Chapter 16

Betrayal

"Most of us can fit into my van." Lita stated as she threw her duffle bag down by the front door. All around her the sailor scouts and the generals were walking around, trying to quickly pick up their things so they could leave. "The rest of us can take a car."

Mina looked up from her bag. She had thrown all of her clothes and items into her suitcase and was now sitting on it, trying to get it to zip up. "Maybe we need two cars…I don't think everyone… and everything will fit."

"Wait." Serena stated as she saw turned a slow circle around the middle of the room. She looked at everyone's waiting faces as a feeling of dread overcame her. "Where is Amy?"

Mina glanced around the room as everyone that was milling about came to a stop. "Where's Trista?"

Serena felt her stomach drop. She had been so preoccupied with Nikko and Darien that she hadn't even noticed they were down two scouts.

"Zoisite is gone too." Kunzite stated, feeling equally as guilty. "Wherever Amy is he is probably with her…"

As if on cue Raye's cell phone buzzed in her pocket. "Hello? Amy?!" She said, fighting the panic from showing in her voice. She glanced up her eyes wide with amazement. "Where are you? Are you okay?"

Everyone watched as Raye went quiet, listening to whatever it was that Amy was saying to her. After what felt like an age Raye finally spoke. "Okay, okay we are headed to the cabin… remember where it is? Okay, we will see you there soon. We are all leaving now."

Serena felt her stomach twist as she saw Raye hang up the phone and turn towards her. "She's okay, she's with Zoisite. Fabian had taken them and as crazy as it sounds, Femi let them go." She explained.

"Why would she do that?" Lita questioned. "Why would Fabian take them just so Femi could let them go?"

"Get them out of the way?" Jadeite stated with a shrug. "Fabian followed Nikko here tonight. It's possible Amy and Zoisite stumbled upon him and he needed them out of the way."

"But isn't the real goal Serena?" Lita replied as her hands went to her hips. She didn't like how things were beginning to sound. "Amy and Zoisite would defend her if Nikko was trying to take her. Nikko made it clear he is coming back for her. Zoisite and Amy would just be two more people to complicate his end goal. So why let them go?"

The room fell silent for several moments as everyone was left to their thoughts. It was Queen Serenity who finally broke the silence. "I think I may be able to answer that for you." She stated, looking directly at Lita. Her expression was grave, as if the news she had to share wouldn't make the situation any better. "But now is not the time. We need to leave. We don't have much time left. I promise that I'll explain everything when we get to the cabin." She said urgently.

"What about Trista? Or Darien?" Luna spoke. "They're unaccounted for."

"Darien knows where we're going. He probably left to get his stuff." Raye stated. "But no one has heard anything from Trista. She didn't answer when Mina called her earlier."

"I'll try her cell again." Amara stated as she shouldered her duffle bag. "Michelle and I will take our car and stop by her place before heading to the cabin."

"Be careful please." Serena said to them. It worried her that Trista had been absent from the fight. The longer she thought about it, there had been a lot about Trista that had been weighing on her mind lately.

"Let's get going." Lita said to everyone and gathered her bag, rushing out the front door with the rest of the scouts and generals following her.

Serena followed them quietly but instead of heading to the van she headed to her car, borrowed from her parents. She threw her bag in the backseat and glanced at Mina who had stopped dead in her tracks.

"Where are you going?" Mina asked, suspicious that Serena, the one Nikko was after, was opting to travel alone. "After Darien?"

"Not Darien." Serena sighed as she pulled open the driver side door. She turned to face Mina as her fingers curled around the window of the door. "I have to go to him…" She paused for a moment, staring her straight in the eye. "If something big is about to happen I need to get him to safety."

"Blake." Mina huffed, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. Serena was now knee deep in the craziest love triangle that she had ever heard of. Even TV soap operas weren't this complicated. Thankfully, she kept her thoughts to herself.

"The mortal?" Kunzite asked, incredulous. He cast a wide-eyed look at Mina, as if he couldn't believe it. "Is she serious?"

"He's my fiancé… at least I think he still is." Serena said earnestly, not expecting Kunzite to understand. "He's here because of me and I can't let him get hurt or worse. Believe it or not, I do love him."

Mina bit her tongue from making a smart remark about the amount of love coming from Serena at the moment, opting instead to throw her bag in the backseat, next to hers. "Well… we're coming with you. You're not going to be alone anymore."

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Darien sighed as the elevator dinged over and over again. He leaned back against the cool metal railing of the elevator as he watched the lights of the floor buttons flicker as he passed each floor. Each time the light flashed before him a renewed sense of dread twisted his insides. The time had finally come. A moment that he had been dreading for a long time now. A full year. He had made it to a full year with Idra. He hadn't even realized that much time had passed until that night when they had gone to dinner. Whatever Idra expected of their relationship, he couldn't allow it to continue. It wasn't fair to her.

He ran a hand through his silky black hair. He had stopped by his apartment and washed out the blood and mud from his hair and body before heading to Idra's apartment building. Bruising was settling in nicely on his face, especially around his left eye. He had put a butterfly bandage over the cut over his left eyebrow to keep the skin together but felt like he'd eventually need a stitch or two if he irritated it anymore. He had bandaged his chest as best he could with his cracked rib which was obscured by his tight black t-shirt.

Darien froze as he watched the lights suddenly stop flickering. The elevator screeched to a halt as if someone had just pressed the emergency button. He felt the air around him grow heavy as the lights on the ceiling of the elevator began to fade.

"I'm alone… you can reveal yourself." Darien stated.

The lights extinguished for a brief second, shrouding the elevator into complete darkness before popping back on. There stood Sailor Pluto with a very grave expression on her face.

Darien didn't seem surprised to see her. "They're going to suspect you soon." He said. "They may not have noticed right away that you weren't at this last battle, but they'll figure it out quickly." Darien crossed his arms, wincing as he felt his fractured rib rub uncomfortably.

"That's not important right now." Sailor Pluto replied dismissively. "Has she visited you yet?"

"Lately? No." Darien stated with a huff of annoyance. "But I'm sure she will soon."

"What's wrong with you?" Sailor Pluto said in an irritated tone. "You almost blew it out there. We made a deal remember?" She snapped. "Are you going back on your word?"

Darien felt himself growing more and more hostile with each passing moment. Deep lines settled into his forehead as he felt anger boiling within him. "I almost blew it? Me? You're the one that started EVERYTHING!" He shot back. "I've done everything you asked me to! I abandoned the woman I loved because you told me to. I watched her suffer for two years because you told me to. I watched her pack up her things and move across the world because you told me to. I broke her heart because you told me to. I watched her go to another man and did nothing because you told me to. Do you know how difficult that was? Do you know how hard it has been these past few weeks with her here, knowing that I can't … I can't…." He trailed off as he shook his head repeatedly in frustration. "You can't possibly understand."

Sailor Pluto examined him with her dark eyes, not daring to speak. She could sense the frustration mounting within him. She couldn't allow him to be deterred from their goal, not when they were so close.

Darien turned away from her as he beat his fist against the side of the elevator. He would give anything just to go back and erase everything he did to the woman he loved. Serena would never trust him again. She hated him, loathed him even. Her words still cut deeply into him as he reflected on the scene at the temple. She had told him to stop worrying about her, as if it there was a switch he could flip in his mind. How he wished it could be that simple. His silence lasted several moments before he spoke again. "Can you even fathom how difficult it is to watch the woman you have died for … be with another man?" Darien whispered. He felt his eyes begin to sting as his arms fell to his sides, almost defeated. "What else do you want me to do? What else can I possibly do at this point?"

"You can't interfere." Sailor Pluto replied, her stark expression unwavering. "You shouldn't have started that fight with Nikko."

"You expected me to allow Serena to go to the arms of some psychotic killer?!" Darien yelled. He spun around to meet her eyes as his hands ran back through his hair. He pulled on the ends of the short strands, tugging as if he could pull away all of the emotions rushing through him. "She doesn't deserve that. She deserves so much better. You can't expect me to stand by and watch her put herself in danger and do nothing."

"Keep your trust in me." Sailor Pluto persisted as she approached him. "The fate of everyone depends on it."

"I don't know how much longer we can continue like this." Darien said as his hands dropped back down to his sides. He leaned back against the rail of the elevator and glanced at Sailor Pluto. She was studying him intently. "It doesn't feel right." He said. "It hasn't felt right in five years. We belong together."

"It's not meant to." Sailor Pluto replied with a sigh. "Decisions like these are never easy."

"You're not making me feel better about this." Darien replied.

"I can't reveal your fate." Sailor Pluto affirmed as she laid a hand on his shoulder. "But trust that what you are doing is necessary."

"Serena and I have suffered a lot. Serena especially…" Darien stated as he shut his eyes tightly, trying not to allow his thoughts drift back to the pain he had caused her. "And you're telling me to keep pushing her away and to not show my feelings for her… no matter what happens to her?"

"I know it doesn't seem fair." Sailor Pluto stated as Darien turned away from her again. "But you know why you're doing this."

"Yeah… it's easy for you to say that. You're not seeing her run from one guy to another while you watch helplessly…." Darien stated as he shoved his hands into his pockets. He took a deep breath and finally lifted his dark blue eyes to meet hers. "Just promise me that Serena will be okay. I need to hear it to keep doing this—"

Sailor Pluto laid her right hand on his left shoulder and gripped it tightly to reassure him. "I promise I will do all I can to protect her."

Darien nodded. Her answer would suffice for now but he didn't entirely trust himself to sit back and watch idly as Serena pursued Nikko. The American he could tolerate. Darien didn't consider Blake to be a threat despite the fact he was engaged to Serena. He had seen the way Serena looked at Blake, it wasn't comparable to the looks she used to give him. It was the way she had looked at Nikko that he couldn't handle.

The lights flickered again. Darien hardly noticed Sailor Pluto disappear as the elevator dinged once more and the doors opened. He calmly walked off of the elevator and went to the first door to the right. He lifted his right hand to knock on the door but hesitated. Just as he had hurt Serena he was about to hurt another woman in his life. Guilt took hold of him again. Idra had been a nice distraction from his days of torment over what he had done to Serena. She was great at getting his mind off of the woman he had left, but despite the amount of time he spent with her and the endless conversations they had, he didn't love her. Not even close.

Before he could knock the door popped open. There stood Idra, clad in a slinky pink sleeping dress. A white robe hung off of her slender shoulders. Her long blond hair was in one long braid that snaked down her back. Even if he didn't love her, Idra was still stunningly beautiful.

Darien felt himself force a smile as Idra pulled him inside. It was going to be a long night.

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A cloud of dust plumed upwards with each step Nikko took across the barren field. His black leather boots thundered against the cracked and aging stones that littered the ground. His long royal blue cape was thrown across one shoulder, falling against his back, billowing out with each step he took forward. His armor had been cleaned and polished so that it reflected back the light of the fading moon just perfectly. His heavy sword once again rested against his side, freshly sharpened.

His deep lavender eyes took in his surroundings as he continued to press forward through the brush. The overgrown field had once been the great hall of a magnificent palace. Unlike his home on Charon, this palace had been reduced entirely to rubble. All that remained were a few scattered stones and fading memories.

"It used to be so beautiful here." A soft voice stated.

Nikko felt a shiver run up his spine but his expression remained stoic, devoid of any emotion. "Earth is still full of life." He stated. "Unlike the rest of the galaxy." He came to the edge of the field which was on a slight incline to a hill. There stood a woman. She was statuesque. Her blood red gown clung to her curves and sprouted from her hips, kissing the tips of the stones beneath her feet. Her dark curls were loose, spilling across her shoulders and down her back, stopping just above her waist line. A golden sapphire and ruby crown sat atop of her head, nestled amongst the curls.

"None of these people know what Earth was truly like during the Silver Millennium. We were just a small piece of a larger puzzle then." She spoke again as she finally turned to Nikko who had come to a stop behind her. Her face was slightly aged, lines spread across her forehead and along the sides of her eyes. She appeared to be in her forties though her eyes betrayed her. The deep blue irises were flecked with wisdom.

"It is time you restored Earth to the magnificence it once possessed." Nikko replied as he gave her a polite bow. "My queen."

Her eyes flashed for a moment, turning a deep black before resuming their rich hue of blue. "Do you remember why I woke you up Prince Nikko?" She asked. Her voice had turned unnaturally sweet, as if she were luring him into a trap. "I certainly didn't do it out of the kindness of my heart."

"Aid." Nikko replied. "You needed help, my queen. I pledged the strength of my Shadow Warriors to your cause."

"Yes." She said as she walked a slow, lazy circle around him. "And what did I ask you to do?"

"To destroy the sailor scouts…" Nikko stated, unwavering. His eyes followed her every move though his body didn't move an inch.

"And?" She inquired as she stopped behind him.

"I didn't intentionally—" Nikko began but was immediately cut off. A bolt of dark energy rippled through him, setting every nerve in his body aflame. He shrieked in agony as his knees collapsed underneath his weight, sending him to the ground.

"You were given strict boundaries!" She yelled as she watched him wither on the ground. "You and your pathetic group of mercenaries had ONE rule and you broke it!"

"Forgive me my queen…. Please—" Nikko pleaded as he felt his eyes rolling to the back of his head.

She sighed deeply, exasperated by his pleas. She had a limited amount of patience for useless creatures and Nikko was quickly becoming more trouble than he was worth. She waved her hand, withdrawing the dark energy from his body.

Nikko rolled onto his side, gasping for air as his body still shook in pain.

"Let me make this very clear for you Prince Nikko…" She stated as she squatted down next to him. Her dark blue eyes turned black once more, this time swallowing the whites of her eyes in the process. "I will keep you alive only as long as you are useful to me. Make sure you remain useful or I will send you to join the rest of your people. If you want your precious little moon princess to survive to live out her days with you then I'd better not see any more mistakes!"

"Yes my queen." Nikko stuttered as the pain retreated from his limbs. He didn't dare move.

"Let's cover just how bad things are for you right now." She began as she ticked off the fingers on her right hand. "You have not destroyed the sailor scouts. They remain united. The princess is still in their possession. The generals have decided to join their cause. To make matters worse one of your warriors woke up Queen Serenity creating yet another barrier to my very delicate plan. Prince Nikko, you have achieved nothing more than becoming an insurmountable waste of my time." She snapped as she drew closer to him.

Nikko felt his blood run cold as her skeletal fingers grasped the edge of his chin. He felt her long nails dig into his flesh. "My question to you is this: what are you going to do about it?" She asked him, her voice no louder than a whisper.

"I'll get it done." Nikko persisted as he sat up, drawing what remained of his strength to put on a brave front.

"You had better." She replied dryly. "I intend on reclaiming the Earth as my own once more and I don't need anyone standing in my way." She released his chin and stood back up just as the sun began to slowly rise above the horizon. She watched as the sky morphed from a rich blue to a faint purple and finally a vivid orange. "Do you know that my mother named me after the ugliest bird on this planet?" She whispered.

Nikko hesitated to respond. He wasn't sure what words he could reply with that wouldn't cause him another round of excruciating pain. Already he desired to leave, out of the path of oncoming destruction.

"Raven." She scoffed as her eyes took in the rising sun. "A black bird. Its caw is annoying and harsh. They're bad omens to some people." She stated as the sun's rays trickled up the land, finally climbing up the skirt of her gown, reaching her neck and finally her cheeks. She sighed as the sun's warmth filled her with energy. "And I certainly was a bad omen for her… she died after birthing me." She continued as she felt the power surging within her. "Little did she know that I would be a bad omen for the people of this galaxy. I can not only control dark energy but also light…"

Behind her the ground began to ripple, seeming more like waves in the ocean than solid, dry land. Queen Raven closed her eyes as the waves grew more frequent and larger, spreading out around her. The earth beneath their feet began to shake, slowly at first then more violently and strong.

Nikko watched as the waves carried the energy down the hill towards the city below them.

Queen Raven turned to him, smiling cruelly as the shaking grew more and more violent. "Call your Shadow Warriors. Find the sailor scouts. Take their power from them so that they can helplessly watch their precious Earth fall to my wrath."