Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon.

Chapter 5: Burning Memories

Sounds of clashing swords mixed with howls of pain echoed loudly through the once peaceful palace. Among the chaos, Jadeite ran through the battle-torn halls littered with rubble and fallen soldiers. A look of feral desperation displayed plainly in his eyes as he cut down the seemingly endless number of youma that stood in his way.

"Get out of my way you hell sent bastards!"

Venom and anger laced his voice as he continued to make his way towards the prayer room. Despite the continued blood loss from his multiple wounds, Jadeite was determined to warn her of their failed mission. He needed to give her and her comrades a fighting chance and succeed where they have failed. The minutes it took to reach his destination felt like millenniums. When he finally saw the doors to the prayer room, Jadeite felt a rush of relief. With as much force as he could muster, he rammed aside the last youma standing between him and the door. Quickly crossing the threshold between the hall and the prayer room, he immediately spun around and thrust his sword into the marble floor.

"I, Jadeite, knight of patience and harmony, loyal Shitennou of Master Endymion beseech you great Elysion for protection," Jadeite rapidly chanted as a circle of light began to form around the embedded sword, "Grant me strength to fend off the demons and protect those I love! Barrier Formation!"

Responding to the Shitennou's words, the glow around the sword intensified and expanded to encompass the entire prayer room. Youmas that were about to enter were disintegrated to dust while those outside the barrier were denied entrance.

Finally releasing the grip on his sword, Jadeite ignored the angered cries of the youmas and turned to face the flickering flames behind him. Feeling like the room was spinning around him, he barely took one step forward before his legs failed him. Collapsing onto the floor, the blood loss combined with the large energy drain from casting the barrier spell proved to have take a huge toll on his already fatigued body.

"No, I'm so close," Jadeite mumbled as he struggled to push himself back up, "I have to warn them of what Beryl has done."

"Too bad for you my dear Shitennou, but it is already too late."

The sickeningly sweet voice rang loudly in the prayer room as a figure suddenly appeared before the wounded Shitennou. Even in his severely weakened state, Jadeite clearly recognized the woman clad in a long purple gown with fire-red hair.

"Beryl," he hissed the name, hatred evident in his eyes, "You foolish witch. You betrayed our Prince, sold your soul to the devil and doomed the Earth!"

"Silence! It was the five of you who were betraying the Earth," Beryl exclaimed, her hold on her scepter tightening as she spoke, "You four were Endymion's guards. You could have stopped him from becoming bewitched by that accursed Moon witch! Instead, you Shitennous went and allowed yourselves to be enamored by her followers! If I had not offered my soul to our Great Leader, the Earth would have became another prized puppet for the power hungry Moon Kingdom!"

"You really are a fool," Jadiete panted out as he was finally able to push himself into a kneeling position, "You're beyond help. Even if I must give up my life, I will at least take you down with me!"

Calling forth every last ounce of his strength, Jadiete sprung up and pulled out the ofuda given to him before he had returned to Earth with his fellow Shitennous.

'Mars please lend me your strength.'

"Akuryo Taisan," Jadiete exclaimed as the ofuda began to give off a bright red light in response.

Not giving the surprised Beryl a chance to react, he threw the enchanted ofuda straight at the self-proclaimed Queen of the Dark Kingdom. Having truly spent the last of his energy, Jadiete fell back to his knees as he watched Beryl become engulfed by flames as soon as the ofuda attached itself to her forehead. As if recognizing its mistress's power, the sacred fire behind them flared to life as the terrible screams of the burning Beryl echoed throughout the entire prayer room. But the sense of victory and relief was short-lived as Beryl's outraged scream soon turned into maniacal laughter. As quickly as the blazing inferno had appeared, it was soon extinguished by a dark aura that emerged around the grinning mad woman.

"Your efforts are futile. Our Great Leader Queen Metalia protects me from those dirty tricks the Mars princess had given you," Beryl declared confidently.

"I may...have failed," Jadiete slowly drawn out between labored breaths, "But SHE and the others...will stop you."

Instead of an outraged denial of his claim as he had come to expect from the volatile woman, he felt his blood run cold at the devious knowing glint in her fire-red eyes.

"Wrong again my dear Shitennou," Beryl replied as she slowly approached the weary man with a predatory grin, "In fact, you and your fellow Shitennou will help me conquer the Moon Kingdom"

At her words , three figures appeared behind Beryl and bowed to her in respect. Not one acknowledged Jadiete's look of horror nor his cry of disbelief.

"No it can't be," Jadiete whispered before returning his gaze back at the grinning woman and exclaimed in outrage, "YOU WITCH! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO THEM!"

"I have merely opened their eyes to the Moon brat's and her senshi's treachery," Beryl replied matter-of-factly, "Do not worry. You too shall be cleansed of their bewitchment by Queen Metalia's power."

"I'd rather die witch," Jadiete hissed, his hatred and disgust for the woman before him written clearly on his face.

"Watch your tongue you ungrateful brat," Beryl warned as dark energy began to gather in her outstretched hand, "Or you just might get your wish."

Silence fell as the two glared murderously at the other. Seconds passed, along with Beryl's rage. Fully aware that the young Shitennou was merely baiting her into killing him, Beryl lowered her hand and instead pointed her scepter at Jadiete.

"You will soon learn your place," she said with a victorious grin as a plume of thick black cloud emitted from her scepter and completely engulfed Jadiete.

Feeling as if his head was being torn apart, Jadiete let out a heart-wrenching scream as the world began to black out. His last thought was that of his fiery lover and regret of breaking the trust she had only recently began to place in him.

'I'm sorry Mars. Looks like I couldn't keep my promise after all.'

"Mars."

Standing just a few feet from the unconscious man, Rei's figure visibly stiffened at the soft murmuring of her alter-ego's name. Surprise was quickly transformed into suspicion of this stranger who had been attacked by Phobos and Deimos, entered the prayer room uninvited and apparently collapsed after have made contact with the Great Fire.

'It can't be a coincidence that he looks exactly like Jadiete,' Rei thought with a frown as she wondered if she should transform and confront him in her senshi form.

Not wanting to involve her grandfather or Yuuchiro, Rei quietly shut the doors before turning back to the still unconscious man. As she began to take slow cautious steps forward, the miko silently observed his unmoving figure while clutching her henshin rod in one hand, ready to transform at a moments notice.

'His wounds, they're already completely healed. Jadiete or not, he's no ordinary man,' Rei concluded when a shimmer from an object clutched tightly in his right hand caught her attention.

"The stone!"

Too late in realizing her mistake, Rei reflexively took several steps back and fell into a defensive stance as her loud exclamation immediately roused the unconscious man. The Shitennou took no time in raising to his feet, but in his semi-conscious state, he failed to notice he was no longer alone in the room.

"I see you've returned to plague this shrine again."

Catching his full attention with her sudden accusation, Jadiete turned to face an obviously unhappy Rei with the look of a deer caught in the headlights.

"You've almost tricked me again, but this time I won't let you escape Jadiete," Rei declared as she revealed her henshin rod, "Mars Crystal Power, Make Up!"

When the bright flash of red finally died down, Sailor Mars stood before Jadiete with her flame arrow pointed straight at him.

"Mars Flame Sniper!"

Reacting as if by reflex, Jadiete swiftly dodged to the side as his unoccupied left hand shot up and caught the arrow before it could soar past him and hit the wooden wall.

"Are you trying to burn the temple to the ground," he exclaimed to the surprised senshi, completely ignoring the scorch mark forming on his left hand as the burning arrow sizzled out into thin air.

Momentarily stunned by his accusation, Mars frowned as she silently admitted to herself that she may have acted too rashly, 'But I'm not going to let him know that.'

"Afraid you won't have a chance to use our shrine as a base of operation like you did last time you were here?"

Instead of an angry or witty remark like she had expected, Mars watched wearily as her uninvited guest continued to silently observe her with an intense look. His gaze left her feeling exposed as the Shitennou seemed to be searching for something about her with his eyes alone. Just when she felt she could no longer stand the tension building in her from his silent observations, Jadiete's searching gaze suddenly morphed into a determined one, as if finally coming to a decision.

"You've gone soft Mars," Jadiete said icily, his eyes filled with contempt, "The Mars I knew would strike down anyone who was a threat to Serenity, no matter who they were."

"Don't talk as if you know me," Mars snapped back, not knowing why this man's words seemed to annoy her more than it should, "The only reason you're not charred to ashes is because I have questions that you WILL answer!"

"Oh really," Jadiete goaded with a smug smile, further infuriating the already annoyed senshi, "Let me guess, you want to know about what we plan to do with these."

Waving the jadeite stone tauntingly, Jadiete had to hold back his laughter when Mars all but growled in clear irritation. Her posture and expression reminded him of a frustrated cat who just keep missing its prey who was only inches away.

'She's still so easy to rile up,' he mused with a knowing grin.

"I'm going to enjoy wiping that smug look off your face," Mars declared as flames danced on her fingertips.

"I'm afraid that will have to wait for another day," Jadiete said with a chuckle.

Then to the fire senshi's surprise and confusion, the man's eyes suddenly reverted back to the cold, icy stare he had used earlier.

"Unfortunately our time is short. Once the Golden Palace arise, our master will return for her. If you and the others do not rediscover your warrior's pride before that happens, this world shall crumble just as the Moon Kingdom did along with your Princess."

A cold shiver ran down Mars's spine at his ominous forewarning. The anger and annoyance she had felt merely moments ago were quickly being replaced by a sense of foreboding. Realizing that Jadiete's form was beginning to fade out, Mars yelled out for him to stop as she launched herself at his direction, only to grasp at thin air.

"The next time we meet will surely be our last."

The sound of his parting words seemed to echo off the prayer room's walls as Mars clenched her fists in anger. His message was clear: the next time they meet, she must either kill or be killed. It was not the first time an enemy had threatened her and her companion's lives and no doubt this won't be the last.

'So why is it that something about his words stung more than it should,' she wondered in frustration as her transformation went undone, 'No, I can't get distracted now. I need to let the other know about what I found out. Maybe Luna and Artemis will know something about this "Golden Palace" and where it may be.'

Pulling out her red senshi communicator, Rei flipped open the top and called out to the others.

"I need you guys to come to the Hikawa Shrine as soon as you can. I just had a run in with Jadiete and you guys need to hear what I've found out."

After hearing confirmed replies of "yes," Rei flipped her communicator off and turned to exit the prayer room. Just as she was about to open the door, the familiar sensation that had called her here earlier resurfaced. Turning back to face the Great Fire, she watched in amazement as the flames appeared to be burning stronger and brighter than it had for weeks. It was as if whatever had been sealing off its power had been neutralized. Sensing that the Great Fire was trying to communicate with her, Rei sat herself before it and began her prayers. Minutes passed as she attempted to connect with the Great Fire with no luck. Just as she began to doubt herself, an overwhelming sensation of losing connection with her surrounding as a vision began to engulf her overtook her consciousness and she found herself blacking out.

"Reckless, every single one of you! I thought at least Kunzite and Zoisite would know better!"

"Worried about me my dear Mars?"

"This is not a joke you infuriating man. Can't you see how dangerous it is for you four to return to Earth right now with that mad woman running around brainwashing all of humanity!"

"We have considered the risks, but you know as well as I do that we can't just leave the teleportation room unguarded, even if it is hidden in Elysion's Golden Palace."

"But-"

"In order for Mercury to be able to deactivate our teleporation room from here, we need to go back so that Zoisite can make the proper modifications."

Unable to refute his logic, Mars turned away from the man in silent defeat and frustration. When she suddenly felt his arms encircle her from behind, her entire body immediately stiffened.

"We'll be back."

"I am not a child Jadiete. You and I both know the fate our duties will eventually lead us to."

"Have YOU forgotten that humans, such as myself, are stubborn to a fault? We live to defy destiny," he said with a grin before lowering his head and voice to whisper by her ear as if telling a secret, "Besides, I promised I would never lie to you. Not to mention I have that little good luck charm you've given me. Have a little more faith in the man you've chosen."

"You're insufferable," Mars muttered in reply.

Jadiete chuckled in response as he placed a chaste kiss upon the fire senshi's blushing face.