evil force again and allowing him to have the freedom of his own mind. Yes, his powers are still of the dark forces within here, BUT he's himself again and THAT'S what matters the most in this as the dark forces can be helpful in our mission.

It takes a few more moments and just as Malachite comes back, "I can hear someone coming down shortly is it done?" I look over and see Jadeite falling over. It feels like it's getting easier to do this as I go up to him and see that same devastating expression on his face that was on Malachite's face.

"You with us brother?" I ask him as he turns up to me, tears in his eyes as he sits up and sees a similar expression on Malachite's face.

"The guilt won't leave but do know that she is still alive and as stubborn as ever."

I realize Malachite is referring to Mars. Rei. It's the next words I hear that take the remaining air from the room, "I tried to kill her."

I look to him in slight shock and bewilderment as Malachite echoes this. "I know...I did the same with Venus..." I look at him and realize that THAT must be the reason why Venus had that expression on her face towards him.

Malachite turns to me, "The Senshi were on earth right before the battle took place. We had just been infected with the darkness and Beryl warped our minds. We had the drop on them, yet they sensed things were up. We each made our attempts to kill them and we each failed." I can see the remorse in his eyes.

"They didn't kill us either though." Jadeite tells me, switching my attention back towards him.

"My little fireball couldn't do it, she couldn't kill me, so she fled with the other Senshi away from us. Probably hoping that there was a way to undo the damage done on the moon." I looked back towards Malachite. "The silver crystal. It has the power to undo the evil and heal us, that's why the Senshi fled there. They were trying to save you."

Malachite turned to me, "As did you, you were the only Terrian that survived."

I look at him when he adds, "Endymion, you're the only royal Terrian that was reborn. Your parents were already gone and their bodies on earth. Queen Serenity's powers gave everyone that was presently there on the moon a chance at rebirth. Your all that's left."

It's powerful news to take in. It's also disheartening especially as I feel Mamoru's response to it too. The heartbreak from losing his own parents all over again.

It's like the news tears him a new one all over again. I feel for him now, more than ever. It's not going to be this way in the future, I assure him.

He barely gives me a response. Usagi will be our future...our children will be our future and we will be the type of amazingly great parents that our parents would be proud of. He agrees even though it's halfhearted. "We're working towards getting the Senshi's trust so that we can all work together and defeat Beryl," I tell Jadeite who agrees with me.

"And be healed," Malachite adds. I nod as does Jadeite, even though a small but definitely growing part of me wonders...what would be so bad about keeping the darkness inside alive when it grants us such freedoms? Before Mamoru can say anything to that thought I snuff it out...cause then we wouldn't be able to fully access the golden crystal. We want to have access to our heritage.

Before the voice could try anything further I shut it down and ignored it. "Listen Endymion…," Jadeite begins. "I want you to know how sorry I am about everything..."

I stop him. "Don't I get it, you weren't in control of yourself. So let's make the bitch pay for what's done to us...all of us." He nods. "Listen right now Malachite and I are the only ones who are active as top generals." His understanding nod is enough to keep going.

"Beryl can't know that you've been released. You're the secret weapon that's going to help us win this." Jadeite nods with a grin as he happily remarks, "Happy to help."

I smirk towards my brother, "You need to go help the Senshi. I'll send you there and let Moon know you'll be helping them out, we're doing all that we can to avoid casualties."

He nods then asks, "What am I helping them with?"

"You're going to help them train, strategical matters, do what you do best, and regain their trust. It will be hard though."

He nods. "I understand, the last time I saw Mars was not my finest moment. In fact, I'm pretty sure that while a part of her recognized me she reacted as she did cause she didn't know who I was. Does she now at least?" he asks me.

Truthfully, I don't know what the Senshi fully remember about the generals. Yet I have a feeling some know more things that others don't just yet. Either due to repression or just legitimately NOT recalling it or even just needing that trigger now to jog the memory back into place. "I can't answer that accurately but I can say that Mars is still your fireball, and a stubborn one at that, just give her time."

He nods. "Did you have to give it time with the princess?" He asks.

I sigh knowing I didn't and we're not ones to keep things from one another. "Not much time, but my princess follows her heart more than Mars does. She knew it in her gut that I was still me, despite the warnings from Luna."

Jadeite laughed at that. "Seriously Luna is still having issues with you? A thousand years later." He laughed for a moment longer till he realized we're not laughing and straightened up.

"That's not funny." But I can tell for him it is a little bit.

"Jadeite is definitely back again," Malachite mutters knowing how he gets.

Jadeite breaks at that point a little smile still on his face. "Well come on now how is it not? That feline has had an issue with you since you and Serenity violated the orders to remain 'celibate' till the wedding. I remember the rumors of her going all 'mama cat' on her and nearly ripped you a new one till Queen Serenity stepped in."

Yeah that was not the best of times but well worth it.

"Well considering it technically was a bad luck thing that...," Malachite began as I shot him a glare knowing how THAT could play out. He ventured just a bit more. "What I was just pointing out the subtle...possible connections not that there were any ACTUAL ones."

Yet I know he's one of the few people who would dare to say it considering most people would be too afraid to point things out.

"I know but its implications are strong. Though it might be why Luna might still have issues with me. Even before my…," I look around. "Indoctrination into here she had issues with me." That's when Mamoru reared up and reminded me of WHY she did. I sighed. "Though my actions probably DIDN'T help matters." They both look to me. "I was very much a lone wolf looking for the silver crystal as a third party."

This got them to look at me for more information. "They thought I was with the Dark Kingdom BEFORE this…," I indicate around us. "And the only one who believed anything I told them was Moon. She knew in her heart and gut that I was a good guy. She believed in me when no one else did."

Jadeite pursed his lips as if he were trying to NOT say something. "What?" I urged.

"To be fair you did mostly just save Moon," Jadeite ventured. I go to refute it when I arch my brow and recall he's got a small point.

I use my only defense. "She was just starting out, she needed some backup. She didn't have the same background training the other Senshi did. She needed a little push to have more confidence in herself and in a positive manner."

It was then Malachite who spoke up. "And the fact that she's in a short skirt with knee-high boots did nothing to help persuade that?"

I gave him a warning look as he to did have a small point. "It's their fuku's. Better for fighting in," I defended enough though Mamoru to have joined in and added...he's not wrong. She does look amazing when that fuku shows off her long legs...I shut him up. "While you both have good points it doesn't take away from the fact that I did help the other Senshi out too. Maybe not as often as I helped out Moon but I did," I defend.

Neither of them says anything till Jadeite breaks the silence with, "Just saying..."

I let out a slow glare and get everyone back on topic. We're dealing with a very tightly wound in deadline now and while Beryl isn't usually down here it doesn't mean she won't ever be down here or send someone down here to 'checkup' on things. "Point is it's not funny, even after all this time, after all the risks I've taken she still has trust issues with me."

It was apparently grating on me more than I wanted to admit to. I started to pace around a bit considering where we were at. "Hell Queen Serenity trusted me more than she did," I bark out lowly not wanting to alert anyone over here.

"I get that Endymion but Queen Serenity knew you better. She saw a son-in-law with you, Luna is from a bit of a different culture who probably has different ways of viewing people close to her." I look over at Jadeite who's giving me a very valid point. Even Malachite gives him a slightly stunned expression.

"Shut it," Jadeite tells him without even looking at him. I can't help but crack a small smile at the way they slip back into their old habits of how they know each other. It feels good to see them interacting with the love of brothers in arms rather than as hosts to darkness with no knowledge of who they really are.

"What?" Both of them notice my silence.

I simply smile as I remark, "Nothing just good to have you both back." Not truly getting it for a second both are confused till it sinks in that things are slowly returning to the norm we once knew and had temporarily stolen from us. Now just to somehow get Nephrite and Zoisite back to complete my generals and grant the other Senshi their truest loves. It could be a way for me to show them that I am truly on their side. Hopefully.

"Okay, I'll go check on the Senshi." I nod and ask. "Do you know where to go?"

Jadeite nods. "Once I remembered who they were, are I already knew where Mars resided, it would have only been a matter of time before..." He looks to me. "Endymion I..."

I put my hand up. "I get it, let's just be glad that things turned out as they did." I wince realizing how that came out sounding.

He nods. "It's fine, I really did become a threat to the Senshi so I'll take my imprisonment here as punishment for what damage I could have really caused them...and all of us."

I can tell there's both a sense of feeling like crap with guilt mixed in for what happened and yet there's a small sense of weary satisfaction that he was in fact so close and it was due to Beryl's impatience and unwillingness to listen to him that ultimately stopped things from getting worse.

"Wow..." I can't help but marvel. Both look to me. "Jadeite almost had it all and because Beryl was too impatient which I'm guessing was the case..." I look at him.

"Pretty much, she zapped me before I could do my grand reveal," he admitted.

"Right so impatience mixed with power-tripping landed her much further behind her 'schedule' to get to the crystal. She was and still is the architect of her own unhappiness," I tell them.

"Poetic. To say the least," Malachite adds before he turns to Jadeite. "Go, and make sure that you appear nonthreatening. Remember the darkness in you is still sense-able. It's the only way to get past Beryl or the average youma around here without casting suspicion."

Jadeite nods. "Of course, I won't let you down...not again." His voice is full of promise and conviction as he shimmers out of sight.

I send a mental note as well as a text to let Usagi know. Malachite peers over, "Amazing reception down here."

I grin knowing I was thinking the same thing. "Yeah I know. At least now she knows though and seeing him won't be THAT big of a shock but still a shock." I think the bigger shock will be from Rei now. She's the one who had him as her love in the past and while her memories are there how much is really there?

Usagi POV

I decide to NOT leave the temple grounds once training is done. Once we're all done after I walked away, I took a moment to breathe and wonder how my training with Endymion prepared me for that when we never trained with swords or rather sticks. It was more basic hand-to-hand combat with his powers. I de-transform and wonder what was going through Rei's mind as she seemed to have a bit on it the last few days.

So I decided to stay behind and figure out what that was. I had a feeling it had to do with me and while our friendship was still in this precarious balance we still worked together and I wanted to know what was going on. I wanted to try and see if I could help. Yes, it might seem pushy to some but people rarely understood that even if things aren't 'resolved' just talking about the issue can be helpful.

Acknowledging it can be helpful. The rest of the girls, sans Rei for obvious reason leave out as she comes over to me. "What are you still doing here?"

I purse my lips, "Is there ever a kind word with you whenever the others aren't here?" I ask her as she just looks at me.

"What is it I have chores to do still," she brushes my question off.

"What's going on?" I ask her, letting the seriousness of the situation hit my voice.

For a moment she sees that I'm not backing down, I'm serious and not letting her skirt by the issue. "What are you talking about? Nothing is going on?" She avoids eye contact with me now, which is another sure sign that something is off.

I sigh and take a step forward. "Whatever it is, despite how things are right now, you can talk to me. I'm here." Olive branch offered. She looks back at me.

For a moment, a small moment I see the waver, the need to confess, the doubt, even some anger as she breathes in before that small moment vanishes. Years of having her guard up led her to know how to pull back and slam that shield into place. Yet working with, and being a friend has to led me to see past the shield and to KNOW when something is wrong. I try to touch her shoulder, in comfort obviously.

Yet she shrugs it off. "Don't you have a home to go to? Or shacking up at evil Endymion's place," she snaps, letting her anger fuel her. She and Luna must have talked.

"Good to know Luna's been diligent in spreading my personal business across the Senshi web of information," I mutter loud enough to be heard.

"Yeah well when you make stupid decisions, you should expect stupid prizes," her tone is not helpful.

I don't let her see the hurt in my eyes at her comment, "Just like when you bottle something up that isn't meant to be contained you can expect an explosion later on."

She purses her lips at my words, "I think you should - " I'm sure she was about to say leave but when my phone buzzes with a text saying 'don't panic, just released Jadeite, he's on his way to you, he's good like me, here to help'.

"What? Evil Endymion?" Rei questions almost in a mocking annoyed tone.

"Yeah...no but yes, it's him," I answer as I read the text and hear Endymion in my head. Something I rarely hear as I say. "It's about Jadeite."

I look over at her and see the curious confusion on her face, previous thoughts of kicking me out are gone and are now replaced with bewilderment. "What about him? He's dead..."

She scrunches up her face as she looks at me then sees the confusion on my face and begins to seriously wonder WHY I brought up Jadeite. "Right?" She demands now, forgoing any previous plans she had to do whatever she was going to do and I was suddenly glad that the felines left out already to,o or else I'd have a bad feeling about what would happen here. After all, I can't help but feel her confusion to.

As far as we knew it, he was in fact dead...right? So how... "I thought so...but..."

She's less upset at me now and more focused on what the text says as she begins to come over to read it herself only for us both to hear a voice neither of us has heard in a long while speak. "Kami - sama you look as beautiful as ever." To this we both look up at each other recalling that voice very well, then over and see Jadeite looking at Rei.

The last time either of us saw him he was fleeing for his life against a plane that he sent after us when we managed to trick him into getting hit by his own devices. Yet hearing his sweet declaration is completely opposite to what we've ever heard from him before. It's obvious he's captivated by her. His eyes focused only on her and while even I can sense the evil on him his face is the picture of someone deeply in love.

The romantic in me can't help it as a smile befalls my face. I look over to see the absolute and utter shock on her face that's mixed with confusion and a nearly fearful look on her face at seeing him, in the flesh and looking at her like she's the love of his life. That's when I remember...she is. I gasp as the memories hit me a bit more than usual. She doesn't even hardly blink, so stuck in her own shock that she doesn't hear my response.

"How?" Her voice is barely above a whisper as she forces it out, as stunned to see him alive as I am and while I know part of her wants to be on the defense, something in her is stopping her and I'm betting it's her memories of them together in the past. I don't know this yet though. He takes tentative steps forward. He stops at the bottom of the temple steps, easily about eight feet from us both still.

"It's a long, complicated storym" he tries. It's then that while I can see the tears that are begging to escape there's the moment of vulnerability that's there too, wanting to break free from her eyes at his presence. I think her memories are becoming overwhelming for her. Yet she resists and her tone changes with the intensity she's feeling. "How?" iI's demanding this time, not a question as he sighs and nods.

"Long story short..."

Rei shakes her head, "ALL of it." she demands.

He sighs. "After I was injured by the planes, I went back to the dark kingdom. I had discovered your names and was planning to tell Beryl to buy me time but she wouldn't listen and put a sleeping spell on me, the worst punishment to receive other than death in the Dark Kingdom."

I frowned at this. "Why is that the worst?" I ask.

He looks over to me. "Princess…," he nods. "It's the worst as you are stuck in a frozen icebox, unable to move, make a sound, use your powers, anything. You're stuck in your mind's eye in darkness of your own creation that your guilt is slowly consuming. Your worst fears are coming to light, being trapped in a desolate place where you have forgotten and expended like a piece of garbage."

My shoulders slump at this.

"Prince Endymion broke me out of my prison so that I could help everyone out for when he goes after Beryl."

Now I know he's himself again as he's never once said Beryl without the Queen in front of it, plus he called Endymion 'prince'. Besides that, his whole attitude and demeanor are utterly different than what it once was.

"Okay one, it's evil Endymion..." Rei begins as Jadeite looks between us.

"She and the other are less convinced of 'the rules of the game' issue here," I tell him as he realizes I mean which side Endymion is truly on,

"Understandable how that can be misperceived," he treads carefully. "But Endymion…," he says more for Rei than myself. "Is in fact on your side as am I. I'm actually here to help with training and anything else you'd need."

I can see the wheels spinning in Rei's head. None of them are good for us. All I can see in her eyes is the need to torture him for information or worse. Her eyes even being to turn a darker shade of purple as she feels her emotions building up. I can tell that there's a precarious line here to balance as these two forces have some current and past baggage. Jadeite is definitely keeping himself at a distance and now I think I know why.

He's already anticipating Rei wanting to fight him and is looking to be able to dodge a power attack if need be. I try to intercept. "Please just keep an eye on Endymion and Malachite for us."

She glares at me and verbally combats me, "Forget that! I want answers!" Before she can call upon the power of Mars as I suspect she was about to put him through an intensive interrogation that would have deterred our plans to kill Beryl I go over and stop her hands from fully pulling out her stick.

She looks at me with utter anger. "HE'S the enemy!"

I continue to stop her as she tries to push me away. I know in my gut and heart that if she even fires off one fireball at him it would hurt his feelings on the matter. It wouldn't stop him entirely as he does love her but her 'shoot first ask questions later' bit won't work right now.

"I'm sure if we ask him nicely he will tell us anything we want to know," I try to tell her as she tries to push me out of the way. Now we're in a fight as I stop her repeatedly from going after her transformation stick. Jadeite wants to help but I get the feeling that if he tries to intercede it'll trigger her wrath even further. She's going off of a mess of emotions and anger is at the top of the list...other than hurt.

"Usagi should I...?" he tries to ask.

"No, it's fine," I tell him as I ensure that this is not as bad as it appears. She's just reacting and it's just not helpful right now. She tries to swing past me only to find herself with me in front of her again as she tries to call out to her Mars powers again. I cover her mouth with my hand as she pushes me off of her.

"Seriously?!" she snaps.

"He's here to help us," I defend him, "Willingly. He came here to see us, no fighting, no threats, he hasn't once tried to hurt us."

She's obviously angry. "Usagi for once use your head, we can interrogate him, find out what's really going on stop being stupid!"

I stop her once more as I tell her, "Why go to fight him when we can just ask him? There's no need to 'interrogate' or harm him."

"You think if we ask him he'll tell the truth? Don't be naïve," she argues.

"And you don't think he couldn't have hurt us with us here arguing this over and over again?" My words halt her. "He could have attacked us and you know it."

Before she can get further worked up Jadeite speaks up. "I'm gathering that you're looking to put me through literal hell to get 'answers'...," he puts those in quotes. "But really, Rei you're just looking for an excuse to hurt me the way I did to you in the past and now. I get it."

Rei seems calmer, probably since she was called out in a nicer way than what I would have said.

"To be fair we don't know if what you'd be telling us is true." Her smart mouth had me at a loss right now.

That is till he said, "Your birthstone is a diamond. Both back then and now." She looks to him. "Your zodiac is an Aries cause you're a courageous, highly determined, confident, slightly impatient, sometimes short-tempered aggressive ass-kicking woman."

I couldn't help but nearly short out, "That's you alright."

She shot me a glare. "Easy enough to figure out from a zodiac book." She then looks at him. "Proves nothing."

He actually smirked. "In the past, your princess dress was this stunning red strapless piece that went to your feet. You wore a red choker that tied into a ribbon around your back. You enjoyed it whenever I'd slip my hands back there as it would send pleasing little shivers through you."

She went a tad red from that.

"You wore red high-heeled shoes that never stopped you from kicking ass if you had to, if anything they became a weapon for you. You periodically dwelt in Phobos and Deimos castle."

To this I looked to Rei as she forced a tear back. "It was my palace given to me by Queen Serenity."

Jadeite continues on, "You enjoy reading ancient writings, white Casablanca's, red and black are your favorite colors..."

She lowers her guard just the slightest as Jadeite begins to list things about her that even I didn't know.

"You're not a fan of asparagus, and thanks to your father in both this life and the past life you had, you've always had a distrust of men. It took a long time for you to be accepting of myself and the other Generals as good men to trust and be around." I

could see the indecision in her eyes, knowing that he knew ALL of that about her. Things that he COULDN'T have known if he was still truly evil. He took a step forward. "If I wasn't me, Rei..." He put a hand to his heart. "I wouldn't know these things. Beryl sealed that off remember?"

I could see that she was as amazed by what he knew about her as she was terrified that he knew what he did about her. Plus he was proving himself correct on the matter and now it was clear there was an internal conflict going on that she was not used to handling.

I remained silent on the matter, waiting to see how she'd react next to whatever he said next. The strange thing was I could also tell that she was also 'pleased' with what he remembered and knew about her, though I doubt she'd admit to that. "She took away the memories that made us the true Shittensou, the protectors of this world, and made us into mindless to her will demons to serve her and obey only her."

I could see her resolve begin to crumble as she heard his words. He after all was proving to her that he was himself again. I'm sure if Malachite was able to he'd go to Minako and express himself to her as well, but he had to remain by Endymion's side for safety reasons. Just as she would to me for the same reason.

"Say I do believe you…," she began, clearly not wanting to believe him but allowing reason in to let her expression herself now. It was one of the few times outside of being a Senshi that she was more reasonable...than usual.

He turns to me, "Usagi, Rei, and to the rest of your Senshi that aren't here I do apologize for my actions against you."

I shake my head, "It's forgotten, you were under Beryl's spell, her mind games, her brainwashing...it wasn't your choice." I purposely look to Rei who releases the hold she has on her transformation stick and debates on whether or not to still transform.

"Doesn't matter I should have fought harder." His penance towards himself is clear as Rei doesn't WANT to give in but seemingly gives in, for now on NOT beating him up. Especially since he hadn't done a thing to us other than apologiz for past deeds.

"Rei..." He turns to her as she grips the stick once more, "There are not enough times I can say I'm sorry for everything that I have done to you or the rest of you, nor any amount of pleas that will get you to accept me back so I will simply say this...however long it takes I will do whatever it takes to win you back again."

This I can tell shocks her as she is now as wary of him as she is curious about what will happen next. I know she has words for him, and questions, but there are too many for her to ask right now, the confusion on her face is evident that she's feeling overwhelmed by this. Part of her wants to believe him but it's her past self talking and her current self is more distrusting than she was in the past...even I can sense that.

Jadeite doesn't come within range of her nor does he allow any part of himself to feel threatening as he knows she can sense that. "I guess we'll see what happens."

I step forward, within the range to show him that I don't see him as threatening which I know he isn't. "Keep an eye on Endymion and Malachite but don't get caught. Beryl obviously doesn't know you're free so if something happens let us know."

Jadeite nodded before giving one last longing look to Rei and vanishing. She sends me a glare as she storms up to me, poking me in the chest with a protruding finger.

"Why did you stop me from capturing and interrogating him?!" she demands.

I bat her finger away, "In case you didn't happen to notice he wasn't a threat. He was forthcoming and honest with us. There was no need to - "

But she cuts me off. "Of course, there is! He's the Negaverse, they're built to LIE!"

To this even I get upset on their behalf as well as her extreme need to be so distrustful. Yet before I can say much she rants on further. "What's even worse about this is that now he thinks we or at least you believe him and how now run off to tell Beryl about it."

I can see where her thoughts are spiraling and it's getting worse.

"This can be another trick from that witch to distract us, make us think what she wants us to think he could - " I had to get her attention so I did it the only way I could think to. Slapping my palms together in front of her face, loud and hard, hard enough to hurt my own hands, she stopped talking.

"IF you'd shut up and let your heart open you could have seen that that was NOT the Negaverse's Jadeite in front of us." I step up towards her, anger in me now as I point to where he stood outside.

"That was your Jadeite in front of us just now. No illusion, no denying it, and had you not been so gun hoe on interrogating him he would have been able to tell us more! You denied us that chance with your issues!" I snapped at her. It was her snapback though that made me realize she had some unresolved issues from their past.

"Issues? Do you mean besides the fact that he was the first general to try to kill us? Have you forgotten about that? Or may your just be such a pushover that it's easy for you to forgive as you just did. I'm not that easy." Her tone gets louder as I get upset at her tone and her implications too.

"I didn't forgive him for him, well that to but more to the point…," I stress to her. "I forgave him for me so that I'm not carrying around that anger."

She stops for a moment. "What?" she asks a little stumped.

"I forgave him so that I could be free of carrying around that anger. That energy becomes toxic after a while. We carry it on us and I choose to let it go when said person has given a heartfelt and real apology. Only then do I let it go on bigger things like this." Rei doesn't say much at first till she lets out, "So if Endymion had tried to kill you in the past you'd have forgiven him?"

I can tell what she's trying to prove here but it's not going to work. "Your either ignoring the important factor of 'brainwashing' or you're letting your own anger cloud your judgment on accepting that what happened now and back then wasn't on him, or any of them! Beryl had their minds so beyond warped all they knew was a blind loyalty to her. Don't question anything and serve her."

That's when I saw it. The quiver in Rei's chin. The anger that was boiling out and over was turning into a mixture of emotions. "Rei...?" I questioned, not quite touching her shoulders but making sure to be within her vicinity if she wanted a shoulder to cry on.

She looked up at me. "When he came here so many memories flooded back. I don't want to forgive him."

I sighed. "But a part of you does."

"Why?" she asks me and for a small moment there's a vulnerable understanding between us that's covered in anger over the situation and for her anger at herself.

"Cause there's still love there, whether you want to love him or not, it's in there cause it's a feeling you have. You can't help how you feel." She looks away. "You can only ignore it for so long...it festers. It doesn't go away it...it longs for what's being denied."

For the first time in a long time Rei looks to me like a true friend. "Is that how you and Mamoru were?"

I can tell we're both at this moment. "Perhaps we were...neither of us wanted to acknowledge it. Despite the factor that it was right there in front of us. I tried to ignore it but not because I didn't want to be with him, but because honestly...", I look over and see that she's looking at me with an expression filled with curiosity. "I didn't think I was good enough for him..."

I hadn't told anyone that yet, not a soul. It was for my vulnerability only but she shared something vulnerable, it was only fair. "Go figure we both felt that way just in different ways towards each other till we finally stopped fighting and gave in, embracing it."

We both looked outside as the tone became more somber. The silence was heavy before I grabbed my bags and left giving Rei time to think on her own.