Blood Pearls - Fall of the Silver Millennium

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, not me. This piece of fiction is purely for the amusement of the author and/or reader, and has not been created with the intent to make a profit. Me no own, you no sue!

Author's notes: This is the one-shot revolving around my theory of Jupiter's death. The Inner senshi one-shots involve suggestions of Inner/Shittenou, Inner/Starlight and Inner/Inner pairings. Don't like, don't read as flaming is a waste of your time.

Two: Sailor Jupiter
One of her favourite spots in the palace was the beach. The shore of the only large collection of water on the Moon, the lake called 'Mare Serenitatis', or Sea of Serenity, was the location for the shimmering white marble structure widely known throughout the Milky Way.

Its popularity, however, was not the reason the girl named Makoto Kino was currently settled outside it, sat amongst the silver sand as she watched the water of the lake. Its waters were unmoved by tides due to it being on the Moon, completely still unless outside forces disturbed it and caused ripples.

Although she was not on duty right now, Sailor Jupiter was stilled dressed in her fuku, green and pink being her colours of choice. A rose earring was present on each ear, a gift given to her not so long ago from Nephrite, one of the four generals of the Prince of Earth. Like the Guardian Senshi of Princess Serenity, the generals worked as bodyguards. Their interactions were purely business based.. supposedly.

"Serenity! Serenity?! Confound it all, where is that girl?" Sailor Mars muttered, thinking of the violent things she was going to do when she caught up to the once again missing Moon Princess. It was only because she had the tendency to over-react that she was so worried.

Jupiter, walking along the rough pathway beside her, knew that was not the only reason. They had arrived on Earth (or Terra, take your pick) not two minutes ago since they knew without saying that was where their charge had snuck off to. At least they had not been forced to comb the surface, that place was savage and dangerous, full of uncivilised villagers.. or so it was said. Jupiter had never really had reason to traverse the surface of the planet before - the royal family lived in Elysion, so that was the only place a royal guardian would be required to visit.

"Serenity?!" Mars resumed her calling as she strode angrily through the palace of Elysion. "What're we going to do if someone sees us?! Serenity's not even meant to be on Earth." the dark haired senshi of fire complained as she moved along the path.

Jupiter, however, had slowed down a little as she admired the scenery. Elysion was a place made from the "beautiful dreams" of the people of Earth, and its appearance reflected that. Shimmering crystal was everywhere, warped and fluted into strange shapes. Flowers of many varieties littered the fresh green grass, the scent of roses floating along on the breeze.

'No wonder Serenity likes it so much here.' Jupiter thought to herself as she continued down the path, not noticing that Mars was long gone due to the fact she had slowed down. She didn't get much further before she met trouble in the shape of a man. Two men, actually. She found herself sprawling on the floor as a she tripped over the foot placed directly in her path.

"Well look what we have here, Jadeite." Jupiter groaned and rolled her eyes. She recognised that voice.

"Screw you, Nephrite." the brunette replied through gritted teeth. She'd seen the four Shitennou every time Endymion came to the Moon (or snuck there, either option happened just as often nowadays), and not liked them that much, to be perfectly honest. Something seemed off about the four men. Particularly the arrogant, chocolate haired one laughing heartily at her expense right now. He was the only one who had ever been good enough to get her on the floor (not like that! she told herself, reminding herself again to stop with the perverted thoughts she seemed to be getting lately whenever he showed up.) and what was worse, he knew it.

"Why thank you, Mako-chan." Nephrite said as he extended a hand to help her up. Ignoring it, she got to her feet herself, dusting off her fuku and fixing him with a disdainful glare.

"That's Sailor Jupiter to you." she replied as levelly as was possible through her anger. She completely missed Jadeite over-exaggeratedly mouthing "she's just playing hard to get with you" over her shoulder and winking. What she didn't miss, however, was Nephrite's snort of poorly concealed mirth in response to his fellow Shitennou's actions.

It was her turn to laugh when she heard loud complaints echoing down the paved path. A few seconds later Sailor Mars could be seen walking back towards the three of them, Serenity squirming as she was tossed over Mars' shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"Three guesses where I found her." Mars muttered, sending a sideways glare at the princess unceremoniously hung over her shoulder as said princess fell silent and still almost fearfully.

Jupiter chuckled. "Hmm, I don't know.. maybe.. in the arms of Endymion kissing him senseless?"

A derisive snort followed by a "that's not all they were doing" from Mars and an embarrassed squeak from an obviously red faced Serenity told her all she needed to know and more, and she burst out laughing; shortly followed by the two generals. While she wouldn't normally have done anything, she really needed an excuse to get back at Nephrite, taking her opportunity to pounce, knocking him to the floor as she jumped on him, fully intending to cause some pain as the pair of them tumbled into some bushes off the side of the path.

"Don't laugh at my Princess, jerk!"

"Well, let's go then." a disgruntled and not particularly listening Mars said, setting Serenity down and beginning to tug her off. She threw a quick glance at Jadeite, looking away just as quickly before turning to leave the scene. She turned back at the edge of the path noticing that her companion had vanished. She shot Jadeite another wary glance, the blonde Shitennou shrugging as he too looked around for any sign of their missing fellows.

"Uh.. guys.." Serenity's cheeks were taking a second attempt at putting a tomato to shame as she peeked through the bushes Jupiter and Nephrite had disappeared behind. Giggling, she waved Mars and Jadeite over who sent another disbelieving look at each other before ducking down to join her in whatever she was seeing.

How it happened, they didn't know, but what they were doing was clear enough. Jupiter was too pre-occupied with kissing Nephrite to care who had initiated the lip-lock, too pre-occupied with running her hands through his hair and with the dark lust overtaking her senses to care that her princess, Mars and Jadeite were watching every movement they made. Perverts..

Jupiter chuckled as she threw a small, round pebble into the water. To be honest, she didn't know where her heart lay anymore. Her companion Mercury had been growing on her, little by little, but Nephrite was still as strong in her thoughts as ever. She knew that their love, if it could be called love with their separate duties, would never see realisation because of her charge. She did not resent Princess Serenity, far from it, but being a Senshi meant she was not allowed relationships, whether the other half of the relationship was a Shitennou or not. It had been a while since she heard from him last, at least a month or two. She sighed. Did he care?

Every Sailor Senshi under the service of the Moon Kingdom had been called to the Moon over the course of the week. As one of the four Guardians, Sailor Jupiter was already present within the palace. Present, and ready for the invasion that she had already known was about to take place. Everybody knew, with the exception of Princess Serenity. It had already been decided that after the Masquerade she was to be locked in her bedroom; a protected space, so that if the battle went ill, she would be protected beyond the death of her guardians.

Beyond the death of her guardians.Up until half an hour ago, Jupiter would not have thought this possible. Now, however, she was starting to have doubts. Serious doubts.

"Supreme Thunder!" she shouted, aiming thunder at the hideous demon stretched out over the sky above the palace. From behind her, the clattering of shoes was heard as her fellow Guardians rushed to her aid.

"Crescent Beam!" Venus joined in.

"Bubble Spray!"

"Fire Soul!"

Mars and Mercury were also there. Both sounding as exhausted as she was. The four guardians had been fighting off the armies marching on the palace but had been forced to pull back until they were as they were now: wounded, but still on their feet. The worst was yet to come.

"Where is Serenity?" Venus asked frantically, voicing the question on Jupiter's lips.

"Protected. Endymion's guarding her." Mars said calmly, her attention taken almost at once by the fact that her attack had done nothing to the demon she was sure they'd obliterated by now.

In response, the hovering demon, one of Beryl's Great Youma, merged their collected power from the attacks fired at it and sent it back at the assembled Guardians. Jupiter screamed in pain as fire, ice, light energy and thunder coursed through her body simultaneously. Thunder, she thought, enraged, my thunder!

Her angry thoughts were interrupted as she struggled against the pain affecting her and tried to stand. She barely heard Mars yelp "Split up!" as she ran blindly back towards the inner courts of the palace.

Approaching the desolate, empty throne room, Jupiter slowed, giving in to the pain for just a second. It was worse than before as the after effects of the burning, freezing sensations that had been wracking her minutes before took over. She willed herself not to fall to her knees as she looked up. A slight smile came to her face as she saw the pristine white of the throne room before her. It was a wide expanse, holding a few chairs before the throne and a large blue carpet going up the centre of the room. Behind the throne was a statue of Queen Serenity holding her Moon Stick aloft, the glass sphere meant to resemble the Ginzuishou reflecting one solitary beam of sunlight across the room. Everything around it was utterly wrecked and in disarray. Chairs were splintered; blood stained the floor in some places bodies had just been left where they were hewed down. Jupiter frowned at the desecration.

She took a step forwards only to find herself sprawled on the floor, having been tripped by someone who wasted no time continuing the attack. A sword tip pierced the marble with a harsh chink as she instinctively rolled away from it. It had been meant for her head. She got up and turned, only to cry out in pain as the blade cut a clean path straight through her stomach. The wound was not deep, but it was deep enough to allow the acid to seep through, slowly burning the rest of her internal organs. Her otherwise pristine fuku was stained a deep crimson as she fell to her knees with the knowledge it was too late for her. She heard an emotionless "Hn." that sent chills up her spine before her attacker turned and walked away. She knew that voice.

Nephrite.

The pain in her gut was nothing to the pain which now clenched an iron fist around her heart and pulled relentlessly. Why? He had said he loved her.. so why?!

One hand pressed to the wound on her stomach, she struggled back out to the courtyard. She had twenty minutes, maximum. Looking up to Serenity's balcony, she gasped. There, in all her nefarious beauty, was Beryl, stooping over Princess Serenity and Endymion. Why had Serenity left her room?!

The thought paled in importance as she noticed that Beryl had her back turned, and was wide open to attack. All her interest was focused upon the couple in front of her. Yosh!

"Sparkling Wide Press-"

Lifeless, Jupiter sank to the floor of the marble courtyard, blood blossoming from the crystalline blade that had been driven directly through her heart before she got chance to finish the incantation required for her attack.

Over her shoulder, the emotionless look on Nephrite's face faulted for a moment as his soulless self was reminded of the love he gave up. As one last kindness, he leant down slightly to close her dulled green eyes, stroking the few bangs that lay over her face out of the way as her hair began to mat in the blood pouring from her pierced heart. Jupiter was gone.

Author's Notes:

Next up: Sailor Mercury. Again, don't forget to R&R!