Chapter 13
The Return of the Queen
"Well dinner was… interesting." Zoisite commented as he and Amy exited the bus, just outside the Cherry Hill Temple.
Amy felt her cheeks flush. "Sorry about that. Maybe a double date wasn't such a good idea." She stated as they climbed the stone steps. She winced as her heels uncomfortably rubbed against her toes. She wasn't accustomed to wearing five inch heels much less for an extended period of time. Her feet throbbed uncomfortably as she hobbled each step, unsuccessfully hiding her discomfort.
"Don't worry about it. We had a good night even if Serena and Darien didn't." Zoisite shrugged as they reached the top of the stairs. Before them the field in front of the temple was a sea of mud. It was going on a month of steady rains in Tokyo. The grass that usually covered the field before the temple had all but disappeared. Without hesitating Zoisite bent down and swooped Amy off of her feet.
"Zoi!" She shrieked, not anticipating that he'd grab her so quickly. "I can walk!"
"You're in pain and you'll get stuck in the mud in those shoes." He stated simply as he regarded her for a moment. "Allow me to carry you inside."
Amy felt her cheeks flush as she felt his chest against her right side. She had never been this close to a man before. His body warmth radiated against her and she could feel the tight muscles in his chest shift against her. Despite everything she felt relaxed in his arms.
Zoisite walked around the field slowly, taking care not to allow himself to sink too deeply in the mud. A light drizzle began as he trudged and dark clouds drifted in front of the full moon, evaporating almost all of the light in the night.
"Zoisite… " Amy began as he walked. "May I ask you something?"
He regarded her for a moment before nodding. "Anything."
"Did we know each other in the Silver Millennium?" She questioned in all seriousness. It was something that had been weighing on her mind lately. Why he had chosen to accompany her to work when she was exposed? Why he would walk her to and from work each day? Why it was he that was always within arm's reach of her at the temple?
Zoisite's grip on her slipped but he caught her before she could fall to the ground. His hands were so quick Amy hardly noticed that he had nearly dropped her. He wasn't expecting that question from her given the color that instantly drained from his face. Amy could tell he wanted to say something but he was mentally battling with himself, trying to decide on what words he would say.
"Yes." His green eyes focused in on hers as they came to rest outside the temple. He didn't drop her as his muddy boots gripped the wooden platform underneath the overhang of the roof. Instead he turned from the double doors of the temple and walked to the back. He set Amy down on a bench there and silently plopped down next to her. Around them the light drizzle turned to a gentle patter on the roof. Zoisite numbly watched as rain droplets dripped lazily from the roof, splashing onto the wooden ledge of the temple's floor before slipping to the saturated ground below.
"I know you are being cautious about what you reveal to me. I know that Trista has convinced you that our memories must come naturally, but in all honesty none of our memories have come naturally. They must be driven out, prompted." She placed her hands over his and looked him straight in the eye. "Every time you touch me I feel something." She placed her hand over his heart. "Right there… no one else makes me feel that way. Something tells me that I have known you … I have known you so well that my heart literally aches for you. It sounds so ridiculous even now that I am saying it." She snorted, amazed at her own silly words. She was a doctor. Hearts didn't ache unless a heart attack was coming on. There was no scientific proof that a heart could physically yearn for another person yet here she was, feeling a painful throbbing in her own chest.
"I think what you told me before was a lie, that you were single and didn't have time for women. That wasn't true…. Was it?" She inquired.
Zoisite's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Amy… I can't—"
"Yes you can!" She said, ushering him on. She could feel the frustration building within her. Never had she felt so much emotion coursing through her veins. All day long her thoughts would drift to Zoisite rendering concentrating at work nearly impossible. It frustrated her that she couldn't focus on her work as she was accustomed to. Romance wasn't necessarily an area of distraction for her as it generally was for her friends yet here she was, pleading with a man that she hardly knew. At least in this life. The old Amy wouldn't allow herself to become distracted, to become infatuated. She could hardly tolerate it anymore.
Zoisite squeezed her hands. "Amy, it's not that simple." His voice was thick with emotion as if it pained him to even speak.
"It can be." She pleaded as tears filled her eyes. "Tell me something Zoi, anything… I need to know."
Zoisite sighed deeply and shut his eyes. "You were my wife…. We were married two years before Beryl came and things changed—"
Amy felt her heart drop. Married? She had been married?
"We were happy then." Zoisite smiled as he reminisced. He emitted half a chuckle as his thoughts went back to their time together. "We lived on the Moon for some time while you were training as a Sailor Scout. I worked for our prince then as one of his generals but things changed once the Negaverse attacked… The prince asked me to return to fight for him and I left you thinking you were safe…" Zoisite trailed off as his eyes began to sting.
"You were…. You were…pregnant with our first child."
Her jaw dropped as a horrified hand lifted to cover her mouth. She watched as tears poured down Zoisite's cheeks.
"Amy I remember the last time I saw you… I could never forget the day I had to leave for Earth. You were wearing a navy blue dress and I felt the baby move for the first time." He paused as he used the back of his hand to wipe away his tears. "The next day Beryl brainwashed us... I never saw our child."
Amy felt tears swelling within her own eyes. A baby. She had a baby. A baby that was gone now, a baby she never remembered.
It was in that moment that the temple began to shake violently. Amy shrieked as the walls began to crack and the roof, splinter as the shaking increased. Above them a bright light shot into the sky, illuminating the area around the temple. Zoisite, without any hesitation, gathered her in his arms and ran straight for the tree line just as the roof caved in over the bench, sending a cloud of dust outward.
Amy watched as the temple shrank the further Zoisite ran. She saw the light shoot up towards the sky and then as quickly as it began the shaking stopped and the light dissipated. Zoisite stopped just as the shaking did. His eyes weren't on the temple but straight ahead.
Amy's head slowly turned to see what he was focusing on.
A man stood before them with shoulder length dark hair and deep green eyes. His dark gray body armor glistened in the moonlight just underneath his royal blue cloak.
He grinned as Zoisite took a step back. "Fabian." Zoisite whispered.
Amy's grip on Zoisite tightened as she felt his heart beating so hard she could feel it against her side.
"Sailor Mercury and Zoisite." Fabian remarked as he took a step towards them. "Thanks for joining me... you'll have to excuse me though, I didn't come for you…and I can't have you interfering…"
Before Amy could scream Fabian extended his arm towards the two of them and sent a ball of dark energy shooting forward. Amy felt her breath catch in her chest as her body was hit, engulfed within the dark energy that lifted her feet from the ground, shooting her backwards. She could hear Zoisite yelling as he too was forced backwards though his feet remained on the ground. He struggled against the force of the energy but it was too late. They both disappeared into a portal that popped up behind them.
Fabian watched as they vanished and the portal closed, disappearing in the air. He grinned and moved forward, heading towards the temple.
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Jadeite's jaw dropped. "Holy sh—"
"What? WHAT?" Raye asked in irritation as she craned her neck to see around Jadeite's back, still slung over his shoulder. Before she could get another word out Jadeite's grip on her slipped and she fell to the ground. "YOU DROPPED ME!"
"It's… it's…" Jadeite struggled to speak as Raye angrily got to her feet.
"You careless, arrogant…. "She trailed off as her eyes caught sight of the damaged fire room, past the fallen beam. "Queen… Queen Serenity!"
Serena groaned as she rubbed the back of her head, slowly getting back up to a sitting position. Her head throbbed dangerously from the impact of her fall but her eyes hadn't deceived her. Right before her stood Queen Serenity, standing just before the green box which had popped closed. She looked exactly the same as she had during the Silver Millennium: her long white hair was gathered in the traditional odango style of the moon, her white gown clung to the flawless curves of her body and the infamous golden symbol of the moon shimmered against her forehead. "Mother." She whispered.
Serenity smiled as Luna and Artemis extended their front paws and bent forward, bowing as best they could to their queen. Behind them Jadeite and Raye climbed over the large fallen beam that partially blocked the doorway. Neither spoke but their eyes were wide in wonder.
"Serena." Queen Serenity spoke at last. Her pale features curved into a smile as she extended her slender hands towards her daughter, offering to help her up.
Serena numbly took her hands and felt herself leave the ground as she was pulled up to a standing position. Serenity was strong, stronger than she remembered. She swayed dangerously once Serenity's hands left her grasp. "How… how are you here?" Serena stuttered.
"I sent myself to the future when I sent all of you. I was trapped by our enemies and I was unable to join you when you were reborn. I have been a captive for many years." Serenity explained as she turned at last to Raye and Jadeite. Her eyebrows lifted in surprise at the sight of one of Beryl's generals but Luna was quick to intervene.
"The generals have regained control of their minds, my Queen." She stated. "Jadeite and his comrades are our allies. They have protected all of us against Nikko and his Shadow Warriors."
Serenity's expression darkened at the mention of Nikko's name. "I'm afraid that fight is far from over." She turned back to Serena who had moved to lean against the wall, struggling still to stay upright. "I thought I had sealed them away for good … but I was wrong. The Negaverse cannot be defeated by me alone…"
"SERENA!" Mina screeched as she and Kunzite, both dripping with sweat, burst into the room from the opposite door of the fire room. They both paused mid-step at the sight of Queen Serenity and the destruction around her.
"We need the others… there is much I must tell all of you." Serenity stated just as Serena sighed and her knees buckled, collapsing onto the ground.
"Serena!" Mina screamed again as she rushed to her, falling to her knees next to her. Serena was pale but breathing. Her chest continued to fall up and down.
""She okay?" Raye asked as she and Jadeite approached.
"She just fainted." Kunzite stated as he lifted Serena easily, gathering her in his arms. He cast a nervous glance at Queen Serenity. "I'll take her to lay down." He carried Serena to one of the back rooms of the temple while everyone else followed. Luckily the majority of the destruction was contained to the fire room of the temple. Cracks zig-zagged across the walls of the main hall but they held firm.
Kunzite laid Serena on a bed while Mina, Raye, Jadeite, Queen Serenity, Luna and Artemis crammed into the room, surrounding the bed.
"She is unwell." Queen Serenity stated as she ran her hands over her daughter's forehead. As she withdrew her hands as the symbol of the moon, a glowing golden crescent, illuminated against the flesh of Serena's forehead. The crescent pulsed, glowing brighter and brighter until it seemed as if the energy was sucked from it. The golden color transformed to a murky yellow before turning black.
"There is dark energy within her…" Serenity said quickly as her features paled. Her dark blue eyes worriedly settled on Luna. "What has happened? Tell me everything."
Kunzite and Jadeite cast each other a silent glance as Luna stepped forward. "Your majesty … you may want to sit down."
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Lita was nearly out of breath. Her short white dress was wet with perspiration and clung to her back like a wet towel. A rich emerald green ribbon circled her waist and was tied into a bow behind her back, the long tail of the bow rippled behind her like waves. She had kicked off her white heels and was holding them in one hand as she pushed her screaming legs to keep pressing forward. Her brown curls were falling from the pins that had held them back from her forehead and gathered on the back of her head. They now cascaded down her back, bouncing with every step she took.
Beside her Nephrite was keeping pace. His polished black shoes clicked loudly on the ground as he ran. His white button down shirt was flapping open with a loose green tie hanging around his neck, the bottom flipped over his shoulder. He held a black jacket in his right hand that perfectly matched his pressed black slacks. His deep auburn hair was brushed and tied back behind his ears but sweat dripped down the sides of his face.
Lita and Nephrite had run nearly twenty blocks, headed straight for the Cherry Hill Temple. They had just finished dinner when the blinding light illuminated the night in the distance. She didn't hesitate, she knew it was coming from the temple. She and Nephrite ran by several pedestrians, all standing immobile as they watched the light grow bright and brighter until it disappeared into nothing. They hardly noticed the two pushing past them, darting around them as if they weren't there.
As they neared the temple Lita and Nephrite slowed down to a brisk walk. A visible police line was circling the outside of the temple, keeping everyone from reaching the steps to the entrance. A large crowd of people were right behind the line, all talking amongst themselves with their eyes set on the temple. No light shone from any of the windows but Lita could sense her friends were inside.
"STAY BACK!" A police officer barked at the crowd as he attempted to move the line further back. "This area is unstable. It is not safe!"
"Hey Lita!" A voice called from her right.
Lita spun around to see Darien, fighting his way through the crowd. His dark hair was disheveled and clung to his sweaty face as if he too had just run across the city. "What happened?"
"I don't know." Lita stated as she cast a glance at the temple. Her chest heaved as she struggled to catch her breath. "But we need to get inside."
"We can't go through here." Nephrite stated with a nod to the police line. "Not without our powers."
"There's a back entrance." Lita stated. "Follow me."
"What are you wearing?" Darien commented as he finally got a good look at Lita and Nephrite.
Lita's cheeks flushed.
"Forgive me my prince… I did not ask your permission but it was rather sudden…" Nephrite remarked as the color drained from his face.
"We got married." Lita said quickly, noting the confusion on Darien's face.
Darien nearly tripped over a stray twig that was on the sidewalk. His mouth opened several times as he tried to speak but no words came out. After several moments he finally was able to spit out one word. "Why?"
"It's hard to describe exactly." Lita remarked. "But Nephrite is quite romantic and after he gave me this." She held up her left hand, proudly displaying the beautiful yellow diamond on her ring finger. "Well, you can see that I'm not waiting around for memories that may never come. I don't know how much time I may have with Nephrite and I do not intend to waste it." She stated.
Nephrite wrapped an arm around her and their lips met in a tender kiss.
Darien appeared to be carefully evaluating his next words. "I'm happy for you two. I really am. If that is what you want, then I will support your marriage. I hope you are very happy together and have ten times the amount of time together than you did in our previous lives…"
"Thank you." Nephrite stated as they continued to walk around the hill.
Silence fell as they walked along the sidewalk outside of the temple, away from the crowd of people. Lita led them to the back of the hill that the temple sat on. A black iron fence circled around the property, blocking anyone from climbing the hill to the temple. Her fingers felt along the fence until she reached one bar with a swirl on the top. She wiggled it several times until it popped off, leaving a gap just big enough for a person to fit through.
"Let's go." She told them as she climbed through.
Darien's eyebrows lifted in surprise but he and Nephrite followed her. Nephrite popped the bar back on as they creeped up, keeping low to keep out of sight of the police officers that were circling around.
They crouched low behind several shrubs, watching the temple. Around two dozen officers were milling around. Their flashlights reflected off the walls of the temple, walls that just that morning had been perfectly intact but now were riddled with cracks and holes.
"What happened?" Lita wondered out loud. She ducked just as a flashlight hit the top of the shrubs.
"I don't see a way in." Darien told her. "There's too many of them."
"We need a distraction." Nephrite stated as he cast a look at Lita.
Lita didn't respond. Her eyes were focused on the tree line just before the temple.
A man had emerged, drawing the attention of each and every police officer.
A loud rumble shook the ground as lightning split the sky, illuminating the night for a brief moment. The light caught the glint of silver armor, a billowing royal blue cape and cold lavender eyes.
Prince Nikko.