...
Even if I wander off on my own
My vows to my circle of friends won't change
I will protect all living beings until the end
My mission is to achieve this goal until the end
Until the end of the end
Every soldier takes pride in their love
The picking up of the wind changes my mind
Fightin'! Higher! Wow wow woh!
That feeling in your heart is an indication of hope
With determination I dive into its knowledge
Invading on life's territory
Will end in nothing but ruin
And when you try it, it'll destroy you
Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire!
Jed entered into his office and immediately there was the soft sweet scent of someone's perfume floating around his nose and he recognized it instantly.
"Umiko." The sound of feminine laughter came from his right, and he saw her slim figure resting gently on his chair behind his desk.
"You didn't tell me of your awakening, I thought that perhaps you had forgotten me." She said, her blue-green eyes were sparkling as she took the sight of him in, but he knew how misleading those pretty eyes were. Underneath was a glowing red glare, and though she appeared small, the woman in front of him was capable of fierce, deadly, violence. "If you had just came to me I would have offered you my help, and then you would not be in the terrible mess." Her voice was playful, but underneath Jed knew that she was being bitter and was serious. Jed's arms crossed involuntarily and his eyes narrowed.
"I can handle this mission. It is my duty to bare." The woman uncrossed her legs and stood up with her long bluish tinted hair flowing all the way down her back, and stepped towards him.
"Of coarse it is." She said, "but everyone needs a sidekick." She was right beside him now. "Behind every great man, is a woman." Her hand touched his arm, and he did not remove it, but neither did he encourage her.
"And you think you're up to the challenge, Umiko?" He countered, his voice as bitter as she felt. The woman stepped closer and her eyes sparkled like the light on the sea.
"Oh, Jedeite-sama, call me by my real name." She begged, and he breathed out growing annoyed with her, and his eyes narrowed.
"Thetis." With that Thetis beamed up at him, and wrapped her arm through his, but he finally shook her off. Her eyes flash with blue power as her anger flared.
"Fine." She said, but then she was smiling again. "I will show you. Let me prove myself to you and then you wont refuse." Jed stood there in silence. "Beryl-sama will not keep her patience much longer."
"She would be even more furious to know that I used your abilities without her permission." He countered, but Thetis waived away his concerns.
"If we get that pesky Princess, and destroyed the other Sailor Senshi, then she will certainly overlook it." Jed was still not convinced.
"And you think you can do it when all the others failed?" Thetis' smile only brightness.
"Of coarse, Jedeite-sama."
"And how do you suppose you will go around doing that?" He asked harshly, and she touched his face gently.
"Simple." She said as he pushed her arms down and continued to glare at her. "Sailor V comes out usually before all the other Senshi even appear." She began. "If we can get her to come out, I can prevent the others from coming to her aid through illusions and my very own minions." She said. "And then with her alone, she will be helplessly overcome by me." Jed had to smile, but he still doubted. Thetis had always been to venturesome for her own good, but an all out battle against the Senshi like she suggested would possibly catch them off guard and give Jed the edge he needed.
"Where do you plan on fulfilling this attack?" Thetis grew more calm as she realized she had his full attention now and had a chance in convincing him to go along with her.
"As close to the sea as possible. I am strong on land as well, but I will have the most of an advantage by my power source." Jed nodded as he considered it. Thetis was one of the most powerful Youma Beryl had control over, and it was possible that she could, with his help, destroy the Sailor Senshi and capture Sailor V.
"I will go along with your plan." He agreed, and Thetis clasped her hands together.
"I'm glad," She said, "and once this plan is complete, you will have no hope but to take more notice of me, Jedeite-sama." Jed's smile vanished to Thetis' dismay.
"Don't get your hopes up too much." He warned. Thetis only smiled more, but she felt irritated by his lack of attention towards her. It had always been like that, even in their past lives she had been forced to watch his playful banter with that mysterious woman with raven hair and purple eyes. Thetis would prove herself to him one day, and he would fall for her, and fall hard.
"Oh Umiko, isn't this paperwork ever going to get done?!" Thetis' short haired brunette coworker complained and she dropped one more file onto her own desk.
"Stop your complaining." Thetis ordered and she spun her chair around towards the window and to face the outside. From here in her office, she could see the main gate, and she watched the sun in the sky as her mind kept thinking towards her coming battle. To transform again! It would be glorious, and she would make sure to prove herself to Jedeite.
"Umiko! Come help us!" The vicious blonde barked, but Thetis moved her hand to silence her.
"Come on now. You wouldn't prevent a girl from preparing for her return into battle now would you?" There was silence from the five women in the room, and Thetis smiled at their bitter silence.
"She is letting you go back?" The woman all converged on top of her, but Thetis was not afraid.
"Of coarse not." Thetis assured them. "But that does not mean I don't have an agenda of my own." Thetis didn't even have to look at them to know of the force she was being stared at, and she could feel their growing anger. Lifting up her hands she cupped them together and above it swirled a whirlwind of water. The power felt marvelous, and to unleash it completely would be even greater.
"Queen Beryl-sama will tear you to pieces if she finds out." The other brunette said with incredible force.
"Not if I succeed in my plan. She will exult me for my ingenuity; just like she always has." Thetis boasted, and the sound of their discontent was like music to her ears.
"Whatever, get yourself killed!" Came the general consensus, but Thetis knew that inside they were roaring made that they knew nothing about her plan and that she was leaving them out of it. No one else could be involved. Thetis needed to prove herself to Jedeite, and she could not have others stealing the glory.
Back at the gate she could see the tall figure of Jedeite leaving and she tilted her head towards the clock. It was a whole full hour earlier than usual. Thetis' eyebrows furrowed as she watched him go. He should be working hard on inacting her plan! Where was he going? A small smile came onto Thetis's face. She could find that out easily.
The water in her hands swirled into a large ball, and she let her attention shift from Jedeite and back to the ball of water.
"Mirror of The Sea, what is the meaning of this? Where is he going?" The water shimmered and rippled as a blurry image clear within the water and a small building came into view; a Shinto shrine. Thetis' furrowed brow deepened in confusion. Jedeite had never been one for spiritual things. "Why? What is so important about this place?" The image did not change and Thetis willed it to obey her. "Show me!" She demanded, and in response the water rippled once more, and the image of a Shrine Maiden clothed in red and white became clearer, and Thetis stared forcefully at her image. Who was she? How could she take her Jedeite away? What sort of spell could she have cast upon him? How could she, a mere human, prove herself to him? "Today will be your last sunset..." She hissed venomously under her breath, and the girl looked upwards as if she might have heard Thetis, and Thetis could see her face more clearly and she began to memorize it. If Jedeite was giving so much attention to her then she was a distinct threat. "We will see who will gain Jedeite-sama's heart at the end of the day."
The three girls stood side-by-side as they approached the shrine and Luna rested comfortably over Usagi's shoulder. Stopping at the bottom of the steps each looked upwards and all mentally prepared themselves for the afternoon's mission. The day before they had all agreed at lunch that the next day's study group would prove as the best time to try and awaken Rei. It was taking too long to just wait for her to awaken on her own, and it may be much longer like it had been for Makoto if they did not act on awakening Rei themselves. How to proceed, though, was the real question. Each glanced at each other and then nodded together before stepping onto the first step and walked up towards the shrine determined to succeed.
As usual the two crows screeched at them, but they made no move to attack like they had done before. At the sound of the racket, Rei's head popped out through the doorway and she smiled at the sight of them.
"I'll be right there everyone!" She called out to them. "Go ahead and get yourselves set up, and I'll be there in a minute with the drinks!" Her head disappeared back into the building, and the others shared another glance, but this one was more nervous on their part. They had no clue what they were going to say to her once she got to the study room.
Sitting down around the table to wait for Rei the three sat quietly, and Usagi pet Luna's head in order to calm herself. Luna had awoken Usagi up in the same way, but she had always felt at a bit of a disadvantage because of it. The others always seemed to remember much more of the past than she did, and it showed in their battles. Usagi was the leader, and she felt inadequate without her memories. She felt like she should remember more and give the others support. Usagi let out a sigh as if the air leaving her lungs would carry away the worries along with it. This is what needed to happen; just like Luna said.
Rei stirred the lemonade once more and reached upwards into the cupboard for the glasses, and then she placed each onto the tray and made her way back to the door. She had only just stepped down onto the gravel when she noticed the woman standing there a few yards away from her nearer to the stairwell, and the two crows were squawking angrily at her, but the woman seemed undaunted as she walked closer to Rei.
"It seems that they don't like me." The woman said. She had long black hair and wore an extremely short blue dress.
"I'm sorry about them." Rei said turning to face her as she continued to hold the tray. "They have been fairly temperamental the past few weeks." The woman only smiled but stopped walking. She was only two yards away from Rei now.
"I have some business to attend to here." The woman said. Rei glanced back at the study building nervously and then back to the woman. She had an eerie feeling about the woman herself and this entire conversation.
"I'm sorry, but I am somewhat busy at the moment, perhaps my grandfather could help you. He should be right over there in the main part of shrine." Rei said motioning with her head towards the tallest building in the center of everything. The woman laughed a bit, and her eyes seemed to narrow slightly.
"This business is just between you and me." The woman said and then she crossed her hands over each other in front of herself. "I am fed up with competing for the attention I desire. Especially with women who can prove nothing of their worth!" The woman's nails flashed red and Rei saw a red gleam in the woman's blue eyes.
"What? What are you doing?" The woman only laughed as Rei took a step backwards away from her in concern.
"I will show you." The woman said, and then her hands folded downward on top of each other and the woman's eyes glowed a bright red as she lifted her arms high. As she did so her whole body changed and she towered over Rei glaring down at her as her now blue body riveted with red energy. "Now I, Thetis, will show you the meaning of pain and darkness!" The woman's now echoy voice declared. Rei took another step back and the tray clattered onto the ground as Rei stared up at her in fear. The two crows swooped down around Thetis, but the Youma only struck them with the red energy and laughed; though Rei could see no mouth or nose on her face. The sight of the two crows crashing onto the ground enraged Rei and she pulled out one of her own wards from her skirt's pocket.
"You desecrate this holy place with you presence! I will not forgive you!" She shouted and she held the ward before her face. "Rin pyu tou sha-" Before Rei could finish her chant the ground beneath her began to shake violently and she staggered backwards trying to keep her balance.
"Rei-chan!" Rei fell onto the ground backwards and looked back at the others racing towards her, but then they stopped halfway there as they began to be affected by the earthquake as well, and they saw the creature towering over her. "Youma!"
The sound of laughter increased along with the shaking of the earth and Thetis hovered over them unaffected, Rei could not let this to continue! She got up to her feet shakily and she prepared once more her attack.
"Evil Spirit Begone!" The ward flew through the air and struck the Youma just as two spiraling towers of water sprung up from the ground. The Youma let out a shriek as the tag struck her face and she frantically reached to pull it off of her and the two towers of water crashed onto the ground on top of Rei and the others as Thetis lost her concentration.
"Girls! Transform!" Rei heard someone call out, but she was still recovering and coughing up water.
"Hai!" Came a chorus of responses, and Rei looked back to see her three friends standing wet, but tall, and each was holding up her hand.
"Moon Prism Power!"
"Mercury Power!"
"Jupiter Power!"
"Make Up!" They all shouted at once and before Rei's very eyes each was engulfed in light and instantly they stood transformed before her. Thetis gave out another yell as she finally got the ward off of her and she was hovering over them with flaring red eyes. The three Sailor Senshi leapt forward and landed in front of Rei protectively.
"You- You're all- Sailor-" Rei began to stammer but she could not finish the statement no matter how hard she tried.
"Don't worry, we have you covered." Sailor Mercury, Ami, said as she put her hand up to her forehead and blue visor appeared, and Sailor Jupiter, Makoto, nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, we'll have this Youma bully down in no time!" Her tiara's antenna began to charge with electricity and she crossed her arms.
"Supreme Thunder!"
"Shine Aqua Illusion!"
As Rei watched them strange visions from before came back in full force and she sat there dazed and confused. Sailor Moon grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her upwards and back towards the study building where Luna stood watching the carnage.
No...
Rei looked back at the two attacking Senshi. They shouldn't be protecting her. They should be protecting... that very important person... The reason they were reborn in this time. Sailor Moon stopped her pulling on Rei as they arrived to the building.
"Rei-chan!" Sailor Moon, no, Usagi, said hurriedly. "Please, remember how to transform!" She pleaded, and Rei could only look from her and then back to the Youma.
"The pen." Rei whispered and Usagi was beaming as Rei reached into her shirt pocket and lifted the red pen to her face. Usagi had given it to her earlier... What was it? It was familiar...
This what allowed Rei to protect her; the one important... Rei looked back up at the smiling Usagi.
"Serenity..."
The woman of her dreams.
"Usagi-chan..."
The Youma's water crashed down upon the two fighting Senshi and she raced past them towards Rei and Sailor Moon. Suddenly, Rei's own eyes flared and she stood up quickly as her forehead burned and she realized the meaning of the symbol in the fire and its true appearance. The memories of the past were burning within her and she lifted the pen high above her head.
"Mars Power!" Her voice was strong and vicious. She was angry... "Make Up!" A whirlwind of fire consumed her and as she felt the fire sear her soul she found herself transformed and the power she had felt being awakened the first time she had met Usagi was finally realized. It all made sense now. They were not just her friends; they were all kindred spirits and most importantly, they were family. They were the people she would die for; the people that made her the best version of herself. Sailor Mars looked upwards at the Youma in flaring anger.
"A Sailor Senshi?" the Youma screeched in anger and disbelief.
"You have disgraced holy ground, and have threatened those I love!" Sailor Mars shouted out in an angry response. "In the name of Mars, I will chastise you!" She would reduce this Youma into a pile of ash even if it took every part of her being to do so.
The Youma hovered above them and raised her hands upward. "You all will die!" Around them the water began to collect and humanoid figures began to take shape.
"Moon Tiara Action!" The tiara sliced through several of the emerging figures, but as they broke apart, more began to form and multiply. "Ahh!" Sailor Mars stepped forward in front of Sailor Moon, and Sailor Mercury's voice rung out over the noise as the figures were converging on each of them.
"Sailor Mars! You have to vaporize them!" She cried, and Sailor Mars nodded and brought her two pointer fingers together. Thetis laughed above them and the figures lunged to attack, but Mars was already attacking.
"Fire Soul!" The fire collided with the figures and they each evaporated in a puff of steam and the four Sailor Senshi created a circle around Thetis who was looking around at each of them frantically. This plan had backfired miserably. Her only chance was to escape.
"Shabon Spray Freezing!" The attack struck the creature but it lifted its hand upward to stop it, and she began her escape.
"You think you can use water to defeat me?!" She taunted, but Sailor Mercury smiled softly, and to Thetis's horror she felt a cold chill sweep over her body and she could not longer move. "No!" Ice was forming all around her and she could only watch as Sailor Moon produced her Crescent Moon Stick.
"Sailor Moon, you might be able to heal her and turn her back to normal again by using Moon Healing Escalation." Luna called out to them from the building and Sailor Moon nodded as she lifted the scepter high.
"Moon Healing Escalation!" The bright light came quickly afterwards and it pierced through her like a million little needles as it began to ripe apart everything evil within her.
"No!" She screamed. "I will not be purged!" She would rather die than become a regular, ordinary human once more! She was one of Queen Beryl's own personal Youma; she would not change! The pain ripped through her as she refused its healing and the more she resisted the more pain there was and she felt herself disintegrating from the power. The attack's power was taking her seriously, and she could only let out one more yell before she felt her body give way and she was utterly transformed once more, but this time into nothing but a stream of water.
The Sailor Senshi watched as the stream of water evaporated into steam and they stood there silently for a moment.
Jedeite cursed silently under his breath as he watched the scene happen bellow him. He had found Thetis walking towards the shrine and he had followed her to only see her attack, but before he had intervened, the transformation of the Sailor Senshi had stopped him cold and he had soared upwards out of view. The transformation of the Senshi had been enough of a shock, but then there had come Rei's transformation as well. The fiery Senshi stood tall and regally amongst the others and it only made Jedeite feel even more confused and discouraged. He had grown too close to her, and now... they were enemies? She had become his one support outside of Kunzite and now here she was... a Sailor Senshi! Jedeite rubbed his forehead and he tried once more to strengthen his resolve. He was doing all of this for Mamoru; his prince and master. He was doing his duty, and to do that he would have to do what Rei had said: sacrifice his own happiness for his safety. Jedeite's hands tightened into fists and he put them down to his side. Yes, he would... he sighed. He didn't know what he was going to do anymore.
The girls sat together around the table, but instead of the happy reunion Usagi had anticipated, instead the girls around her were silent as Luna talked trying to get Rei up to date.
"So Sailor V is The Princess?" Mars asks finally. "That is what you're trying to say?" Luna nodded, and Mars frowned deeply with her purple eyes piercing through Luna with a raging fire. "How do we get in contact with her?" Ami revealed her computer.
"I can send a message to her through this." Luna then brought forward Rei's own personal communicator, and she put it on without another word.
"I suggest we don't do anything tonight unless an attack comes." Makoto said finally joining in the conversation. "I mean, with the shock of awakening and all." Luna looked over each of them and then nodded.
"Okay, but be prepared just in case." The others nodded and Usagi leaned forward happily.
"We're all together again!" She said with energy as she tried to bring the others out of their stupor. Besides, she was just too happy. "We could go out and celebrate!" Rei stood up.
"I'm really tired Usagi-chan." She said in a whisper, and the others nodded. Usagi sat back and her smile vanished.
"Oh, I guess we should all go home then..." Usagi's bottom lip threatened to pout, but she held back. She wanted to talk to all of them, but if they needed time then she would give it to them. She just didn't want to leave them. Makoto placed her hand on Usagi's head comfortingly as she stood over her.
"We can go out tomorrow, Usagi-chan." She promised, and the others nodded; finally smiling as well.
"It will be good for all of you to become closer." Luna agreed. "Tonight just relax unless there is an attack." They group stared at Luna for a moment, but then with a chorus of goodbyes they began to leave, and Usagi followed with Luna on her shoulder; the two crows more aggressive towards them than normal.
Sailor Mars stood on the top of the solitary roof over looking the city in silence.
"Mars." She turned to see Sailor Jupiter stepping into the little light that shone around them and from the still waxing Moon above.
"We're all here early." Sailor Mercury said following behind, and Mars nodded. "It seems we all think its too important to put off." The three stood in a semi-circle with each facing one another.
"You remember everything?" Mars asked and the other two nodded in agreement and each had hardened, almost angry eyes. "About our past lives?"
"Whom we are to protect, the only reason we were reborn." Jupiter said with strength.
"Serenity." Mercury spoke the name out loud; the name all of them were thinking. "Sailor Moon." Mars nodded with a dark fire blazing in her eyes. The fire had not left her eyes since her awakening.
"You don't know how happy I am to hear you say that." A new voice came from the darkness, and the others all turned their eyes to the shadowy figure. Sailor Venus stepped into the light and as the others still watched her with hardened eyes, she completed the circle. All of The Guardian Senshi were finally together, and Sailor Venus' eyes were just as dark and hardened as theirs. "Mars..." Sailor Venus looked at her new companion for the first time and her eyes softened at the sight of her old friend, but Mars' only became more angry.
"You should have awoken us." Mars said in anger. "We were a team!" Tears were beginning to from at the edge of her eyes and she took a half-step towards Venus. "It was not right of you to take it all on yourself!"
"Mars!" Mercury tried to make her voice strong enough to stop Mars' rant, but Mars only ignored her.
"We love Serenity just as much as you do!" Mars shouted. Sailor Venus' gaze moved towards the cityscape and avoided their eyes that were watching her intently.
"I know." She said softly. Mars stood there with her fist clenched tightly. "I regret it with all of my heart, but... at the time I thought it was right." Mars stood there listening with tears starting to go down her face. "I was the leader." Venus continued. "I thought I could prevent you from bearing the sorrow."
"Well you were wrong!" Mars shouted as she still cried. "You Baka! We're a team..." Her voice cracked, and Jupiter placed her hand on Mars' shoulder. Venus looked over to the others and their eyes met again; Mars' teary eyes and Venus' dry ones. "I remembered you." Mars said bitterly. "Before awakening." She took in several gasps of breath as she tried to stop crying. "I remembered... I remembered Serenity's... what she did, and... what you... you're anger." Venus rushed over to her and embraced her as Mars continued to cry. Venus wanted to do the same, the memory was just as fresh in her mind as it was in Mars', but she couldn't. She had to be strong for them. She could not cry.
The other two stood around them with tears in their own eyes, but they still smiled at the scene in front of them. After about a minute, Mercury's smile vanished.
"Venus is right though." She said. "We should have never awoken." Venus and Mars looked over to her.
"That leads us to our problem." Jupiter says, and Mars began to dry her eyes on her gloves and her eyes began to darken again.
"You're right." Her voice was deep, but also betrayed by the unevenness in it that she was still upset. "The reason I called us up here." Venus nodded and they formed their circle once more. Venus had many of her own questions as well.
"I was not sure of it until today." Mercury said taking out her computer. "Not until all of my memories were unlocked with Mars' awakenings." Jupiter nodded in agreement.
"We must move into this very carefully." Mars warned. "You know how she feels."
"I think we should wait to make our move until she remembers fully as well." Jupiter said. "She may be more reasonable if she knows the truth as well."
"That shouldn't be too long." Mars said nodding in agreement. Venus stood there confused.
'What is the problem?" She asked finally. Mercury looked at their leader.
"Luna."
"Mamo-chan!" Usagi was falling and she could see them all disappearing before her very eyes. "Chibiusa!" Her hand was extended towards them. "Silver Crystal, please! Fix this!" A bright light shone suddenly, and then she was no longer falling, but standing on the top of a large staircase and her hand was extended up towards The Moon above as she cried. "Please," She repeated, and then she turned to see them all standing at the bottom of the stairs. "Everyone, find me."
Usagi woke up with a gasp and tears were running down her face. Luna was right next to her in an instant.
"What is it? What is wrong?" Usagi lay there blinking back the tears and then she turned to look at Luna.
"I... I don't remember." She whispered finally. "I was having a nightmare, but... I can't remember." Usagi squeezed her eyes close as she tried to picture it again, but she couldn't. "Its always the same." She opened her eyes giving up her imagining. "I... I wake up crying, and then... I beg them to find me." She looked at Luna.
"But they have. Well, most of them." Luna offered. Usagi nodded, but her bottom lip protruded sadly.
"I just... I feel as if there is something we don't know." She sighed as she looked out the window towards The Moon as she sat up. "We can't see the big picture." Luna rubbed against her comfortingly. She knew they couldn't. Not without their memories of the future.
"Sometimes we don't need to." Luna said. "You just have to follow your heart." Usagi still looked up sadly towards The Moon.
"My heart is sad and confused." Usagi buried her head in her knees. "Luna," Her eyes peeked over her knees and they were filled with tears. "I couldn't confront Mamoru." She said sadly. "I went to him, and I was happy. We were going to at least talk, but... I couldn't. Something happened, and I can't explain it." Usagi bit her lip trying not to cry. "It just proved that I was nothing to him." Luna watched her with a sad look.
"I'm sure that's not true, Usagi-chan."
"But it is!" Usagi cried. "I stood there, I don't know, fantasizing a future with him. To be a wife and..." She let her voice drop as she decided not to add the part of being a mother; it was too painful to admit. "But it had been nothing more than just that. A fantasy."
"Mmm, Usagi-chan." Luna said sadly. "Don't give up hope."
"I..." Usagi sighed. "I didn't have hope to begin with." She said and then she lifted her head high. "I met him at a dance, Luna. There was nothing but a young girl's crush in between us."
"You- You met before all of this?!" Luna asked in surprise, and Usagi nodded.
"That's why I was so distraught..." She smiled down at Luna with sadness. "but then you came." Luna cuddled against her. "You were the first thing that felt right, and... I let my duties of being a Senshi give me purpose; a distraction. Then Tuxedo Kamen... and Mamo-chan..." Usagi sighed again. "Mamoru-san," She corrected herself. "I thought I could go on, but they were all the same person. He doesn't love me." More tears were running down Usagi's face as she began to cry profusely. "I feel so lost." Usagi cried, and Luna rested her head against Usagi in support. It was breaking her heart to see Usagi this way, but it was even worse because Luna could not explain things to her. Instead, all she could do was rub against her and try to comfort her. "As long as he's happy..." Usagi said, and Luna could only sit silently on her lap as Usagi began to sob on the bed. "Its no use." Usagi sobbed. "The more I try to let him go, the more I feel..." Usagi shook her head. She dare not say that she loved him again out loud. It would only cause her more pain. Even without saying it, the feeling was consuming her and causing her agony. Usagi looked up to The Moon, but she found no comfort in it at that moment, but only even more unexplainable pain. She held Luna tightly as the pain and sorrow ripped through her and left her body in the form of tears. "Please," Usagi pleaded once more. "Fix this... Find me."
Kimi slammed the door open with brute force and as she stepped into the room her eyes flared a brilliant, angry, purple. Jed looked up from his paperwork and before he could even react he felt a burning sensation fill his forehead. His hand went up to his face and he let out a strangled sound of pain.
"Thetis." Kimi's eyes continued to glow vibrantly and Jed could only look up at her from his chair where the pain continued to fill him. "You thought you could let my own personal Youma die without retribution?!" Kimi lifted her chin high as she waited for his explanation.
"I- I didn't use her. She attacked-" Kimi's eyes flashed more brightly and Jed crumpled under the pain and he could feel his body withering. "Queen Beryl-sama-" He managed, but her rage was unstoppable.
"You used her without my permission, and failed." She said and her arms crossed. "You succeeded in nothing!" Jed tightened his grip on his forehead as if it might take some of the pain away, but it only increased as he felt the cool touch of stone. He couldn't remember... did Beryl have this much power in their past lives?
From Kimi's rage he guessed she knew nothing about the actual details of the attack, but only that in it Thetis had died and Jed had failed. If she knew that he had discovered the identities of the Sailor Senshi, maybe her rage would be less, but then again, Jed was not too sure about that.
"I had nothing to do with it." Jed managed through gritted teeth.
"Silence!" Kimi shouted and she lifted her hand out towards him, but he refused to shut his eyes. If he was going to die, at least he would stare down his killer with pride. He would not cower, and he would carry Rei's secret with him to the grave. He owed them at least that much. The pain seared through him, but she seemed to only want to cause him more pain before killing him for his incompetence.
"Queen Beryl-sama!" A new voice called out from the doorway of his office and the pain in his body released him and he collapsed onto the desk. Lifting his eyes upward he could see a tall blonde woman standing in the doorway with a long blue dress. Kimi turned towards her with her eyes still glowing furiously.
"What is it? You dare to interrupt me?!" The woman stepped forward and four others followed. The blonde knelt down before Kimi and the others lined up beside her and did the same. Without looking upwards the blonde spoke her purpose. "We know that Jedeite-sama speaks the truth." The blonde said. "He had no knowledge of Thetis' planned failure." Jed blinked as he tried to place the women in his mind. They were obviously Youmas of some sort, but he could not remember their names. The blonde looked upwards to view Kimi's face as the evil queen's eyes began to dim. "Thetis acted on her own, and paid the bitter price for her disobedience and rash actions." Kimi's eyes narrowed and then she cast her gaze down to the injured Jed.
"They have saved you for a time." She spit in anger. "Next time you shall pay dearly!" Jed lifted himself up from the desk and he looked up at her.
"I will not fail my master again." He spat back, and Kimi's eyes flared once more, but her anger was soothed by the blonde still kneeling before her.
"Queen Beryl-sama," Kimi's eyes dimmed once more and she gazed back to the five women before her. "Even though Thetis acted foolishly and with disgrace, we still feel her death acutely." The woman stated. "We request permission to enact our revenge against the Sailor Senshi!" The other four women looked upwards in agreement with this request. Kimi's hand went to her chin as she seemed to think.
"You believe you can kill them, and bring The Princess to me?" She asked. The five women stood up together in one motion.
"I will not come back without accomplishing both. I would die before accepting failure." The blonde said and she lifted her arms out to the side in order to include her companions. "And neither will my sisters." Kimi thought a moment longer and then nodded.
"Go." Kimi raised her hand out towards them and a surge of power came from her fingers and the five women closed their eyes as they absorbed it gratefully. "Use this power, and destroy the Sailor Senshi." Kimi's hand fell to her side and as the power completely disappeared into their new owners they opened their eyes in unison and there was a faint glow of power in the iris' of their eyes. Each were smiling graciously bowed once more as the blonde, the apparent leader of the group, spoke once more.
"We, The Five DD Girls, will not fail you, Queen Beryl-sama." Kimi smiled and the five of them rose from their bowed position and turned to leave the too small office. Once they were gone, Kimi's glare came back to her failing Shitennou.
"You are one failure away from a painful death." Kimi hissed and she pointed her finger at his forehead. "Feel the mark of your slavery to me." Jed's forehead burned slightly once more and the small gem appeared on his forehead like it had at his awakening and a few minutes previously. "No matter how many lives you go through, I am your master. Do not forget it." Jed could only watch her as she stormed out of his office and slammed the door behind her; the gem disappearing once more.
Once she was gone, he slumped backwards into his chair and let out a moan of pain; his whole body ached. Lifting himself upwards he reached for the phone, but as he put it up to his ear he found himself unable to dial anything. Rei? Kunza? Mamoru? He place the phone down and rested his head on his arms on top of his desk. He could not warn any of them. He couldn't tell Rei of the danger, and even if he could, how would he even begin? He could not help her. They were destined to be bitter enemies from now on. He could not change that as long as Kimi had Mamoru under his thumb, and he had to make sure Mamoru remained safe. Jed lifted his head off of his arms. He had to take her own advice; sacrifice his own happiness for Mamoru's safety.
As for Kunza, he could eventually talk to him, but not right then, and to tell Mamoru anything would just put him in harms way. No... Jed was alone in this at the moment.
He was always alone.
And he was a dead man walking...
Jed groaned once more. If he failed Kimi again he would die a miserable death. His only hope was to capture The Princess and find The Silver Crystal. The Silver Crystal... yes... it was his only chance of survival.