AN: There will only be two chapters left after this one. I am sure the next one will take a little more time to write, but the last chapter is pretty much written, so not too much longer on the story. Let me know what you think.
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon.
The Storm
Selene sat with Pele in the Fire Temple as she watched over Phobos and Deimos in their training. The twins were fire-guardians-in-training. One day they would serve the head Priestess of the Fire, who would be Rei once her senshi duties were complete.
The Queen was acutely feeling the tension of the last few days. Being with her friend's quiet company helped to her relax, a little.
"I hear congratulations are in order, for you will soon gain a son by marriage." Pele addressed the monarch, breaking the silence.
Selene gave her a sad smile, and nodded.
Pele looked over the Moon Queen curiously. "You know, my friend, for such happy news, you seem awfully sad."
"You know me too well, Pele. I am worried about many things that have my heart burdened. The darkness is growing, and I fear for my sweet Serenity will never see her wedding day." As she spoke, Selene's blue-grey eyes burned with tears.
Pele leaned across her chair to grasp Selene's pale hand, the Martian's hazel eyes softening at her friend's turmoil.
"Selene you worry enough for the whole galaxy. I know that Serenity will have happiness one day."
--
"How did you get in her, bitch?"
"Now, now General Jadeite, it that any way to speak to a lady?"
The blonde general snorted, "When I see a lady, Beryl, I will let you know."
The red head just shrugged off his comment as she walked toward him. She began weaving Metallia's dark magic into the air through her words.
"Staring at the moon, general, no doubt thinking of that Martian witch you are infatuated with."
Jadeite's eyes narrowed into icy chips at her. "You do not deserve to even speak her name, let alone talk ill of her."
Beryl sneered, "I see she has you tightly under her spell."
"There is no spell," he retorted.
"Are you sure, general? After all, the Martians are well known for their psychic abilities. She could easily manipulate you into whatever she wanted, and what she wants is a pretty little boy-toy, nothing more."
"Rei would never," Jadeite protested, but Beryl heard hints of doubt in creeping into his voice. She smiled, Metallia's magic was working, and soon the general would be under her control.
"Look at how she has you chasing after her, even though she refuses you at every turn. You will never be anything more than amusement to her. She probably laughs at your antics with her friends."
With the seeds of mistrust placed in Jadeite's mind, he faltered in his belief. Beryl saw her opening as confusion on what was true clouded his eyes. She summoned a jade crystal, and using the words the dark empress taught her she trapped his soul inside. All that was left of the blonde general was darkness and malice.
"Serve me, Jadeite, and put an end to the Martian witch's treachery."
Jadeite knelt before Beryl and pledge his allegiance to her and Metallia.
--
Sailor Venus took a deep calming breath as she prepared to enter the Tranquility Conference Room. The last time there was a meeting of this magnitude, she had been just a child listening at the door. She pushed the doors open and surveyed the room. At the head of the table sat Queen Selene and to her left sat Sailors Uranus and Neptune; to her right sat the Moon's Master-at-Arms and Venus' mentor, Artemis.
Venus strolled over and sat next to Artemis, who reached over and squeezed her hand in reassurance. Thankful for his support, she gave him a warm smile.
"Venus, will the others be joining us," Selene inquired of the young Senshi.
"Mercury and Jupiter should be here soon, but Mars is guarding Serenity, per your request."
The said senshi came breathlessly sliding into the room. Mercury sat next to Venus and Jupiter next to her. Just after them the young Princess of Saturn joined the group and sat next to Neptune. Selene, then, gestured for Artemis to begin.
"Ladies, the darkness is growing," Artemis began. "Therefore, we will begin training twice as much to insure your power levels are at maximum potential. The inner senshi will continue to have a constant guard on the Princess. Venus, I want you to work closely with General Kunzite to coordinate security for Serenity and Endymion's engagement ball."
Thank you, Artemis," Selene state. "Venus, the general shall be joining you soon to discuss plans. Unfortunately, I have to leave to help with the plans for the ball itself, but I trust with Artemis everyone can work out a training schedule."
--
Zoicite's day had gone from bad to worst. Since Endymion was gone, it was his and Jadeite's duty to oversee the affairs of the kingdom which included hearing the people's grievances. Too bad for him, Jadeite never showed his face at court that morning, and it had been particularly taxing. All the complaints brought seemed to against the Moon Kingdom which worried Zoicite to no end.
After court, Zoicite set out to find Jadeite and give a good beating for abandoning him that morning. He first headed to Jadeite's chambers, figuring the general was still asleep. Jadeite was not known for being a morning person. Zoicite was shocked to find the room empty and clean. Upon questioning the servants, he found that the room looked that way when they got there, as if it had never been slept in. Now, Zoicite was worried for his friend.
Zoicite, personally, searched Jadeite's favorite haunts: the training grounds, the jade shrine, and the kitchens. He had sent search parties out to the rest of the palace grounds, but thus far the act had proven futile. So here he sat in the library, in hopes it would help him think better when a stout man with a bushy gray mustache and brown hair graying at the temples approached him. His hope was lost at the grim look on the man's face, but still he had to ask.
"Any sign of him?"
The man just shook his head sadly. Zoicite let out a sigh of despair. Now came the part he was dreading most, telling Endymion his general and friend was missing.
--
Selene sat in the study with Serenity and Endymion going over plans for their engagement ball. The couple looked blissfully happy in love, but Selene worried for them. She feared their happiness would be all too short.
A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. The door opened to reveal Luna. She bowed respectful to the room.
"Your Majesties, General Zoicite is on the telecom requesting to speak with the Prince."
Endymion's head shot up, his midnight eyes boring into Luna. "Did he say what it was about Lady Luna?"
Luna shook her head, her dark curls swinging about her back. "Sorry Prince, he only stated that it was urgent."
The three royals followed Luna down to the Communications room, where Kunzite and Nephrite waited for them. Endymion stepped forward, inclining his head slightly to acknowledge the others in the room before he spoke.
"General Zoicite, what is so urgent?"
"My Prince, it is my regret to inform you that General Jadeite is missing."
"Missing?"Endymion repeated.
"Yes, Prince, I sent search parties out, and personally searched the most likely places, but there was no sign of him. It is almost as if he just disappeared into thin air."
"Zoicite, prepare the transporter. Myself and the other generals are coming home immediately."
"As you wish my Prince," with that Zoicite ended the transmission.
When the screen went blank, Endymion signaled for Kunzite and Nephrite to gather their things to leave, and then turned to Serenity. His calloused hand stroked her soft cheek. He leaned down touching his forehead to hers.
"I am sorry, my love, but it seems I will have to cut our time short."
Serenity gave him a sad smile. "Go find you friend, Endy. I will continue with the planning, and when you come back we will have a grand ball just to celebrate our love."
Endymion nodded and brushed his lips gently against hers. Before Serenity could lose herself in the kiss, he pulled away and turned to leave the room. As the last of his cape fluttered out of view, a single tear slid down the Moon Princess' cheek.
--
A worry frown creased Artemis' brow as he watched Sailor Mars train. He knew he was working the senshi hard lately, but Mars was working herself harder. He could see she was past the point of exhaustion. All she did anymore was train and meditate in front of the fire. He had a pretty good idea why, since the pattern developed after the news of General Jadeite's disappearance reached the Moon.
Artemis turned his head when he felt he was no longer alone. His tired blue eyes took in the lovely red head next to him.
"Artemis, how long has she been out there?" His companion questioned.
"Three hours, and before that she was in front of the fire for several hours. I am not sure how long exactly." His voice conveyed the wariness that had seeped into his soul. "Pele, talk to her. She has to stop blaming herself for the general. You know, I don't think she has slept more than two hours a day since it happened."
"Alright, old friend, I will see what I can do, but Martians, especially princesses, can be awfully stubborn."
Artemis allowed himself a genuine smile at her comment as he watched her make her way down to the field. Once Pele reached the field, she took a moment to compose herself before calling out to Sailor Mars.
"Rei," she called has she took a seat on the bench. "Come sit with me a minute."
Sailor Mars eyed the older woman carefully before deciding to join her. Once seated, Mars felt the weight of her exhaustion pushing down on her, and laid her head in the other woman's lap.
"Did you want something, Aunt?" she asked.
"Rei, honey, when was the last time you ate a decent meal or had a full nights rest?" Pele questioned her niece.
The young senshi just shrugged her shoulders.
"Young lady, what you are doing is not healthy," chided her aunt.
Mars sat up, and took a defensive stance. "Aunt Pele, you know that darkness is coming. I have to be ready, any weakness will leave me open to defeat."
"Rei, exhaustion is a weakness. It makes you vulnerable to the simplest of mistakes, you know that. Now, come tell me what is really wrong."
With that, the dam just broke in Mars. "I just keep thinking there is something more I could have done for Jadeite. I am afraid I will never her his laugh again. You know before I left Earth last time, he told me he intended to court me properly when Serenity and Endymion had married. I am scared that I will never get to tell the big goof I love him."
Pele stroked the girl's hair as she cried. Once she felt her breathing become deep and even, she motioned for Artemis to come help her carry the young Martian princess to her room.
--
Nephrite stood in his observatory watching the stars. Every night for the past two weeks he came here looking for answers, and still her found none. At first he waited patiently for the stars to answer, but they remained silent. Now, he was pleading with them for the way to find Jadeite. He was desperate to find his friend, to restore his Prince's missing guard. All he heard was an indistinct murmurings among the stars, as if they did not want him to know the way. Frustrated, Nephrite slammed his fist into the wall.
"Temper, temper General," a feminine voice purred behind him.
He turned quickly to find a red-headed woman; he hoped to never see again. Amazed how she got into the room un-noticed, all her could do was utter, "How?"
"Wouldn't you like to know," she taunted him.
The general's navy eyes narrowed and his voice hardened. "Look, Beryl, I don't know why you are here, but I suggest you leave before I lose my patience and throw you in the dungeon."
"I am afraid I can't oblige, general. I am here to offer you a position on the winning side."
"Winning side?" Nephrite was confused.
"Yes," Beryl hissed. "Join me, swear your allegiance to Metallia and I can offer you everything you ever dreamed of in this life."
"Never," he spat at her. "I am loyal to my Prince."
"Loyal to your Prince, or just in love with the Jovian Princess?" She circled him like a hawk. "You know her family will never allow you to have her."
"I already have her," he countered definitely.
"Maybe," she conceded. "Then again the Jovians are proud, and view Earth warriors as beneath them. They will forbid her from seeing you."
"She would love me anyway, and we will be together."
"For a time, perhaps, she will sneak away to see you, but she will grow bored of it. Her sense of duty will win over her love and she will leave. She will marry some Jovian noble, and forget all about you. You are nothing to her, but join me and you can be a god among men."
Beryl exploited all of Nephrite's insecurities. She used his heart against him, and when she had broken it, she stole his soul. A palm size dark green stone appeared in her hand, and in it she locked away his goodness leaving a bitter man who wanted to cause pain to others like the pain he felt.
--
Makoto sat at her Aunt Callisto's grave trying to find some semblance of peace. Her lovely face was stained with tears. She did not think she would ever stop crying.
Flashback 2 days ago
"Makoto, I need to speak with you." Queen Selene called.
The young Jovian entered the throne room to find a very sad looking queen.
"You called for me, Your Majesty?"
"Yes, Makoto, I have grave news from Earth. It seems as if General Nephrite is now missing."
Makoto's hand flew to cover her rosy lips. She shook her head as if denying it would change the truth. She turned from the queen and rushed from the room.
End Flashback
"Why does everyone leave?" She shouted to the heavens.
"He promised me that he would always be there for me." She swore.
--
Zoicite was at his wit's end. His normally well groomed hair fell into his eyes as he poured over the book in front of him. He had exhausted every resource he could think of, and still no clue how to find his missing friends. With a growl of frustration he slammed the book shut.
"This is impossible," he told the empty room.
"Nothing is impossible when you put your mind to it, of course, general maybe you just need a better mind." The supposed empty room answered.
Zoicite's green eyes focused on a woman as she came to stand before him and spoke to him again.
"Join me, Zoicite, and I can make you mind even sharper."
"Why would I do something like that, Beryl?" he threw angrily at her.
"Because with my power, you could have access to all the universes knowledge, you would surpass even the brightest Mercurian."
Zoicite snorted. "What makes you think I want that, or that I can't do that without you?"
"Oh, I know you want it. I can see the hunger in your eyes. As for doing it on your own, the white witch of the Moon would never allow it."
Zoicite looked doubtful, but questioned anyway. "Why would Queen Selene never allow me knowledge?"
Beryl smirked, only a little push and he would be all hers. "Selene wants her Silver Alliance to stand above all else. She will exclude you from access to her resources. You will be left behind while the rest of the system moves on without you."
Zoicite wondered if she could be right. Maybe he was being held back because he was from Earth. He did want to chance to be his best, but was she right. As he thought about what she told him, Beryl weaved her dark magic and in doing so trapped Zoicite's soul into a crystal of blue zoisite. Where the proud General of the Golden Kingdom stood, was only a dark shell filled with contempt and jealously.
--
Never in her life had Ami felt so lost in a library until now. The books, which usually gave her so much comfort, were causing her pain. Everything about the place reminded her of Zoicite.
When the Queen had given her the news that he, too, was missing, she had taken it with a brave face. She had been a true ice princess, cold and emotionless, until she was alone. Once safe in her sanctuary of books, the tears flowed freely.
Ami's heart ached with the pain of not knowing what happened to him. She tried to recall happier memories of him, like lying by the fountain just talking to him. She remembered the way his eyes shone with happiness when she confessed that she was falling in love with him, and the way her heart skipped a beat when he returned the sentiment.
She laid her hand in her arms and sobbed. Tomorrow she would return to the ice princess and throw herself into the search for the missing generals, but for tonight the Mercurian Princess would let her emotions run wild.
--
Kunzite swung his sword with deadly intent against an imaginary opponent. He was trying to relieve some of the tension of the past few weeks. He was angry, how could he lose his fellow generals? He was frustrated, how do you fight an unknown demon?
He suddenly stilled his movements, and scanned the grounds with his steel eyes. He could feel he was no longer alone, and then he saw her, her flaming red hair giving away her identity.
"Beryl, you might as well come out of the shadows and face me properly," he called to his watcher.
"Very well done, general, none of your comrades knew I was there until I announced my presence," she applauded him.
Kunzite's gaze narrowed on the woman in front of him.
"You took them," his accusation sounding very much like a deadly threat.
"No, general, they came to me with a little persuasion."
Kunzite gave her a disbelieving snort.
"It is true. I just showed them the lies the Moon was feeding them, and they were more than willing to follow me."
"What lies? The Moon is our ally. When we prosper, they prosper."
"Can you not see, Kunzite, how they seek to enslave the Earth, starting with the Prince. The Moon Witch and her daughter have tricked him into believing he is in love with Serenity." She spat the princess' name as if were the vilest of curses.
"You know nothing of love," his tone was low and dark.
"I presume that you do, or is it just that Venusian's spell on you. She was sent to lower your guard. They spy on us, and want to take what is rightfully ours. They will harm the Prince to gain what they want."
Kunzite wavered, maybe Minako was weakening him. Maybe his mind was on her too much to notice the danger to his Prince.
Beryl's magic ensnared his mind. She trapped his soul in a light pink crystal, leaving behind a cold man bent on destruction of the Moon.
--
Artemis looked up from the papers he was working on when there was knocking at his door.
"Come in," he called.
The door opened to reveal a distraught looking Minako. Her baby blue eyes glistened with tears. Her normally perfect kept hair was tangled and her red bow was lopsided.
"Artemis," she called, her voice sounding pitiful even to her own ears. "Can I talk to you?"
"Minako," he gave her a gentle smile. "You know I always have time for you."
They sat on the couch in his office. She leaned her head against his shoulder as he threaded his fingers through her hair, untangling it as she gathered her thoughts.
"Kunzite is gone. He was the strongest of them all, and how he is gone." The tears streamed down the Venusian Princess' face.
"Artemis, if he could be taken, what hope is there for us?" She voiced her fears to her mentor.
"Minako, listen to me. You are strong, and a more than capable warrior. We will find a way to defeat this darkness and to bring Kunzite back."
Minako nodded into his shoulder, but stayed a while longer, allowing his fatherly menstruations to sooth her hurt soul.
--
"Kunzite," Beryl's voice rang out through the cold cavern.
"Yes, my queen," the platinum haired man kneeled before her.
"I have a mission for you. Go to Endymion; tell him of the Moon's treachery. Bring him back to me; I want him as my consort."
"As you wish my queen," he said as he turned to leave.
"Oh and Kunzite, if the Moon Witch's spell is too deep, kill him."