A/N: I... don't know how or why, but here's another chapter. PLEASE be aware that this is some pretty heavy shit in here.

WARNING: BLOOD. SLAVE ABUSE. BEATINGS. THE SCOURGE (The scourge [called the flagrum or flagellum] was a short whip consisting of three leather thongs on which were attached small pieces of metal or sharp bone. Scourging could therefore quickly remove the skin off a slave.). HORRIBLE SHIT. READ ON WITH CARE.

With love,
Korrupted.

Disclaimer: Do I own Sailor Moon? *laughter* *more laughter* *laughter dies off and slowly becomes sobbing* No...


The servant will be severely punished, for though he knew his duty, he refused to do it. "But people who are not aware that they are doing wrong will be punished only lightly. Much is required from those to whom much is given, and much more is required from those to whom much more is given."

-Luke 12:47-48 NLT


Minako couldn't believe that it was almost winter already. The weather was still fairly warm, and it also meant that Makoto had been her charge for almost seven months now. Weeks had blown by, and the stormy season had thankfully ended already, so it was business as usual at the Palace. Which was why the blonde was sealing a parchment scrap with wax for Serenity to give the Minister of War on her way to see the prince; Ami had learned of unrest to the east from a few very chatty mercenaries the previous night, and the madam felt it best to alert the king.

A knock at the door pulled her attention from the now stamped seal, Rei wandering in casually. "What is it, Rei?"

"We're out of a few herbs for Ari, and Hotaru wanted some stones from the apothecary. Makoto offered to go, but I need sweets from the baker for General Jadeite too."

Minako knew that she was pretty much stating that if the woman wanted to buy a new stash of sugary treats for herself, now was her excuse to do so. And so she stood and beamed widely. "I'll go with her! I mean, I know what you usually get for him, and it means I'll be close in case Mako runs into trouble."

At that point Rei rolled her eyes at her enthusiastic boss, waving at her dismissively. "Just don't gorge yourself again, okay Mina?"

A giggle was the only reply as the former miko left, Minako hurrying to dry the seal more than usual. Desserts meant she would also stop for some curry from Beryl's stall in the market, and she always was ready to pounce on any excuse for curry like a kitten. Maybe Makoto would enjoy some curry too.

Excitedly, Minako grabbed up a cloak to ward off the mild chill outside and exited her room to pass the sealed letter off to the brothel princess. Makoto was wearing a woolen tunic of green, pink sash, and brown woolen breeches, the leather boots on her feet a rich chocolate tone. Green eyes relaxed as they looked at her, watching both she and Haruka turn to face her and laugh. "Calm down, Mina. It's just a trip out!" The Kishu warrior grinned, her arms folded under her bust.

"Eh, well you watch after her, Mako. She's terrible when sugar's involved." The guard mildly teased.

"You think I don't know? Remember last week with my pies?"

"I'm right here, you know!" Minako shouted indignantly.

Another round of laughter ensued at her expense, ending with the two women clasping forearms before parting ways. It was typical for both of them to be talking or sparring in the mornings unless Diana and Hotaru were about. And then they would be running around the brothel after them, chasing them down with terrifying voices of imaginary monsters escaping their lips, the fate of tickles awaiting the girls if they were slow.

"We should get going if we want to come back well before opening." Makoto prompted, ushering her master out gently.

They walked side by side down the street, their breath fogging just barely in the autumn air. The leaves had mostly fallen, reds, oranges, and browns covering the earth in the harvest season. It was beautiful to look at, and the shorter female was awe-struck by it all.

"Hey, Mina. Want to split up? You can catch the baker and I'll look at the apothecary. Besides, the shop has a few new recipe tomes I want to look at." Mako offered.

Left to her own devices at the bakery? Was it Yule or a second birthday? "Sure! Oh, here's some money. If you see something you like, go ahead and buy it."

She deposited a handful of silver dimuts into her charge's belt purse deftly, though her friend stated at her dumbly. "People are going to think I robbed you, you idiot."

A dismissive flip of her hand showed her ease about giving Makoto money. "They are free to ask me. Anyways, meet up at the well in about a bell?"

A deft nod. "Yeah. Stay out of trouble, you dolt."

"Yeah, yeah. You too, shorty." Minako joked back, earning a laugh from the slave.

As they parted ways, the brothel owner sighed and looked around, tugging her cloak a bit closer. Her leg was aching dully from where the healed bite had been. She should get Ami to fix up a salve for it to help soothe the pain.


Makoto walked into the apothecary and instantly located the stones Hotaru had been talking about; black and shiny, they were obsidian and quite pretty in a dark way. Before anything else, she found an assistant and paid for the stones, then began to wander over to the recipe tome area. Many people came and left around her, some giving her a wide birth, others clearly watching to see if she stole something. Either way, she paid them no mind.

Makoto was acutely aware of someone watching her, slowly browsing through the tomes with careful hands. "Ah! Slave Makoto. Good to see you again." The shop keeper greeted her as he looked up from a noble's servant, the green eyed woman smiling back. "Where's Minako?"

"She's out at the bakery. You know her and food. She's an unholy terror in the kitchen, but that woman just loves to eat." Was the humored reply, gaining a laugh of agreement from the apothecary owner before he left to attend to other customers.

At this point, she could smell the heavy scent of an earthy perfume, a nobleman who clearly loved his expensive scents. And yet, she knew this scent well, her mind flooded with memories of training soldiers, watching the men in her care become promoted, and the scent of a dear friend who she trusted with her life. It drew closer still, and the slave halted her search for recipes, standing straight as an aura of commanding power rolled off of her, soft footsteps halting behind her. "You always wore that sandalwood perfume too damn heavy." She said, her back to the figure.

"Well, I always did love it. You introduced me to it." A deep, slightly rough male replied.

A smirk twitched onto her lips. "At times, I wonder if it was a mistake."

"It's been too long, Henso Kino."

She glared down at her wrist shackles, the gold that encased her wrists and half her forearms. "You can't call me that, Master Olik. You have to call me by my current status."

She turned to look at a male with very dark skin, ink black eyes, and hair that was only a scant inch long. His clothing reflected his status; armor, a long sword, tunic and breeches of fine leather and cottons, boots of exemplary quality, and a few more scars than Makoto remembered. His expression was pained as he took in the gold restraints that marked her as a slave, but her posture and eyes had never lost the rebellious fire he remembered from nearly seven years ago. He would have followed her anywhere, gone into battle at her command for all of his life. There had never been another he had served under like Makoto Kino.

She had always treated her men well, caring about their safety and needs from the moment they enlisted to the moment they finished their time in her service. To have seen her alive several months ago as he passed both her and Luna leaving the castle was the most joyous of moments in his life, but it hadn't registered for far too long that it hadn't been a ghost. Even the guards who had seen her directly when they had dropped off Serenity had been shocked, one forgetting himself to salute her, but thankfully a captain had walked by at that very moment to cover his idiocy. And now to confirm that she was reduced to a slave was so horribly painful for the knight.

"Shop keeper." He called, the man instantly hurrying over. "Is there a room that I may speak to this slave alone? I have several questions I need to ask her."

For a moment, the man looked torn between trying to defend the young woman who belonged to a good friend, or follow the direct order from a nobleman in the King's service. It was only when Makoto gave him a reassuring smile that he finally motioned to the back grudgingly. "Third door on your left." When the woman passed him, he whispered, "I'll get Mina."

"No, I know him." She replied equally as quiet.

The duo walked to the room in silence, Olik pulling the door shut and locking it behind him, turning around to sigh and look at the marginally taller female. Both he and the woman clasped each other's forearms moments before they used their free arm to tightly embrace the other. "Henso, it's been too long." He muttered, fighting back tears.

Makoto felt a few slide down her cheeks, holding her dear friend tightly. "It has. Jakli's spear, I missed you and the others." She pulled back with a tiny scolding fire in her emerald hues. "And please, don't call me that. I'm not a General anymore."


"Uuugggghhh... Too many sweets..." Minako groaned, rubbing her stomach piteously.

The trip to the baker had gone wonderfully, aside from her eating almost her own weight in cookies. Her stomach turned as the sugary treats sat there, the madam once again keenly aware of why she was rarely allowed to go there unsupervised. Maybe the jokes of the others about her poor impulse control did have merit after all. However, she still wanted curry, and the next bell was a good twenty minutes away.

Minako felt another internal struggle about food coming on, and it apparently managed to struggle right up against her already troubled belly, leaving her to groan and whine again.

Maybe it would be wise to take a break and wait for Makoto to join her before heading to the curry stall. And so she flopped down to sit on a stone step, pouting as she tried to get her upset stomach under control.


They sat across from each other, the slave running her thumb across her knuckles to calm her own anxiety. "And then I woke up in the charge of slave traders. Thankfully, they didn't believe in branding the females, so I went unmarked. None of my masters wanted to brand me and mark up their pretty little slave girl. And now, Minako Aino is my new master." She held up her arm to show the raised relief mark on the shackle.

Olik looked as if he was torn between breaking the table, crying, shouting, and starting an all out war against the world. Instead, he seethed in silence for several more moments until he trusted himself enough to speak. "Does... Does she treat you well? Are you... Did she force you to become one of her... You know..."

The tan woman looked at the floor with a smile at her friend's concern. "To become a worker? Not at all. I'm general staff. I just clean up the bar when the brothel closes, escort the girls to patrons, and watch over them. I kinda lost it when some bastard hit one of the girls. Ami is so small and quiet. It was like hurting a kitten. So, I barged into the room and I might have..." She grinned widely with a sheepish expression on her features, her right hand rubbing the back of her neck. "Thrown him over the balcony."

The burly soldier barked out a laugh. "Still the same old hot-tempered Mako." His brow furrowed. "Does Madam Aino treat you well? I just... I need to know."

This time, it was her turn to laugh. "She treats me better than I dared to dream a master to treat me." Her face softened to a smile, her eyes on her clasped hands on the table. "She took me back to my village a few months ago. She always tries to look up laws on slavery to protect me. Hell, she even asked my opinion on what kind of metal would be more comfortable for my shackles! She stopped the smith from branding me, even after I pissed him off. Not to mention she tried to stop the Magistrate from whipping me for throwing Gavin off of the second floor."

Olik relaxed, the dark skinned warrior rubbing his short hair with a single hand in thought. "Well, I am glad you are well cared for Hen-" He caught himself from using her old title. "Mako. But, if anything should happen and you are being resold, send word through one of the girls to me." He reached over to rest his hand over hers. "I will buy you and keep you safe."

Makoto looked up the man who had served under her for many years with a tender smile, nodding at him. "You have my word."

"Is there anything you wish to ask me?"

The auburn haired slave thought for a moment or two. "My men. Were they forced to go through with it? What happened to all of you?"

Black hues turned sad at the distant memory of that frigid winter eve. "Two of his men came running back and said that the command tent had been ambushed and both of you were gone. That rat probably had only trusted a handful of his own men because they looked terrified. A third limped up and said they had killed Nephrite and taken you." A dark chuckle escaped him bitterly. "Almost the entire army was ready to go after them. But, instead we decided to retreat, and return to this king like you had always told us to do."

Her hands gripped his tightly. They had narrowly evaded the trap that Nephrite had set for them. "And you all made it back? You all were safe?"

He nodded. "Yes. We all made it back here. Everyone returned safely."

Makoto exhaled the breath she hadn't known she had been holding, her grip easing. She had been captured by that traitor, but her men had been safe. It was a fair trade for her. She stood, wiping a few tears quickly from her eyes. "I must go. Mina is probably worrying her head off about me." Verdant hues looked at the man in gratitude. "I'm just glad everyone made it back to safety. Farewell, Olik."

She began walking to the door, but a soft whisper reached her ears after the door was unlocked, the pain in the words clear.

"Everyone, but you."

Makoto bowed her head slightly, closing her eyes sadly. Silently, she opened the door and walked out, waving her farewells to the apothecary owner as she left the shop.


Minako really knew that she was running a bit behind, but her stomach had only just settled down at long last. Her legs were taking her as quickly as possible to the fountain, but the voice of a young boy caught her ear.

"Please, can someone help me find my parents?"

She halted instantly to turn, seeing a child no older than nine looking around desperately from person to person. Her heart broke, knowing that panic and terror all too well, and so Minako hurried over just as a group of nobles skirted around him. "Hey, what happened?"

Wide grey eyes looked up at her, pleading, imploring, swimming with tears. "Th-they went down the alley and I lost them. Can you help me?"

Minako took hold of his hand, offering up a reassuring smile to the boy. "Of course. Show me?"

The child timidly tugged her down a side street with a few small stalls, pulling her along quickly. She looked around for anything that could be of help, her mind clouded by memories of being abandoned by her own parents. If these two had done the same, she was going to publicly chew them out the moment she found them.

Which was why she didn't feel the boy tug his hand free, or see the fist that was coming until it connected with her stomach, forcing her to double over. Minako dropped to her knees, her arms wrapped over her sore stomach, coughing as she tried to suck air back into her lungs. A swift kick to her side sent the blonde sprawling onto her side, coughing and trying to regain her bearings.

"Search her pockets. Quickly now!" A gruff male voice ordered.

Minako felt herself being violently shoved onto her back, her belt purse cut away and her clothing pulled at as her assailants rifled through for more coins. Her pain-fogged mind was terrified, trying to fight back onto to be punched again in the stomach, left winded once more.

"HEY! You fuckers are DEAD!" A familiar voice roared, Minako turning to look at her savior.

Makoto came dashing in, kicking one in the face, and punching another in the throat as the bandits began to unsheathe their weapons. The slave was a tornado of rage and fists, throwing charging attackers this way and that in an attempt to get to her friend. A stray kick from a bandit collided with Minako's head, her vision starting to swim as Makoto ripped a sword from another's hand, the bandit's now fleeing in terror with the Kishu in hot pursuit.

As Minako's world went dark, she heard one of them scream out in panic, "Armed slave! Armed slave! Help!"

And then the tendrils of unconsciousness consumed her.


"Here, here!" A very young voice screeched out. "Travis, she's here!"

Large hands propped up the rousing woman to sitting, her head throbbing painfully. Was that a crowd roaring in the distance, or just blood in her ears? Minako finally focused on the worried faces of Hotaru, Diana, and Travis Freeman as she swayed slightly, blinking slowly. What the hell had happened?

"Steady, that's it. Minako, how many fingers am I holding up?"

She squinted at he goldsmith's stubby fingers. "Five."

"Good." He breathed.

"Mina, get up! Mako's in real bad trouble." Diana pleaded, shaking at the blonde's arm.

Through her skull was pounding, Minako sat up more, her gaze stern. That roaring hadn't subsided yet, only now it was sounding more like an angry mob and her heart sank in fear. "What's wrong?"

Travis spoke up next, helping her to her feet. "Guards took her. She had a weapon and was chasing some men through the streets. She's at the whipping post now." He shook his head. "I don't know what possessed her to do that."

The blonde lurched quickly in the direction of the square, her expression panicked. "We have to go! They attacked me! She's innocent!"

They helped her stagger quickly towards the mob of cheering citizens, and now Minako could clearly hear each roar punctuated by a screech of agony, driving her on regardless of pain. "Girls, go back to the Palace and send your mothers and Haruka here. Go!" She demanded, the children fleeing just before the knot of blood-thirsty people was before them.

She looked up at the smith, desperate. "I have to stop them!"

"Mina, they've got the scourge on her. You don't want to see- MINAKO!" He bellowed as she pushed and forced her way through the crowd.

Minako wriggled through people, each screech from her charge like a knife in her heart, each moment making her body colder. Finally, she broke through to the front, catching sight of her friend as she slumped on her knees against the wooden post she was chained to, a screech of horror ripping from her throat at what she looked like.

Makoto's tunic was tattered, her tear-streaked face pale with pain, crimson lines of torn flesh all but pouring blood down her abused back to stain her breeches and the wood below her. Makoto's arms were forced to remain higher up on the post via the shackles, the strain of her position probably nothing next to the beating she was enduring. The soldier hoisted the scourge again to bring it down mightily, another scream escaping them both. It was worse than when she had to stand aside and watch Makoto get whipped for defending Ami;only this time Minako could do something to stop this torture.

She pushed past guards, dashing across the wooden platform, and throwing herself onto Makoto, wrapping her body around the tall slave's protectively as the scourge came down again, the man trying to pull his blow unsuccessfully. The agony that burst through Minako's body upon impact was excruciating, the shriek that ripped from her lips unlike any she had voiced before. Vaguely she was aware of the roaring of the crowd quieting slightly, shouts of shock and confusion replacing the blood lust as tears spilled down her cheeks, blood trailing down her now torn shirt. Minako could feel her back pulsing in horrific pain, her front steadily dyed vermilion with Makoto's blood.

"Stand aside!" The soldier ordered, his voice sharp.

Minako winced as she looked over her shoulder at him, still crying in pain. "No! You a-are wrongfully attacking her!"

She could weakly feel her charge shifting in her protective grasp, the tremors of agony shaking the stronger woman's frame. "Mi...na...?" Was the graveled word that found it's way painfully out of her lips.

"Minako!" She heard Gareth shout as he hurried over, rounding on the guard. "What have you done, you fool!"

"She threw herself there! I tried to stop the lash, but it just went anyways!"

The Magistrate turned back to the quietly sobbing blonde still wrapped around the slave. "Minako, get off of her. Your slave chased several men around with a sword and an intent to kill. That's thirty lashes with a scourge, and you must stand aside."

Determined ocean orbs looked at him over her shoulder, ignoring the jolt from her bleeding wounds. "She was defending me!"

"She was armed!"

Minako finally lost her temper and bellowed at the older man in fury. "I was being robbed in an alley, and she armed herself to save my life! Serf's Law states that a slave may arm themselves if their master is in jeopardy." She turned to him more. "Either she is fulfilling her role and protected by that law, or she is not a slave and you need the get these blasted shackles off of her!"

The crowd was sent into muffled murmurs, some dispersing uncomfortably as the law keeper looked stunned. It was clear that the blood-lust had died down to be replaced by a shameful unease, a noble shoving his way through the loosening crowd.

Gareth frowned. "They... Lied to me?" He shook his head. "But why would she not have been there to prevent the attack completely?"

"That would be my fault, Magistrate." A rich male voice prompted as he stepped up onto the platform.

Blue-grey hues narrowed. "And you are?"

Olik strode over calmly. "Sir Olik Koalst, knight of His Royal Majesty, King Andrew the third." He stopped as he stood before the older man, his brown skin more chocolate toned in the sunlight. "I pulled Slave Kino aside at the apothecary to ask a few questions. The shopkeeper can attest to this, and if anyone is to blame for her being away, it's me."

A few moments of silence stretched between them as more citizens dispersed. "I will take the rest of her lashes, if you desire."

Gareth paled at the notion. "No, that won't be necessary, Sir Olik." Turning back to his guards, and looking a bit shaken by the entire ordeal, he motioned a bit wildly. "Unchain the slave, now. And bring me those arrogant buffoons who tried to trick me. I will see at least one whipped to death for thinking me a fool."

Minako found herself hauled up by the noble, her front absolutely soaked with Makoto's blood as she took in the full horror of what had been done. Bits of her skin had been ripped away, great lines of ravaged flesh from the bone on the scourge bleeding heavily, the entire scene the thing of nightmares.

"Come, don't look." He told her in a gentle voice. "We must help her get back."

The moment that her wrists were unchained, the tall slave all but collapsed to the wooden planks, Minako lurching forwards to help, but halting at the last second. What if she hurt her friend more? And yet Olik gently scooped her up and braced her against his side, tilting his head for Minako to take the other side. After another moment of hesitation, she complied, hiss in pain at the lash wounds on her own back.

Slowly, staggeringly, they half carried and half dragged the possibly conscious slave back towards the brothel in relative silence.

"That was a very stupid thing you did back there. Brave, but stupid." Olik stated blandly, but his attention shifted at the groan the auburn haired woman voiced. "It's alright, Henso. You're going home."

Minako winced violently as her back twitched, gasping for air. "What d-does that word mean? 'Henso'?"

His black eyes looked a bit solemn. "It's Raji for a military rank." He seemed to be debating something for a moment. "It means General."

Minako felt her footstep stumble slightly as the words sank in. "Wait... You mean..."

"Makoto was my Henso, Yes." The shouts of Setsuna and Luna came from ahead, the two guards hurrying over. "But it must remain quiet."

"Quiet. Not a soul, do you understand me? I'm a slave now, and that's that. Who I was is dead. She died that day, so forget what you knew of her."

"Who I was no longer exists."

"Please. Consider it my final order. He's still out there too."

Little things she vaguely recalled suddenly all made sense, but the urgency to remain hidden a constant theme in her words. "I... Understand." She admitted, keeping her voice hushed as her employees rushed up to her.

Olik helped her get the wounded woman to the brothel, Ami instantly leaping into action. "Get her upstairs! I need my medicines, quickly!"

Haruka rushed to clear a path as Elizabeth dashed for the healer's things, blood leaving a trail of where Minako and Makoto walked. When Olik lowered her onto the bed, the slave began to screech and thrash, several hands holding her down while he excused himself, the bluenette taking his place. "Mako, please, stop thrashing!" She begged, dipping her hand into a salve.

The screams of the slave grew louder as Ami applied the paste to her wounds, more hands trying to keep her steady. Minako grabbed hold of one of Makoto's hands, not caring that her grip felt like it would shatter all the bones in it.

"Lysui's mercy, your back!" Ami cried the moment she noticed.

"Take care of Mako, now!" The madam ordered. "Forget about me until she's fixed!"

She didn't know she was crying again as she watched her charge scream and flail, but her heart broke for her friend. What on earth had happened to her to strip her of her title when clearly she still garnered so much respect? And would she even recover from this horrible beating?

Minako grit her teeth as Makoto's grip increased again. Either way, she would stay with Makoto through this. Just as Makoto had stayed with her in the mountains.