Picking up from last chapter's cliffhanger, the resurrection of Nephrite has finally come to pass, but now the looming fight with Kunzite, the Knight of Purity and Affection, hangs in the balance. What kind of trust does Kunzite have? And who can he trust to give him what he needs?
(Late Saturday Afternoon)
Ryo shifted and he knew Prince Endymion, Princess Serenity, and Sailor Jupiter had been successful in resurrecting Nephrite. He breathed a sigh of relief, but it was only short lived.
Ryo laid his hands on his head as another premonition had hit him like a freight train. It showed him if they hadn't been successful in saving Nephrite then Kunzite would've killed all of them. The Dark Kingdom would've won.
However, Ryo also had seen the next set of conditions have been met to assist the next Shitennou Knight. "Kunzite," he said. "Venus." He had foreseen the outcome. Though he knew where it was, he knew it would already be too late.
Ryo didn't know if it was out of stupidity or out of love, he started walking over to where the next event was going to happen. He just knew he was going to be needed.
xXx
In the fog and mist, Kunzite, who normally had a great sense of direction, was lost physically and mentally. "You can't hide from me, Sailor Guardians!" he shouted, stumbling around. He looked around and still couldn't see anything. On some level, he is aware Sailor Mercury is controlling it, and if he could just get an attack on her, then she wouldn't be able to concentrate on it and drop it.
Before he could get his bearings or figure out where he needed to go, he heard a familiar male's voice shout, "Mercury, drop it!"
When the fog and mist had cleared, Kunzite saw Sailor Venus, Sailor Mercury, and Sailor Mars facing him.
"You're surrounded on all sides, Kunzite," Sailor Venus told him. "You have nowhere else to go."
When he turned, Kunzite noticed Sailor Venus was correct. Prince Endymion, Princess Serenity, Sailor Jupiter, and Nephrite were on his other side. "How?" He couldn't help but ask the question as he looked at the former general who apparently had switched sides.
Nephrite knew Kunzite was talking about him. "Because our master, Prince Endymion, Jupiter, and Princess Serenity made me remember that I had love and faith for them, and that they had it for me," he answered. "And now, it's your turn to remember."
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Kunzite said, denying the instinct that something wasn't quite right, denying the instinct he's had for months, denying the fact he knew deep down Nephrite was right. He pulled out his sword and ran toward Nephrite.
At that moment, Nephrite's sword materialized in his hands blocking Kunzite's attack. "Yes, you do," Nephrite disagreed.
Prince Endymion drew his weapon which was now a sword. When they had a moment, he was planning on asking Sailor Mercury how and why it changes. "On some level, you do," he said, agreeing with Nephrite.
At one time, Prince Endymion and Nephrite both stood where Kunzite is now standing. They both felt something wasn't right while they served Queen Beryl, and they both knew Kunzite had the same thought, same feeling, even though he was denying it.
"And now, both of you are on their side," Kunzite said, sneering at Princess Serenity and her Sailor Guardians who now stood by and watched the battle. He released himself from Nephrite's attack.
Prince Endymion attacked Kunzite, but Kunzite was ready for him and blocked his attack. "Their side?" Prince Endymion asked, appalled.
Nephrite swung his sword to add weight against Kunzite, to assist Prince Endymion in keeping Kunzite at bay. "We are not on their side," Nephrite added. "They just helped us remember who we really are!"
If it seemed Kunzite was heading toward Princess Serenity or one of her Sailor Guardians, Prince Endymion and Nephrite blocked his attack with one of their own. It was as if there was an unspoken agreement between Prince Endymion and Princess Serenity, between the lone Shitennou Knight and the Sailor Guardians, to not get involved.
Prince Endymion had just about enough. "Come on!" he shouted, starting to push against Kunzite's sword. "Remember me! Remember Nephrite! Remember Sailor Venus!" He hoped something would click.
"Remember the Golden Kingdom!" Nephrite continued, also pushing against Kunzite's sword. "In the Golden Kingdom, we were more than vassals to Prince Endymion! We were friends!" Nephrite glanced for a second at Prince Endymion. "We are friends!"
"Lies!" Kunzite yelled. "All of it! Lies!" He was nearly at his breaking point when he realized their strength outmatched his.
"Nephrite, Prince Endymion," Sailor Venus said behind them.
The two men glanced over at Sailor Venus who was being held by Sailor Mercury and Sailor Mars. Though neither would comment on it, they were aware she had been crying.
"Please, let me," Sailor Venus pleaded.
Prince Endymion and Nephrite nodded, and with their combined strength, they were able to push Kunzite, making him fall backward to the ground. In the process, his sword had flung several feet away from him, landing with a clang.
When Kunzite fell backward, he was holding his head as if he were in pain. It was as if all the words Prince Endymion and Nephrite threw at him were finally starting to make sense to him, but he couldn't quite reach the memories he desperately wanted to remember. It was as if something was blocking him, blocking the memories from returning.
While Sailor Venus walked to Kunzite, Nephrite walked to Kunzite's sword. She kneeled down in front of him. "Kunzite," she said, slowly. Her heart ached for him.
When Kunzite looked up at her and saw the tears in her eyes, the tears she was keeping at bay, it sparked something deep and profound inside of him, as if he should protect her from those tears. "I can't…"
Sailor Venus gave him a sad smile. "I know," she said, understanding. "I can help you remember if you let me."
Kunzite still wanted to deny everything, but he couldn't, not with Sailor Venus who was pleading with him to let her help him. He couldn't explain it, but he did have the urge to do something else. "Just let me kiss you first," he said. He just had to know.
"Venus…" Princess Serenity started. She was worried about one of her best friends and her head Sailor Guardian.
Sailor Venus looked over at Princess Serenity. "Do you trust me?" she asked.
Princess Serenity nodded and didn't say another word. When Prince Endymion walked over, he took Princess Serenity's hand and threaded his finger to hers, gently squeezed as if assuring her everything was going to be alright.
It was all Sailor Venus needed from Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion. She turned back around and saw Kunzite staring at her, confused. "Do you trust me?" she asked him, aware that she had asked the same of Princess Serenity.
Kunzite paused and the answer surprised him. "Yes," he said. "I feel like I can. I don't understand how it's…"
Sailor Venus put her hand over his mouth. "It doesn't need to make sense," she said. "Just know I love you." She didn't know why she said it, but she knew it was something she needed to tell him.
Kunzite leaned forward to kiss Sailor Venus so sweetly on the lips. With that one simple kiss alone, he found the answer to his question. At some point, he had kissed her before, and it was glorious to have this epiphany. When he lifted his lips from hers, his decision was made, a decision she helped make. "Do whatever you need to do," he said and took her face in his hands to kiss her temple. "I don't want to feel like a half a person anymore. I want to remember you. I want to remember everything. I want to remember why."
Kunzite had a flow of thoughts, maybe that's why he and Zoisite were together, maybe they were trying to fill a void inside of them, a void that can only be fixed by having their memories back, memories that Queen Beryl had taken from them. Maybe if he had his memories, he can start piecing together what he lost and what he had to gain.
"Alright," Sailor Venus said, trying to keep her tears at bay. "I promise we will help you remember." She stood up and looked at Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion. "He's ready."
"Where's Ryo?" Prince Endymion wondered.
"I would feel better too if we were here, my love," Princess Serenity said. "But we have the next best thing, we have Mercury."
"I'm on it," Sailor Mercury said. She already had her compact computer analyzing, making sure the conditions are met.
Prince Endymion and Princess Serenity stood facing each other while Sailor Mercury figured it out. "Do you think Nephrite's right?" Prince Endymion asked his true love in a hushed tone.
"I don't know," Princess Serenity said. "I'm just afraid of losing the opportunity." She was thinking about what Ryo had said earlier.
"But it could be our lives," Prince Endymion told her.
"I know, Endymion," Princess Serenity said. "But I know, in my heart, I'm not going to lose you again. Not if I can help it."
Prince Endymion lifted her chin with his hand. "You're not going to lose me," he told her and leaned down to kiss her. When he lifted his lips from hers. "And I'm not going to lose you. This is going to work. Have a little faith in us and in our friends." He wrapped his arms around her. "I love you."
Princess Serenity laid her head against his chest, comforted by the pounding of his beating heart. "I love you, too," she told him. He was trying his best to comfort her, but she was still too worried everything wouldn't work.
Kunzite watched their interaction, and to him, the scene looked very familiar. It made his heart yearn.
Sailor Jupiter walked over to Nephrite. "I don't know what you want," she told him. "I don't know if it's me or Naru or maybe something else, but after we win against the Dark Kingdom and if you don't want me, then you won't ever have to see me again. And Nephrite, do not answer right now because you will regret it. Think about it." Without a word from him, Sailor Jupiter walked away from him.
Nephrite watched her leave. He was already thinking about it. He still wanted to see how Naru was doing or at least know. He also wanted to get to know Sailor Jupiter in this life. There were things that the whole group needed to know about what the Dark Kingdom took from him and the other Shitennou Knights. He also got the sense Sailor Jupiter needed space as well, and remembering the past made him realize she needed it. Apparently, he had some thinking to do. There are things he needs to figure out. However, he did come to the conclusion that he knew how it felt to be loved.
Sailor Mars watched Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion. It made her realize that they really were meant to be. It made her wonder how she was going to pick between Yuuichirou and Jadeite. At the moment, she was just thankful, it wasn't her turn. It was Sailor Venus's, who stood next to Kunzite. If they had figured out before that there was a feeling of doubt in the Shitennou Knights, they could have used that while they were fighting them. It was just as well, she thought. She did catch Sailor Jupiter having a one sided conversation with Nephrite and also caught how he watched her while she walked away. She had an idea of what Sailor Jupiter told Nephrite, but if her instincts were right (and they normally were), Nephrite wanted Sailor Jupiter. Whatever happens, she will support her friends.
Sailor Mercury wished Ryo was here because she would feel a little steadier about what she was doing. Though it did make her realize that they were leaning too heavily on him. They could just as well as rely on her as well as on him.
Sailor Mercury did the surrounding scans. She did scans on Sailor Venus and on Kunzite and also on Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion. The latter two were a little concerning, but they were balancing each other. While hoping she didn't miss anything, she walked over to the royal couple. "All the conditions are met," she told them.
"Even us?" Prince Endymion asked.
"Even you, Prince Endymion," Sailor Mercury confirmed.
"With Nephrite, it had to be where he died," Princess Serenity said with concern.
Sailor Mercury shook her head. "My thought is where they had an epiphany," she said, understanding why her princess was asking. The three of them looked over at Kunzite and Sailor Venus. "Nephrite had his epiphany here, and so did Kunzite. Whenever you are ready." She bowed and then slowly walked away.
With what Sailor Mercury said, it was enough for Princess Serenity. "At least this time we don't have to be worried about being interrupted," she said.
"We always have to be wary," Prince Endymion disagreed, "until Beryl and whatever she's hiding is destroyed. Currently, Serenity, I don't want you anywhere near them."
Princess Serenity didn't know what to say to that. "Let's go heal Kunzite," she said as she started to walk, pulling him along with their joined hands toward Kunzite and Sailor Venus.
xXx
Above in the trees, Luna and Artemis watched the scene unfold below them and they both could hear everything.
"I wasn't expecting that," Luna told him.
"Maybe Venus is right," Artemis said. "Maybe it is love."
Luna gave him a look. "Love and connections," she told him.
"For Kunzite, in the past, it started and ended with Venus," Artemis said. "It always has, and it looks like, if this ritual is successful, that won't change his feelings for her."
xXx
Sailor Mercury had placed Kunzite in the sitting position in the center of the circle that Princess Serenity, Prince Endymion, and Sailor Venus made. Sailor Mercury had him face Sailor Venus. "Do you trust me?" Sailor Venus asked him, again.
"Yes," Kunzite answered.
Sailor Venus held up her transformation wand, Prince Endymion raised his sword that had transformed into the Terrain Cane, and Princess Serenity held up the Moon Stick.
Sailor Mercury had her visor down over her eyes and her compact computer out ready to scan everything. She wanted to catch what could yield results for her and for Sailor Mars. She hoped something could yield results. "Please let this work," she muttered to herself. "I hope I didn't miss anything." Though, she believes she didn't miss anything.
"Terrain Prism Power, Make Up!"
"Venus Power, Make Up!"
"Moon Prism Power, Make Up!"
While Sailor Venus's transformation wand, Princess Serenity's Legendary Silver Crystal, and Prince Endymion's Legendary Golden Crystal had risen high above their heads, while the three of them had taken each other's hands to hold tight, it had started to get hot. A force field had closed over them with them inside as it started to heat up. They closed their eyes, as everything had gone white, and prayed that Kunzite's memories would return to him.
Like before, with Nephrite, they let their memories flow into the spell.
xXx
It was Sailor Venus's turn to escort Princess Serenity down to Earth so she could have the rendezvous with Prince Endymion. Sailor Venus was not looking forward to it as she found Kunzite very irritating. At least, he enjoys getting under her skin.
"I don't see why I have to be paired up with Kunzite of all Shitennou Knights," Sailor Venus complained.
Princess Serenity giggled. "You just need to give him a chance," she told her head Guardian.
"I have been giving him chances. More than one," Sailor Venus countered and lifted her index finger on her right hand. "I tell you, Princess Serenity, he enjoys tormenting me."
"You need to quit giving him an opening," Princess Serenity countered. "The rest of the Sailor Guardians are getting along spectacularly with the other Shitennou Knights. Both Mercury and Zoisite are trying to find a way for me and Endymion to be together." She was also aware that the couple had shared their first kiss in the library.
Sailor Venus sighed in defeat. "I know," she said as they walked through the door with the Earth on it.
On the other side of the door, on the Earth side, Prince Endymion and Kunzite were waiting for the ladies. Prince Endymion walked over to Princess Serenity and took her into his arms. "Hello," he said.
Sailor Venus walked over to Kunzite. "Why do you like getting under my skin?" she asked.
Kunzite chuckled. "Because," he leaned and continued whispering into her ear, "you make it so easy. But would it be hard to let go once in a while?" It would be later he would tell her he and the Shitennou Knights had a bet going when she would ask that question, and it was Prince Endymion who had won that bet. She would also find out that the prince turned around and gave the money to Kunzite to tell him to go spend it on a date with her.
Sailor Venus just stared at him. "Why you…" she had sputtered out.
"Careful," Kunzite said. "We're already making progress, and I'm already starting to like you."
Now, Sailor Venus was confused. "Like me?" she asked as she pointed to herself. "Me? You are talking about me?"
Kunzite chucked at her reaction. "I'm pretty sure it's you I'm talking about," he told her. "I like how you're stern but fair, especially where Princess Serenity is involved. I like your attitude, your go-get it attitude." He was only going to say that much.
Sailor Venus just stared at him. She was not expecting that to come out of his mouth. "What is it with you and the rest of the Shitennou Knights?" she asked.
Kunzite just shook his head as if to ward off the question. He did something he swore he wasn't going to do until she confessed to him first. He brought her into his arms, took her face, and kissed so softly, so sweetly.
"It's about time," Princess Serenity said to Prince Endymion pointing toward the new couple. She had laid her head down on his shoulder.
"It was only a matter of time, Serenity," Prince Endymion said. He realized he had won the bet. He already had plans for what he was going to do.
xXx
In the present time, under the force field, Princess Serenity's body had flashed silver.
xXx
Prince Endymion sat with Princess Serenity by the water fountain in the gardens of the castle grounds. He found it was one of the places that his Shitennou Knights wouldn't find him, or at the very least, he hoped they wouldn't find him with her. He knew eventually there would be a time when his Shitennou Knights would figure out where he was escaping to and who he was going to meet. He just hoped that day was later rather than sooner.
Prince Endymion pushed those thoughts away as he had his true love laying against his shoulder. It had only been just a month since they both had confessed their feelings to each other. Though neither wanted to do anything as of yet. All they wanted to do was to just bask in their love.
"So this is where you've been hiding, Master," a voice said from behind him.
Prince Endymion closed his eyes, recognizing the voice of the head of his Shitennou Knights, Kunzite, and feeling Princess Serenity going stiff next to him. He turned to look over at him. "Kunzite," he said, standing up. He turned around to assist Princess Serenity to her feet. He lowered his voice and said to her, "I got this."
Princess Serenity nodded.
"And who is this?" Kunzite asked. He could tell from the way she had dressed she was someone of high station.
Princess Serenity nodded at Prince Endymion, trusting in his skills. Trusting in his love for her.
Prince Endymion took her hand and threading her fingers. "This is Princess Serenity, heiress to the Moon Kingdom," he told his Shitennou Knight. He took their joined hands and kissed her fingers. "She is the love of my life and my one true love, and she has confessed the same to me."
Kunzite stared at him. "No," he said, as if denying Prince Endymion's feelings for Princess Serenity. "Do you know what this means?" He looked from Prince Endymion to Princess Serenity. "Do you?"
Prince Endymion nodded. "We do," he said. "We need your help to help us figure out how to get around the pact or if it is even a thing."
Kunzite sighed and walked away. He needed a moment to figure out how he felt about what he was witnessing and what he was being asked. He knew what his master and the princess were asking for, and he knew from their expressions they knew what they were asking of him.
"Endymion…"
Prince Endymion kept Princess Serenity's hand in his. "Give him a moment, my love," he told her in a hushed tone. "I know Kunzite." He brought her into his arms to hold on to her and to trust in his Shitennou Knight. He had talked about his Shitennou Knights to her as she had talked about her Sailor Guardians. They both had been pretty good until now hiding from his Shitennou Knights and her Sailor Guardians. One group was going to figure out first how they kept slipping past them. "He will see to reason."
Kunzite looked at them, refusing to meet his master's gaze. He saw how his master interacted with the Moon Princess and how he held her tenderly. There was no doubt, in his mind, that his master had fallen in love with her. He could see the princess was nervous probably because they were going to split apart.
Kunzite sighed and felt himself slipping. "If I allow this, then everyone," Kunzite said. "The rest of the Shitennou Knights." He looked over at Princess Serenity. "And your Sailor Guardians will, eventually, have to know." He looked from Prince Endymion to Princess Serenity. "These are the terms of my condition. Do you agree?"
"I agree," Prince Endymion said with a sigh of relief. "Serenity?" He lifted her chin with his finger to see her face. He could see she was crying, and he knew it was from relief. "Oh, my love." He brought her closer into his arms.
"Princess Serenity?" Kunzite said, carefully.
"Kunzite…"
"Master, I need to hear it from her," Kunzite said, unyielding and ignoring the warning in Prince Endymion's tone.
Princess Serenity nodded. "Yes," she said, looking over at Kunzite. "I agree."
xXx
In the present time, under the force field, Prince Endymion's body had flashed gold.
xXx
Sailor Venus stood kneeled in front of Queen Serenity in the throne room. The queen had summoned her to ask her where Princess Serenity was at. "Not again," Sailor Venus muttered under her breath.
"Not again?" Queen Serenity asked. "My daughter, the princess, has disappeared like this before?" She stood up from her throne.
"The princess is always on the move, your majesty," Sailor Venus said. "If she's not in the gardens, then she's in the castle. If she's not in the castle, then she's in the gardens."
"You better hope she hasn't left the Moon Kingdom," Queen Serenity informed her. "This dinner is very important, and I need her to understand the points."
"Yes, your majesty," Sailor Venus said. "I will find her immediately and inform her of such right away."
"Dismissed," Queen Serenity said. Though it wouldn't be until after the Shitennou Knights have disappeared Sailor Venus finds out that the queen had known who the princess had given her heart too.
Sailor Venus kneeled at her queen. She stood up and started to walk away. Before she could make her escape, the queen continued.
"And Sailor Venus, I better not be hearing that she found herself down on Earth again," Queen Serenity said.
"You won't, your majesty," Sailor Venus said, without turning around. Though she had a very deep sinking feeling she knew where she was going to find the princess, and she wasn't going to like where she found her either.
Sailor Venus didn't go look in the gardens or the rest of the Moon Kingdom. Instead, she made a beeline to the room that held all of the doors to their Solar System. She went through the one called Earth without a second thought.
The minute Sailor Venus was through, she heard a male voice say "Did you lose something?" from behind her
When she turned, Sailor Venus saw a man with long white hair and light tanned skin. He wore a gray uniform with blue trimming, with white gloves. He also wore a white cape and his epaulets have a blue gem on top.
"How do you know that I lost something?" she asked, sweetly.
"Because she has been coming here for a while, my fellow Shitennou Knights and myself are still trying to piece together the timeline," he told her.
"She?" Sailor Venus asked. "She who?"
The man couldn't help but smirk at her which irritated her. "She has told me that she tends to lose track of days," he told Sailor Venus. "Especially when she's been with my master."
"And who do you think she is?" Sailor Venus asked, knowing all the clues this man gave her pointed her to the one she was looking for.
The man smirked at her. "We both know that she is Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom, Sailor Venus," he said. "My master refused to let her go home without an escort when he was informed one of her Sailor Guardians would come fetch her. It was my own stipulation that you and the other Sailor Guardians would be brought in."
"Oh, for the love of…"
The man chuckled, entertained by her reaction. He was enjoying the fact he was rubbing her the wrong way. "I am Kunzite. I am the head of Prince Endymion's Shitennou Knights. I am the Shitennou Knight of Purity and Affection," he said introducing himself.
Sailor Venus stared at him, already picking up at what he was trying to inform her of. "Your master is Prince Endymion?" she asked him. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Of course, she knew who he was. As she was the Head Guard of Princess Serenity, she too, was educated about important people. Though, she learned about them for an entirely different reason.
"By the way, your princess has fallen in love with our prince," Kunzite said. "And I know there lies our problem as my master has fallen in love with her."
Sailor Venus closed her eyes as she wished she didn't have to hear any of this, but she knew she had to. "Is there any good news you can tell me?" she asked him. She already didn't like this man. She wondered if he liked being the bearer of bad news.
"As a matter of fact, I do," Kunzite told her.
"Well then, enlighten me," Sailor Venus said, unamused at his antics.
"Your princess is ready to go home," Kunzite informed her.
"Great," she said, deadpanned. "Where is she?"
Kunzite couldn't put his finger on it, but she amused him to no end. "With my master," he told her. "If you like, I will take you to her."
Sailor Venus gave him a dirty look. "Isn't that why I am here?" she asked him.
"This way," Kunzite said, pointing toward a direction where he and the other Shitennou Knights had stuffed the princess with their prince. He decided he couldn't tease her anymore as she was likely to blow, but he certainly liked her reactions.
Sailor Venus was starting to pick up on the fact that he liked getting under her skin, and she decided she wasn't going to care anymore.
xXx
In the present time, under the force field, Sailor Venus flashed amber.
"Is that a good thing?" Sailor Mars asked when each of them had glowed a color.
"I don't know," Sailor Jupiter said.
The force field vanished as well as the heat just after the items had been returned to the rightful owner. The moment it did so, Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion fell to the ground, collapsing, both falling unconscious.
Sailor Venus is the only one who stood up right, staying conscious.
"I should've known better," Sailor Mercury said. She ran over to the royal couple and started scanning them to check their vitals.
Sailor Venus, knowing that their princess and her true love were in capable hands with Sailor Mercury, walked over to Kunzite. She kneeled down to face him. "Kunzite?" she said. She was afraid of what she might see.
Kunzite lifted his head to look into her crystal blue eyes. He saw the hope and the love she had for him in those eyes. "I remember," he told her. "I remember you. I remember my master." He looked over at Nephrite who was walking up to them knowing there wasn't anything he could do for his prince and his true love. "I remember you and the rest of the Shitennou Knights, and I was his head guard."
One little tear fell from Sailor Venus's eye, and then another and another. "Kunzite…"
"It's good to have you back, Kunzite," Nephrite told him with relief.
"Thank you, Nephrite," Kunzite said. He turned to look at the weeping Sailor Venus and brought her into his arms much like he did when he told her he liked her. Though he looked into her eyes now to see her reaction, because that's precious and needs to be done with care. "I love you, too, so very much." He leaned and kissed the lips he now remembered. The sweet taste and could feel her pouring the love she had for him. When he lifted his lips from Sailor Venus, he smiled at her. He looked over at Nephrite. "How's the master and his true love?"
"That's out of my wheelhouse," Nephrite confessed, wishing for Zoisite. Knowing the only one they can give them that analytical data is Sailor Mercury. "We have to trust Mercury."
Kunzite nodded. He would trust Sailor Mercury's opinion as Zoisite had told him that she was quicker than he was. "Understood," he said. He looked down at the love of his life. "You want to know what Mercury's concluding?"
"Why do you know me so well?" Sailor Venus asked him. She remembered in the Silver Millennium he would know her thoughts well and that was why he was so able to get under her skin.
Kunzite chuckled at Sailor Venus's reaction. "It's like riding a bike," he told her. "Go ahead. We both know you want to." He leaned for a quick kiss before she walked toward her princess and his master. "What do we know so far?" He noticed that his fellow Shitennou Knight's eyes kept wandering to a certain Guardian dressed in green and pink. "Any progress there? And what about…" Kunzite tried to remember the name of the girl that Zoisite had kidnapped to force Nephrite's hand while they were under the influence of Queen Beryl.
"Naru," Nephrite supplied.
"Yes, her," Kunzite said.
"I don't know, Kunzite," Nephrite said and then sighed. If he can't be honest with a fellow Shitennou Knight, then who could be honest with? "Sailor Jupiter said I should take my time in figuring out what I want, but I do want to know how Naru is."
"If she gave you time," Kunzite said, "then take it."
"And you," Nephrite said. "Was it so easy to throw Zoisite aside?"
Kunzite sighed. "No," Kunzite concluded. "But Venus is who I want to be with. With Zoisite, I had already concluded he was filling a need that was missing. Venus already fills that need completely. It's just amazing that despite everything, she still loves me. Even though she's only just confessed the same to me."
"Also Kunzite…"
"Yeah, I remember that too," Kunzite said, already concluding the other part Nephrite wanted to ask about. "We have to tell them."
"Yeah, we do," Nephrite agreed.
"Let's help the Sailor Guardians help our master and his true love," Kunzite said, already assuming command as his master and his true love was unconscious. "Then we can tell them what we know of the Dark Kingdom."
"Alright," Nephrite agreed as they walked over to make sure their master and his true love were alright.
Not exactly cliffhanger this time, but it still kind of is. Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion have used too much power from their respective crystals, and need some rest and relaxation. What are they going to dream about? Also what was Nephrite and Kunzite talking about? Is there more that they know that hasn't been shared? And what going the next chapter going to entail?
I also apologize for the late chapter. I've been down this week with a cold. Not fun, but when I was awake and aware, I was writing.