Chapter Seven

Nephrite looked down at the two children and sighed. He was the one that was going to have to take care of these two brats. Or rather, he was the only person that was able to take care of them since his master was out going to stir up trouble. It was rather odd looking down at these children, especially the pink haired child and knew where she belonged. Something seemed to move into his mind, making him clutch his chest suddenly...it was her voice again. Always, he was hearing her voice trying to tell him to do the right thing.

"Mako-chan?" he asked, looking around in the air to see the mist slowly swirl around in the corner of the room. He gaped, looking at his princess standing before him in her long, silky green strapless dress of silk. It swayed around her as she walked, her auburn curls were down as her emerald eyes stared at him with so much passion and love.

"My dear," she said, her voice soft and gently as long fingers reached out towards him. Quickly, he moved into a bow and kissed her knuckles. Slowly, he looked up at her from his bent posture and watched her move down to his level, her fingers gently cupping his cheeks as she smiled, pulling him to stand tall. "You are going down the wrong path and placing yourself further and further away from me."

He saw the sadness in her eyes as she looked up at him. It worried him to see her looking like this. He didn't want her to be sad and most of all he always wanted to be close to her for always and forever.

"How can I change this?" he asked, trying to figure out what it was he was doing wrong. The man he was serving had promised him that he would be with his princess once this mission was completed. All he needed to do was collect the children and his master would move from there. Gently, he felt her stroke his cheek and smile up at him.

"Take the children back, this isn't your battle. You have already been taken away from me twice, and I'm not going to let that happen again," she said softly. Slowly, he leaned in and took her lips, feeling everything releasing as the hope filled his heart and he immediately knew what he was going to have to do...

Venus growled as she looked at the girls transformed around her and ready to fight. He had appeared from no where and she already knew this was going to be a life or death battle. Already, Jupiter was powering herself up as much as possible to get ready for a powerful attack but she already could sense Mercury was calculating everything out so they were going to have to play their cards right.

"Where have you taken the children?" Venus could tell by the sound in Jupiter's voice that she was getting ready to attack if there wasn't a right answer, or one that was good enough for her. The man dressed in a completely black cloak stood there before him, a chuckle escaping him. The wind seemed to blew harshly in their direction and quickly, they looked as a person moved from out of the shadows and appeared in front of them. His long wavy hair blew past him as he stood tall in a military uniform. Venus quickly looked over to Jupiter, knowing that she knew this man well.

"Nephrite?" asked Jupiter, watching him turn his head to look at her from over his shoulder.

"Don't worry princess, your child is safe in the arms of her father," he replied and then turned back towards the man in the large dark cloak.

"What have you done Nephrite?" asked the man in the dark cloak. In Nephrite hand appeared a sword, glistening in the light as his eyes became dark.

"You have lied to me, and lead me towards evil instead of near the woman I loved. She came to me and told me how I could be with her for eternity, and now I am going to set things correct once again," said Nephrite and quickly charged at the man. Quickly, the cloaked figure pulled out his own sword and the battle began. The senshi watched in horror as Nephrite battled hard against this cloaked man, and tried as much as he could to get the upper hand but they watched him slowly losing it as quick as he had gained it. Jupiter stepped forward and closed her eyes, making herself start to glow as she started giving her strength and power to him. The senshi moved in line to help their friend and held hands together to give as much as they could, together.

Nephrite could feel their help but most of all his princess was waiting for him while he continued to battle hard against the man that had lied to him. This was the right thing to do, and he could feel it. Slowly, he felt himself feel the pressure on his sword as it jabbed hard against his master. Quickly, he twisted it and knew the fate this man would feel. It was going to be a slow and very painful death but he wanted to end it quickly. He pulled his sword hard out from the man and watched him fall against the ground.

"I see you have their power behind you," said the cloaked man, his deep voice showing the pain he felt on his body.

"Yes, and I will now be with my princess," said Nephrite. He watched the man laugh and knew there was something else he was hiding from him.

"I have your princess, Nephrite, and you have now killed her," said the cloaked man. Nephrite just smirked, knowing that it wasn't true. He could feel her gentle hands touching him and telling him what to do next. Finally, Nephrite gave the last slice and watched the cloaked man slowly turn into dust and disappear into the wind. The powers behind him quickly ceased. The senshi watched as a green light came from the chest of Jupiter where her planets crystal was held and a woman moved from it with elegance and grace.

Slowly, she moved towards Nephrite whom pulled her closely into his arms and felt his freedom belonged to her. Slowly, he lifted her head up to look into her eyes and then she nodded, as if understanding. She turned to the group and smiled, looking at the stunned Jupiter.

"Hello fellow senshi, I am the one that your friend Jupiter does not know. I am the past, I am who she used to be and now my spirit is in the crystal that lives inside her. For centuries I have been searching for my love that was lost from my crystal during the time when the Moon Kingdom was first destroyed. Thankfully, he has returned to me and I have you all to thank. You gave your all behind him to make sure he would success in the death of the man that was behind the chaos and evil that has disrupted the time line. I thank you for it, and please Jupiter let us both return back into the crystal. Only you can let us," she said.

Jupiter nodded, since she knew the importance of what her past self wanted.

"Thank-you very much Jupiter, and I apologize for the harm I have caused you emotionally by letting him take your child," said Nephrite, giving her a bow. Jupiter smiled warmly at them.

"Thank-you for doing the right thing," replied Jupiter. The senshi stood by and watched as Jupiter let the two enter the crystal and then how she transformed into herself.

"I believe our job here is done," said Minako, looking over at Makoto with a small smile.

"Yes, we have finished what is needed and now it's time to go home," said Rei. Makoto nodded, understanding that this was the last day she would be staying here. Ami touched her shoulder gingerly.

"We will be leaving in the morning so that we can rest before the trip back to Crystal Tokyo," said Ami. Makoto nodded and followed them back to the mansion where she quickly rushed in and sensed where her child was. Quickly she rushed up the stairs and ran to the room where she stopped, feeling the guilt building more and more inside as she looked at Hiiro holding their child and giving her a bath. The smile on his face was priceless. Slowly, Hiiro pulled the smiling child from the water and gently wrapped a towel around her, looking down at her laying in his arms.

"I like the name Indigo," said Hiiro, looking up at Makoto. She felt herself crumbling and knew what the right thing was to do. She knew she had to leave and nothing was ever going to be complete. She would go on living how she was before Hiiro even knew about their daughter and continue life as she knew it.

"Oh Hiiro," started Makoto, looking up at him with pleading eyes. "Stop talking like that. You know how this is all going to end."

"How is it going to end?" he asked, looking at her with confusion. Obviously he thought this was going to last and yet she knew he wanted her to explain what was going on.

"We are two different people from two different places," started Makoto, watching the coldness starting to grow in his eyes once more. "There is no way this is going to happen. You are needed here and I am needed there. You don't understand my importance to where I'm from."

"Then why don't you tell me."

"I...I can't."

She watched the cold expression completely consume him as he walked toward her and handed her the child, leaving her in silence and alone. Makoto held Indigo tightly to her, happy that her child was back in her arms and trying to hide the pain as well from giving up what she wanted most: a father for Indigo, and the man she secretly fell in love with.