Part 7: The Thorns of BalmDisclaimer: This is a fanfic inspired by the manga and animé series, "Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon" (Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon). All characters and settings are the property of Takeuchi Naoko-sama, Kodansha, TV Asahi, and Toei. No infringement is intended, and no money is being made off this story by the author. It is only a work of love, written solely for the enjoyment of fans. Please do not distribute this story for profit. THE THORNS OF BALM by Anna-chan PART SEVEN A light wind. The smell of damp earth and concrete. The sky over Tokyo clear enough for stars. Zoisite perched on the roof of a three storey building, legs crossed, gray uniform spotless and neatly tailored at the cuffs and clasps. A tall, broad-shouldered man with flowing, auburn hair and a similar uniform was half running, half staggering through a park below, a young woman clutched in his arms. Zoisite's youma was not far behind. Finally, Nephrite collapsed. The wound in his arm must've been too much. Zoisite watched the girl tear a strip of cloth from her shirt. Now she was binding the wound. "What is yo bidding, my messsta?" said the humanoid youma, flying up to Zoisite's side. She was wrapped in lush, green vines and tendrils, as if ivy grew out of her legs and arms. "Lord Nephrite is a traitor to the Dark Kingdom, and the girl has turned his loyalty away from our Sovereign Queen. Kill them both." Zoisite rested his hands on his knee, admiring his immaculate, white gloves while his youma speared Nephrite through the shoulder with a bundle of giant thorns. Nephrite, Beryl's second general, stood in the way of Zoisite's ascension in rank . . . but not for much longer. Now the girl was trying to pull the thorns out, grasping them in her little hands and tugging with all her strength while Nephrite ordered her to run and save herself. But she kept pulling, oblivious to the danger. Uncommon courage for a human woman-child, mused Zoisite. Touching, really. The youma returned to the roof. "I try to hit the girl fust, but Nefffrite step in the way. He take my attack. Shell I finish the girl, my messsta?" "Don't bother," said Zoisite. "Lord Nephrite is almost dead. Such a shame to lose an officer of his experience and skill, but at least our queen shall have a new soul for her eternal garden." Zoisite snapped his fingers and pointed at Nephrite. "Collect." "You should be happy to die in your lover's arms!" called Zoisite as the youma spiraled down toward the couple on the grass to seize Nephrite's soul. But then something went wrong, something Zoisite had never seen before. While Nephrite's body started to vanish, his soul became a breath of pink and red bubbles that slipped right through the youma's claws. Zoisite helplessly watched them float upward, disappearing over the city. Then he felt claws around his own throat, and he was suddenly back in Jigoku, facing Queen Beryl. "What do you mean, you 'lost' Lord Nephrite?" shrieked Beryl. "Didn't you send a youma to gather him?" "Y-yes, Honored One. But, but he . . . my youma was too slow to catch him. You know we have to move fast when taking a soul . . . and Nephrite sank into the ground. That's what happened." "He sank into the ground? You have failed me, Zoisite." Queen Beryl motioned for two of her eleven guards. "Take him below." "Relax, Lord Kunzite. It'll only be for a short while. I wouldn't dream of killing your 'little rat,' but he needs a slap on the wrist. It will be good for him. You're even invited to watch." Zoisite took long, controlled breaths as the guards led him down to the place below Beryl's audience chamber. Then . . . Zoisite awoke with a start. Her heart was pounding, her mouth dry. Such flashback nightmares had haunted her far too frequently these past three weeks, ever since that night in the rose garden with Mamoru. The darkness of the oath wasn't allowing her to forget any of the things she had done, not even for a night's rest. But that wasn't all. She knew the repeated appearance of the ghost sign over her brow was changing her in other ways, making her more irritable, more volatile, less under control. It was more than she could blame on pregnancy. She was even starting to fight with Makoto again. Speaking of which, Zoisite looked around and saw that Makoto was not in the room. They had argued about some little thing earlier that evening, and Makoto had stormed out. From the moonlight shining through the clerestories, Zoisite guessed it was no later than three in the morning, but the terror of the dream would not let her go back to sleep. "Ami!" she said, shaking her slumbering partner. "Wake up! Ami! Ami!" The second of the senshi finally opened her eyes. "What is it, Zoisite?" "I had a nightmare." "You're an adult," said Ami, parting her bangs. "Must you wake me up every time you have a bad dream?" "This was a very frightening one. And besides, it's your job to take care of me at night. You take naps every afternoon, so you get plenty of sleep. I hardly get any sleep anymore. And if I can't sleep, I'm going to get sick. Then you'll really have a mess." Zoisite started to rip the hem of her gown. "All right! You win! I'll cuddle you!" Ami pulled Zoisite into her slender arms, and Zoisite curled up, tucking her head under Ami's chin. Now that she was in a safe, warm place she liked, Zoisite could relax. After a few minutes of letting Ami stroke her head, the nightmare slipped away. "What was the dream about?" said Ami in the fluid, slightly accented voice that Zoisite loved. "It doesn't matter." "If you would tell me about them, they might go away." "Just keep holding me." They stretched out on their sides, Zoisite's arms around Ami, who was about a head shorter than Zoisite. The silk of Ami's gown was so light, Zoisite's hands could barely feel it at all. It just made her skin softer to touch, like brushing aside a whisper of spider floss as Zoisite ran her hands up Ami's back. Smooth and pliant as a white lily. Zoisite moved closer. Feelings started to awaken, reminding Zoisite that she wasn't completely female. Zoisite rolled Ami onto her back and nuzzled the heavy, dark hair that curled around her ears. Her fingertips explored the curves of Ami's narrow hips and waist, while a delicious warmth grew inside. Zoisite hadn't been so bold with her old lover since the Silver Millennium, and Ami wasn't resisting . . . much. But when Zoisite's mouth lingered too long at her delicate lips, the senshi pulled away. "No," said Ami, quickly rising from the futon and closing the front of her gown. "It's not that I have no feelings, but this isn't something we should pursue." "G-gomen. I'm sorry." Zoisite tried to work a tangle out of her hair, but her hands shook. It looked like Ami's did too, while she stood in a band of moonlight, regarding Zoisite with deep, charcoal eyes. "We've never talked," said Zoisite. "And we never had a chance to say 'good bye' . . . back then. I know I should've told you about myself from the start, but it's just body parts, and I was afraid--" "Your extra features were not the problem, Zoisite. Your betrayal to the kingdom was." "At the time, I thought I was following the correct path." "Don't." Ami turned her back. "Don't give me stories. You were ambitious, and you hated Mamoru because he had everything. Beryl promised you power over him." Zoisite reached out. "Please, Ami. I have nothing now except you." "I must not sleep beside you anymore. I'll ask Usagi to find another healer." "What? No!" Zoisite moved to block the doorway. "You can't leave me!" "This is not a healthy arrangement for either of us. You've become too dependent." "I'll promise not to get amorous again. That was stupid of me." "Zoisite, step aside. I'm going back to my quarters, and I'll send Makoto to finish the watch." "You can't leave! Ami, I loved you! You have to know that!" "That was a thousand years ago. Now, step aside." Zoisite seized Ami's wrist. "I never wanted to harm you!" "And I don't want to harm you, so let go of my wrist and step aside, Zoisite." "No! I'm not letting you!" Zoisite was startled at herself. She hadn't meant to be rough with Ami, but she could feel the ghost sign and knew she was losing control. With a single motion as fluid as her voice, Ami twisted Zoisite's grip and turned her so that she now had Zoisite's arm, shoulder and elbow. She pushed, not enough to hurt the elbow, but enough to let Zoisite know she could hurt it if necessary. "I loved you too, Zoisite. I don't wish you ill, but I've had enough of your beastly behavior these past few weeks. You will not start fighting me the way you fight everyone else, because I will not abide it." Zoisite gasped, "Okay, okay. I'm sorry!" Ami released her, saying, "You need someone who can handle you." Then she opened the sliding door and walked out. But before Zoisite could chase after her, Ami raised her hands, focused her energy and filled the doorway with a foam of ice bubbles, sealing Zoisite inside. "They'll melt in half an hour," said Ami beyond the wall. "Makoto will be here by then, so you might as well go back to bed." Then Zoisite's "anchor" left. Zoisite sank to the floor, head in her hands. "How could I be so stupid!" she sobbed. "Not Ami!" Then she clenched her fists and growled. "The oath! The darkness from the oath made me act like that! It's all Mamoru's fault!" * Mamoru needed to find Minako. She'd been spotted climbing up to the tea pavilion, so that's where he went. His head throbbed with a migraine under the steamy, August sun. Reconnaissance missions to Tokyo had turned up zip, and Mamoru was starting to quarrel with his officers--something unheard of in Crystal Yedo. And if that wasn't enough trouble, Usagi had gone into false labor two days ago and was now on strict bed rest. Through the pavilion door, he could hear Minako and Makoto laughing inside. "Zoisite said what?" said Minako. "Oh, I wish I'd been there! I'll bet Mamo hit the ceiling!" "Wanna know what Mamo did next?" "A-hem," said Mamoru, rapping on the screen. He slid it open to find the two senshi sprawled on the mat with porcelain bottles of saké. Minako hiccuped. "Speak o' the devil." "Is this how the Captain of Her Majesty's Royal Guard salutes the Emperor of Crystal Nihon?" "Yer most gen'rous pardons, oh High-n'-Mighty One," said Minako, giving the scout salute in a manner that looked vaguely obscene. Mamoru scooped up Minako's bottle and flung it into the azaleas. "We've got a kingdom to defend, and you're drinking!" "I'm off duty." "Not anymore. We haven't discovered Beryl's means of getting energy for her attack. I'm putting you in charge of intelligence, and you'd better not fail me." "Sorry, Yer Worshipness, but I just got a new gig takin' care of yer lil' pumpkin vine in the southwest wing." "It's only for a short while," said Makoto, "until we can find somebody else." Minako burped and said, "Yeah. Someone with a death wish. I hear the lil' cherry blossom has got some new, wicked attitude." Minako staggered to her feet. "Don't you ever, ever talk to me like that again! I don't care if you're the Almighty Lord of the Universe and I'm drunk as a skunk! You will keep your language at Disney level, understand? I don't know what's gotten into you lately, Mamo, but take a pill for it!" She grabbed Makoto's hand. "C'mon, Mako-chan. Let's go back to the palace. At least Zoisite has an excuse or two for her behavior!" Mamoru wandered back into the gardens until he found Luna sitting alone at the edge of a pool, watching the goldfish. "Oh!" said Luna. "You startled me!" "I need your counsel. Is it possible for someone like me to have the Jigoku ghost sign?" "Anyone may bear the ghost sign." "Even in Crystal Yedo?" "Good and evil are not places," said Luna. "They are directions. Why do you ask?" Mamoru slumped down on a stone beside the cat. "I've been having these mean streaks." "You've always had those, Mamoru. Remember how you used to treat Usagi back in high school?" "But these are really bad ones. Every time I see Zoisite or even hear her name, I lose control . . . like some monster." "That may or may not have anything to do with a ghost sign," said Luna. "Your hatred could be enough." Mamoru picked Luna up and pressed her head to his brow. "Just tell me if I have it!" "Put me down!" yowled the cat. "Do I have the ghost sign, or not? You must be able to feel it! I'm getting migraines every day!" "I do feel something, but I cannot identify it. It might just be stress, so please put me down before I bite you!" Mamoru dropped Luna, who scrambled to compose herself. "You need to learn how to hold a cat," she said, smoothing her black paws over her face. "Sorry." "Apology accepted. As I said, anyone may bear the mark of Jigoku if they are facing that way, for light and dark are not absolutes, but rather shades on an ever continuing spectrum. You were sent here to serve the Light, but you do not embody it." "That's for damn sure," said Mamoru. "Don't swear." Luna bit at a speck of dirt in her claws. "Zoisite does not embody darkness; she is merely a slave to Beryl. And Beryl in turn serves an even darker entity, who is probably just a slave itself, and on and on. Any one of them could, possibly, turn around. But that holds for you as well, Mamoru. You could turn and face Jigoku, so take care." "What should I do?" "You need to banish this source of darkness, and I don't mean Zoisite. I mean the hatred between you and Zoisite. If you've got the ghost sign, you must lose it immediately. When did you first notice it?" "After Zoisite took the obedience oath." "That was a Jigoku spell," said Luna. "Yes, that would do it. Mamoru, you must release Zoisite from that oath at once!" "But it's the only thing keeping her under control! She'll shred the palace, not to mention me. Can't we wait?" "Mamoru, this is serious! You can't fight Beryl with the ghost sign on your forehead! She'll capture you, as she did in the Second Awakening. Only this time it'll be worse because it will be partly your fault!" "But she's not attacking until late this winter," said Mamoru. "We've got plenty of time." Luna studied him carefully. "Don't be so sure." "What?" Mamoru bent forward, glancing about. "What do you know?" "Nothing . . . except that something has been deeply troubling Zoisite. Look to her, Mamoru." "You think Zoisite's hiding information?" He jumped to his feet, fists clenched. "I'll look to her, all right!" "Now, Mamoru. Remember what I said about darkness in the palace? Be diplomatic." "If she's lied to us about Beryl's attack," said Mamoru, stomping toward the southwest wing, "she's gonna pay!" "Oh dear," said Luna, hanging her head. "Diplomacy has become a defunct art." * Kunzite leaned against the alley wall, watching three youma nibble dark energy off the pavement. For some reason, trips to Tokyo often led to this "popular feeding ground," as he called it. What had happened here? Why was this alley such a magnet for Beryl's subjects? Maybe someday he would find out, but for now he had more urgent matters. "Somewhere in Usagi's palace, there must be a source of darkness," Queen Beryl had said. But Kunzite had found no clues at all. Denizens of Crystal Yedo were always hanging around Earth. Tokyo swarmed with them. Yet Kunzite's youma spies had heard not so much as a harsh word from these pious little subjects. Kunzite usually shunned Tokyo's daylight hours, but he couldn't afford sleep with Usagi's time so close at hand. If he failed to find Yedo's source of darkness, the enfanta spell would not be able to breach Usagi's ward, and Beryl would miss her chance to seize the rabbit's child. So Kunzite had no choice but to brave the day. Besides, the sun never reached inside this alley. What would Beryl do to him should he fail? The punishment would hurt, no doubt, but probably wouldn't be fatal; she'd still need him to lead her troops even if the attack was delayed. Actually, part of him felt relief at the imminent prospect of failure when he thought about how the spell would devour anyone else in the palace who happened to be pregnant. Mamoru had told him that Zoisite had fled, but Kunzite couldn't feel her presence anywhere in Tokyo, and the treasure reserves had not yet been tapped. Through Mamoru's righteous outburst, Kunzite had felt something odd. Nothing he could put his finger on, but wrong all the same, as if a shade of the emperor's color was subtly off. It almost felt . . . Kunzite shook his head at this absurd thought. It had almost felt like facing a compatriot. * Zoisite lay alone on her futon, watching bands of filtered sunlight stretch across the mats and wall panels. All day she had done nothing, said nothing, wanted nothing. Suddenly, the door slid open and Minako of Venus entered. "Have no fear, the babysitter's here!" Minako was dressed in wide, summer-weight pantaloons and a sleeveless tunic of undyed hempcloth. Her long, blonde hair was pulled back into a tight, practical braid. "I'm sorry things didn't work out with Ami, but maybe she just needs a break." Zoisite retreated under her coverlet. "Don't be afraid," said Minako. "I like you. However, there will be some new laws under my regime. No biting, spitting, or throwing food, even if Makoto cooked it. I'm not as indulgent as Ami and I won't sleep with you. Contrary to popular belief, I'm not into girls." Minako looked around the empty room. "Wow, this place is bare! No furniture or pictures or nothing! Zoisite, what do you do here?" "What?" said Zoisite, peeking out from under the blanket. "I mean, between eating, shredding and sleeping, how do you occupy your time? Flower arranging?" "We tried that. I shredded the flowers." "What about calligraphy and painting?" "I shredded the paper." "Didn't you draw some cool pictures on the wall? Let me guess; you spoiled them, and the servants had to scrub them off." Minako sighed. "Couldn't they at least let you decorate the tokonoma? It shouldn't stand empty." "It had lilacs." "And?" "I chewed them." "I'll bet that was yummy. Well, destruction's probably in your nature, in which case we should give you something appropriate to destroy. A little occupational therapy. Even Luna needs to shred something now and then." Minako paced the room, tugging on her braid. "I've got it! Zoisite, do you know how paper is made here?" Zoisite shook her head. "The artisans have to shred miles and miles of old cloth and used mats. C'mon! Get your sandals!" "Huh?" said Zoisite. "We're going to the paper shop! You're gonna become somebody's new best friend!" The day was too sunny for Zoisite's skin, so they headed across the courtyard gardens with her coverlet over their heads. Every few moments, Minako peeked out to see where they were going. "Zoisite," she said. "Mamo's putting me in charge of intelligence to learn more about Beryl's plan. You may be uncertain of your loyalties right now, but I want you to tell me everything you know." Zoisite swallowed. She had never been a convincing liar. "I already have," she said. "I can't believe Kunzaito-sama didn't give you an update during his visit. I know you love him and don't want to betray him, but let's think about this, Zoë. If Beryl wins, what's she going to do to you?" "I don't care." "Fair enough," said Minako. "You have been suicidal. What will she do to Kunzite, then?" "If he is victorious, he will be well rewarded." "You mean Beryl will allow him to live . . . until he pisses her off, which everyone in the D.K. seems to do sooner or later. Let's see. Will she send him 'below' and let the youma chew his entrails? Or will she freeze him in a crystal like Jadeite and start a figurine collection?" "Stop it," said Zoisite. "Gomen. I didn't mean to be crass. But Zoisite, nobody has a promising future with Beryl. Victory or defeat, she's eventually going to kill Kunzite. Am I wrong?" Zoisite said nothing. This was a thought she had often struggled to suppress. "We've been good to you here," said Minako. "Well, mostly, anyhow. Okay, aside from making you screw Mamo-slime, we've been pretty good to you, Zoë. What would Beryl do if you came home with a bun in the oven?" "It wouldn't happen. Infants require a special admittance spell, authorized by Queen Beryl, to enter our realm. She has never granted it." Minako sighed. "Fine, Zoisite. If you don't want to talk, just ponder it for a while." She put her arm around Zoisite's shoulders. "I can't force you, but I hope you'll confide in me soon. It could save a lot of lives. Mine, yours, maybe even Kunzite's. Look, we're at the artisan shops." Zoisite lifted her end of the blanket enough to see a row of thatched roofs sheltering an assortment of timber-and-plaster pavilions. They walked past a forge, a glass works, and a potter's shop. She could hear the roar of furnaces and kilns, smell the resins. The clanking, tapping, crackling noises sounded like a parade of shrine orchestras. Zoisite and Minako left their sandals and blanket at the steps of a pavilion full of bubbling vats and giant, wooden screw-presses. Colored sheets of fresh paper hung like flags from the lintels and cross-beams. "Venus-sama!" said the master papersmith, bowing. "I brought you a helper," said Minako, nudging Zoisite forward. The startled papersmith took a step back. "Don't be afraid. I won't let Zoë bite. But she needs a job, and she's a born fabric shredder. You do have stuff to shred, don't you?" The papersmith bowed and led them to a back room where a pile of old silk and hempcloth nearly reached the ceiling. "Wow!" Minako wrapped her arms around Zoisite. "You can shred to your heart's delight! This stuff needs to be reduced to threads, so the more thoroughly you destroy it, the better." Zoisite gaped. She had never seen anything more inviting. Her fingers started to itch. Her toes tingled. Why hadn't they brought her here before? "See that mountain?" whispered Minako into her ear. "That's Mamo-slime's face. Go to it, girl!" Zoisite tumbled forward and buried her nose in the great mound of cloth. She snatched a yellow sheet of crepe and rended it with one long, smooth rip. Then she found a heavy piece of red silk and pulled it apart, holding the end in her mouth. There was soft, flossy, raw silk and crisp, starched silk. Rough hempcloth that sounded particularly satisfying when torn, and scratchy jute that had to be chewed through. A banquet of ripping for Zoisite's hands, toes and teeth. "She can do this for hours," said Minako to the incredulous papersmith. Zoisite came up for air and suddenly noticed Usagi's black cat entering the room. "Hi Luna!" said Minako. "Didn't expect to see you here!" "Even the royal counselor needs recreation now and then," said the cat in a European accent similar to Ami's. Zoisite stopped. "Did that cat talk?" "Oh, Zoisaito! I beg your pardon!" said Luna, stepping forward and extending her paw. "You didn't know? Then let me introduce myself. I am Luna, and I talk." "Uh, pleased to formally meet you," said Zoisite. "I know you've been watching over me." "I do hope you don't mind sharing this tantalizing heap." "Not at all. Help yourself." Luna climbed in. "There are few things in life more enjoyable than a good round of shredding. Don't you agree?" "Couldn't agree more," said Zoisite. Soon, both cat and demon were rolling about in the pile, ripping, tearing and chewing. Zoisite forgot her cares in the wonderful, delicious destruction of woven fiber. Until Mamoru darkened the doorway. "There you are!" he said. "I knew I could follow your stench!" "Mamo-sama!" said Minako. "Settle down!" "Giving me orders?" he said to the stunned senshi. "I told you to get information, not take her out to play!" "Mamo--" "Get out! Everyone! You too, Luna. Zoisite and I have business." Minako and the papersmith hurried away with Luna at their heels. "This is certainly diplomatic," snapped the cat on her way out. Trembling, Zoisite tried to bury herself in the fabric and hide in the black folds of her kimono. A dark energy ball of tremendous force, invisible but palpable, kept them exactly ten paces apart. She wondered if Mamoru could feel it, and if he even cared. His eyes were as fiery as any she had ever seen in Jigoku. "You've been keeping information from us," he said. "No, I haven't." "Don't lie. You know you're not good at it, and I can make you tell the truth. I should've done this long ago." "Done what?" said Zoisite. "Used the oath to its full potential." Mamoru's face suddenly twitched in pain, but it didn't look bad enough to stop him. Zoisite gasped. "Mamo, are you out of your mind? Don't you realize the oath makes us worse every time you use it? I've already lost Ami!" "But I need the truth about Beryl's attack," said Mamoru. "And you're going to tell me everything you know." "You're insane! If you invoke the oath again, it'll kill us!" "That's the price we pay for your treachery, Zoisite." Mamoru raised his left hand. "Please! Can't we discuss this? You're not thinking!" "I'm going to get the whole truth out of you once and for all! By the power of the obedience oath--" "Mamo! Stop!" Zoisite panicked. Mamoru was acting possessed! "--which you, Zoisite, willingly accepted--" "October!" cried Zoisite. Mamoru paused. "What?" "She's coming in October! And I swear that's the truth!" Zoisite collapsed. Oh, Gods! Now I blew it! I've just signed Kunzite's death warrant! "This October?" said Mamoru. "Yes! Don't use the oath again! I'm telling you everything!" Mamoru blinked, as if waking from a dream. "I . . . I don't want to use the oath either. But . . . October? Gods, Zoisite! That's so soon!" Zoisite started crying into the shreds of silk under her hands. "Kunzite is lost." "I'm willing to withhold the oath if I can have assurance that you're telling the truth this time. How is Beryl getting energy?" "I don't know," said Zoisite through her tears. "Kunzite wouldn't tell me. Didn't want me to have too much information while in enemy hands. But he said October." Her whole body shook. "Is this all he told you?" "I swear!" Mamoru whistled. "October. No wonder Kunzite was so anxious to get you out of here." "What?" said Zoisite. "What did you just say?" Mamoru slapped his hand over his mouth and coughed. "Nothing." "Kunzite was anxious? But you told me he wasn't upset at all!" Zoisite narrowed her eyes. "What exactly did you say to him?" The emperor remained suspiciously silent. "Mamoru? Did you tell him I was still here?" He shifted from foot to foot. "Um . . . It didn't seem prudent at the time." "What?" said Zoisite, jumping at Mamoru and colliding with the energy ball. "You lied to Kunzite? How dare you accuse me of deception! You don't deserve to live here in the upper realm; you're no better than anyone from the Dark Kingdom!" She was panting now, muscles braced. "At least Kunzite was never a rapist." Mamoru winced. "Look, I' sorry!" "Tell it to Kunzite. Return to Tokyo and tell him the truth, damn you! And while you're at it, tell him what happened in that alley." "You want me to confess that to Kunzite?" said Mamoru, astonished. "If you have a spine." Straightening his shoulders, Mamoru said, "All right. If that's what you want, I'll tell him everything." Zoisite stopped. She hadn't expected this. "You, you will?" As he nodded, Mamoru himself wondered what the Hell he was thinking. He had never told anyone about that incident in the alley. Not Usagi, not his best Earth-friend Motoki, not even Luna. In fact, this was the first time he and Zoisite had openly mentioned it. Telling Kunzite was the craziest thing he could do; the arch-demon would rip him apart. But his soul, buried under the layers of darkness from the oath, cried out to make amends with Zoisite. And if this was the only way to do it, if a confession to Kunzite was what she needed, Mamoru would have to take the plunge. "The oath has brought out the worst in me," he said, opening his hands. "You see how I act now? I've alienated half the court. Minako hates me, Luna's disgusted . . . You say you've lost Ami? If this goes any farther, I might lose Usagi, and I don't know what I'd do if that happened. Zoisite, if I go down to Tokyo, will that turn us around at least a little?" "If you live," said Zoisite. Mamoru looked at her. She was crouched down in a nest of rags like some wounded, wild animal--pale, trembling, suffering from his hatred. She was right. He had become just like the demons he fought. Beryl wouldn't have to capture him; he was already serving Jigoku. "I'll do it now," he said, seeing the mixture of hatred, fear and startlement in Zoisite's eyes. "And if I don't return . . . tell Usagi I love her." Then Mamoru clasped his hands together, took a deep breath, and teleported to Tokyo. He woke up next to the trashcans behind Crown Video Arcade. Lately, every teleport and transformation into his Tuxedo Kamen identity weakened him. Now he was actually passing out. Was it the ghost sign? He stared up into the slack-jawed face of the curious rag picker--the one who had taken up residence in the shipping crate under the steps. Mamoru wondered when Tokyo was going to clear these bums off the streets. "What're you looking at?" snapped Mamoru, adjusting his mask. The man closed his mouth and hurried up the alley back to his crate. How long had he been out? It looked like twilight! Mamoru staggered to his feet, brushing pavement grit off his trousers and cape. "Do I really want to talk to Kunzite?" he said. "I know. I made a promise. But--" He debated with himself for an hour while he crept through shadowy backstreets toward the old fish market district. Before he realized it, he had gravitated to the "popular feeding ground." He was just about to back-pedal, determined not to visit that alley again, when he spied the tall figure of Kunzite leaning against a wall. "What's he doing out here before nightfall?" whispered Mamoru. Terror suddenly gripped him. He tried to retreat, but it was too late. Kunzite saw him. "Tuxedo Kamen," said Kunzite. "Little emperor. I was just marveling at the stink in this alley and thinking about you. What brings you here?" Mamoru gulped. This was it. He was either going to salvage Crystal Yedo, or he was going to die. A cold drop of sweat trickled down his back. "Kunzaito-sama," he called out, stepping forward. "I have to confess something. There's been a terrible source of darkness within my palace." PART EIGHT "You did what to Zoisite?" Kunzite leaped for Mamoru's jugular vein, but the little emperor rolled away. "I'm sorry! I was just a stupid kid!" "You die!" Kunzite shot an energy ball from his hands. Mamoru dodged. It hit the alley wall like a flame thrower, torching the bricks. Mamoru ran. Fell. Scrambled into the open, across the pavement. Kunzite chased him, ignoring the dying rays of twilight. He had never liked Mamoru, and he knew the atrocities people of Earth were capable of, but raping Zoisite! Kunzite bounded like a lion seizing prey. Suddenly, he felt spiny claws around his throat, crushing his wind-pipe as a black portal yawned beneath him. Suction down the vortex, spinning, being squeezed to nothing, then Slam! Hard stone. Spots swam before Kunzite's eyes as he looked up from where he sprawled on the polished obsidian floor of Beryl's audience chamber. "I told you I'd put a lock on your mind," said Beryl, standing over him. "You've finally succeeded at something. Without a minute to spare, you have found our source of darkness, and a few other things besides." Kunzite's head lolled. Chasing Mamoru, he had forgotten about Beryl. "Well, well." Beryl laughed--an unpleasant, grating sound. "Your little rat isn't dead after all. Alive, pregnant, and having intimate relations with your enemy. The unpardonable sin of adultery is punished by death in many cultures, but we have more important matters to attend. The rabbit has gone into labor-- true labor this time. Get up." Kunzite raised himself to his elbows, too dazed to think. He made it to his knees, then finally his feet. The stalactites hanging over the great hall seemed to spin around him as Beryl summoned a youma from the shadowy recesses to provide flesh and blood for the spell. "Approach!" said Beryl to the trembling youma. It was a little one, with antlers, stripes and four arms. Obviously just released from the bloody hands of punishment, it staggered forward and kowtowed. Beryl stroked the bulb of her staff, which was planted in the center of her dais. The dark indigo globe crackled with energy. "You saw Tuxedo Kamen," said Beryl. "You gave him information." "N-n-no! I nevvver!" "Don't question me! You compromised the security of our mission! But because Kamen must have seduced you into talking, I'm lightening your sentence to a mercifully quick and useful death. Your spirit will carry a very important spell into Crystal Yedo." "I, I am h-honored, M-most Honored--" Kunzite looked up and saw the noxious, green vapor of his enfanta spell roiling inside a glass sphere about the size of a fishing net floater, hovering just above Beryl's palm. "Take it," said Beryl to the youma. The youma rose, wrapped its fingers around the ball, then shrieked in pain. Its body exploded in a spray of flesh and blood. Then the blood began to glow, turn green and gather into a whirling funnel, rising toward the ceiling of Beryl's chamber. Kunzite covered his ears and wrinkled his nose against what sounded like an air raid siren and smelled like wormy meat. "Come!" shouted Beryl. "Our carriage awaits! I've always wanted to see the palace!" She grabbed Kunzite's wrist, sank in her fangs, then forced Kunzite to do the same to her. Just when he felt ready to vomit, she yanked him along into the whirlwind, where their blood mingled with the rising, spinning vapor. As they melted into the spell, ready to enter the palace's kimon, Kunzite whispered, "I'm sorry, Zoisite." Then all went black. * A small, neat flame warmed the fire pit of the palace's northeast shrine. Wearing a long, red skirt over her white kimono, a "miko," or young, Shinto shrine attendant, knelt alone, daydreaming over the orange coals, enjoying the heat on her face. Head Priestess Rei and all the other miko had been called to Usagi's quarters to attend the enfanta's birth, but someone had to stay behind and tend the fire. A moth fluttered near the ceiling. The miko could hear a soft breeze whispering through the needles of an ancient pine tree that sheltered the little pavilion. It was past her bed time and she grew sleepy. Suddenly, the fire flared up, knocking the girl back in alarm. Just as quickly, it went out. The miko froze, terrified, as the coals turned white with frost. Then a gust of foul vapor exploded from the fire pit. It spun around the miko a few times, then blasted a gaping hole through the wall panel and howled toward the palace. * After a minute of staring at the spot on the asphalt where Kunzite had disappeared, Mamoru finally scraped himself together enough to stand without passing out. "Oh!" he groaned. "Am I a total idiot, or what?" If violating Zoisite was the darkest thing he'd ever done, confessing it to Kunzite was the dumbest. What ever possessed him to think anything good could come of this? Thank the Gods that Beryl summoned Kunzite when she did, or Mamoru would've been nothing but an unidentifiable body by now. He brushed the sand grit from his cape, inspected a rip in his coattails, and slowly, painfully weaved his way out of the old fish market district. Home to Crystal Yedo was probably the best place to go, but he didn't feel ready. His attempt at atonement had failed, his head pounded, and he felt as much a villain as ever. At least it was dark enough to be invisible to people he didn't want to deal with. But now what? The temple. He would go to Rei's old, family temple on Sendai Hill, because if anything was going to improve, it would have to start within. Would anyone still be awake? he wondered, removing his cape and mask as he passed under the wooden, vermilion painted torii gate marking the sacred ground on Sendai Hill. Rei's family shrine was small and insignificant compared to the grand, multi-pagoda complexes of the larger neighborhoods. Sheltered inside a grove of oak trees and junipers was an intimate, stone patio for bonfires, a booth where the miko sold charms and rice offerings, and three to five rooms within, depending on how many screens were drawn. With Rei living mostly in Crystal Yedo, her grandfather was now the only priest, and he was always struggling for help, since the novices at Kokugakuin University weren't attracted to such a small shrine. First, Mamoru washed his hands and mouth at the torii font, where the water bubbling out of the thirty-year-old copper spigot tasted like lead. Then he borrowed some white, paper ties from the miniature pagoda that sheltered two granite lions. The beasts were both lichen encrusted and worn with generations of temple service. Around the legs of the "stop lion," he wrapped the paper, to gain help in stopping his mean streaks. Then he paused to contemplate the "thorn pulling lion," a guardian for those struggling with emotions. No one answered when Mamoru pulled the bell string, so he opened the door, removed his shoes and padded across the sanded, wood floor toward the orange light of the fire pit in the room beyond. Grandfather still wasn't locking the temple at night, despite rising crime rates around Sendai Hill. Since Mamoru had no money for the rice store next to the booth, he conjured a bouquet of roses for the small, sparsely adorned altar, laying them under the white, paper streamers of Grandfather's wands. Then he knelt before the glowing coals, leaning back on his heels and flexing his leg muscles so they wouldn't go to sleep, and touched his forefingers together. He sniffed. Something smelled like . . . he peered into the fire pit. Yams? There were three of them roasting on sticks over the coals. "Mamo-kun!" said Grandfather, sliding open a screen. The dwarfish priest must've come straight from his house next door, because he waddled in wearing blue checkered pajamas. "Good to see you, my boy! I knew you'd find your calling; you've come to serve at my temple! You'll be my senior priest!" "Uh, thanks, but I'm not priest material." "Eh? You're Emperor of Crystal Yedo, yes? The highest of all priests!" "Gods help us, then." said Mamoru. "Just in time for a late night snack!" Grandfather pulled a yam from the fire pit. "Good stuff, yes?" "Are, are we allowed to cook in the sacred fire pit?" "Yams are good! Can't go to sleep on an empty stomach, can we? Yams will give you good dreams. Now, if we had marshmallows . . ." said Grandfather, scratching his bald head and wandering from the room, toward the patio outside. "He's just a little distracted," said a miko, entering with a tea tray and setting it on the mat beside Mamoru. " He just got back from the August Nine commemorative service at Suwa Shrine in Nagasaki. All the priests are worried about what's going on in the world, with America talking war in the Middle East again." Mamoru gave the unusually tall, flat-chested miko a once over. The miko had a pierced nose and eyebrow, long, black hair that was highlighted with what looked like cherry spritzer, and a voice that sounded a little too deep. "Um," said Mamoru, "are you a guy?" "Shhh," said the miko, straightening his temple skirt. "Grandfather can't see too good." "Rei would have a fit!" "Please don't say anything. I love this job, and I'm pretty careful about hiding my sex from the visitors. It's my calling to be a miko, and this is the only shrine that would have me." "I believe that," said Mamoru. The miko knelt beside him and touched his sleeve. "Are you the one who's supposedly the emperor of some magical kingdom Grandfather's always blathering about?" "That would be me." "Well, I don't know what Crystal Yedo is, but I had a really disturbing vision during my fire reading tonight, and, well, wherever you're from, you need to get back there right away." "You see things?" said Mamoru, looking into his eyes. Rei's fire visions had saved Usagi's butt more than once. The miko nodded. "Not always, but this time I did." Mamoru stood up. He could feel the miko's sincere urgency and knew there was trouble. "Thanks for the tip." "I hope everything's all right." "So do I. Please apologize to Grandfather for my sudden departure." Then, without thinking of how it would startle the poor miko, Mamoru teleported. * The jump only produced a short dizzy spell, but as Mamoru staggered from the rose garden, transforming into his Crystal Yedo costume, his nostrils flared. Something wasn't right. Nothing he could identify, but the very wind felt eerie. He ran to the palace, falling only twice. "Where's Usagi?" he called to a maidservant rushing past him in the corridor. But she neither saw nor heard him. He hurried after her until he arrived, panting, at Usagi's sleeping chamber. But Makoto and Minako blocked his way with the curved blades of their naginata spears. "I'm sorry, Mamo-san," said Minako. "She went into labor a couple hours ago, and we can't let you in." "Is she okay?" said Mamoru. "Everything's fine!" called Ami from within the room. Four women arrived with basins of water and herbs, followed by Rei and a ghostly procession of eight miko with bell wands. Rei, dressed in her white temple robe with black hakama skirt, carried the magic scepter that would be presented to Princess Usa as soon as she came out. They all passed between the two spears into the room, bowing to Mamoru, but not wasting any time. Usagi screamed. "Usako!" cried Mamoru, trying to push his way in. "Get him outta here!" said Rei. Makoto gently but firmly took his arm and said, "C'mon Mamo-chan. I'll take you to the waiting place." Mamoru looked back at Minako, stoically crossing the doorway with her spear, and reluctantly let himself be walked down the corridor. He saw Usagi's pet rabbit look up at him from the mat, twitching its nose. It was already expecting bunnies. "Don't worry," said Makoto, one hand pressed to Mamoru's back. "Everything's okay. It's just a little early." But Usagi screamed again, and Makoto had to pull hard to keep Mamoru from bolting back to the room. "I'm sorry," she said as she finally brought him to the guest receiving chamber in a distant wing. "But this is how it's done here. The men have to stay away. Even Zoisite's not allowed. But every healer in the palace is with Usagi, so please don't worry." Then she left Mamoru alone and returned to her post. But when Mamoru looked across the palace's most decorative room, he saw that he was not completely alone. Zoisite huddled under the tokonoma recess, beside the fountain pool. Dressed in black, she was curled into a ball, face touching the mat. She hadn't seen him. At first, Mamoru felt the old anger rising, but he stopped himself. There would be no more of this dark hatred in his palace, he decided. Zoisite appeared to be meditating, so maybe now was a good time to talk. "Zoisite?" She lifted her head and looked at him with eyes that seemed slightly veiled. "Hey, Zoi-chan. I didn't mean to be so nasty to you today. And I went down to Tokyo and did as you asked. I told Kunzite the truth this time. The whole truth." Zoisite regarded him for a moment, then lowered her head back to the floor. Mamoru rubbed his nose. Why hadn't she stung him yet with one of her biting insults? She didn't even look angry. "Zoisite? I said, I went to Tokyo. Are you refusing to speak to me now?" "No," came a soft reply. "I'm just not feeling well." Mamoru frowned and tried to approach, but he bounced against the repulsive force of dark energy that kept them apart. "This stupid oath!" he said. "First thing I'm gonna do is get rid of it! I can't stand it anymore!" Zoisite turned her face to him and blinked as if too dazed for astonishment. He raised both arms over the great ball of energy, braced himself and said, "I, Chijba Mamoru, release you, Zoisite, from the bonds of my obedience oath!" There was an ear-popping crack, and the ball suddenly vanished. Mamoru fell, but quickly got up and rubbed his eyes. His head suddenly felt clear, almost light. The constant pressure at his temples was gone. The burning spot over his brow was gone. Even the air in the room smelled better! Laughing, he skipped over to Zoisite and dropped to one knee beside her. "Oh, this is much better!" he said, laying his hand between her shoulder blades. "I am never, never going to use a Jigoku spell again! I've learned my lesson!" Then he paused. Zoisite was shivering. Her skin was cold and damp under the thin silk of her black yukata, and she wasn't resisting his touch at all. "You must be really sick," he said. "Too much sun and excitement today?" With a great deal of effort, Zoisite raised herself up a little, then fell against Mamoru's chest, gasping. He caught her in his arms. "Mamo-chan," she whispered. "Thank you . . . for releasing the oath." Mamoru held her tight. All his hatred was melting, transmuting into a sudden need to comfort the one he had hurt. And although he knew she was guilty of many injuries against him, he couldn't recall any just now. "Zoisite," he said, almost in tears, "I'm so sorry . . . about a lot of things. I hope you can forgive me." Zoisite pressed her cheek to his hand, nuzzling his fingers. He felt the light brush of her eyelashes against his palm. "Oh," said Mamoru, rocking her gently. "I should've done this long ago. We're gonna be better now, you and I." He looked around the room at the crystals set above the window screens, at the cedar columns and the lush, green vines where white blossoms had folded up for the night. With the hatred melting from his heart, he felt as if he were seeing everything with new eyes. There was a hush over this wing of the palace, for it had been abandoned by everyone preparing for his daughter's birth. The women were taking good care of Usagi, and soon Mamoru would be a father. It was a good time to start anew. Then his eyes wandered across the floor to the tatami mat from where he had pulled Zoisite into his arms. There, staining the immaculate, white straw, was a spot of blood. His finger reached down, touched it. Wet. "Zoisite?" he said. "Where did this blood come from?" She looked up. He now saw that her face was as white as the mat, eyes like twin shadows, lips drained. "Where do you think?" she said. "Zoisite!" "I didn't do anything! It just happened. I swear!" A spasm wrenched her body. "Uh!" Mamoru drew in a sharp breath. He glanced about in panic. "I, I thought it was just a stomach ache," said Zoisite. "This cannot be happening," said Mamoru. "This cannot be happening." He cried out, "Ami! Ami!" Then he remembered that Ami and all the other healers were with Usagi and wouldn't hear him no matter how loud he screamed. "Help! Anyone! We need help!" Zoisite's fingers clutched at the front ties of Mamoru's tunic. Her breath was coming in short, painful gasps. "Mamo-chan," she said. "Oh, Mamo . . . what's happening to me? It hurts much worse than thorns!" She was crying now. "You're the magic emperor; can't you do something?" "I'm sorry," said Mamoru, embracing her tightly. "I can fight demons, but I don't have any healing gifts." After calling out for help one last time, Mamoru carefully lifted Zoisite into his arms. "They can't hear us! I've got to get you to Usagi's room!" Zoisite screamed. "Hang in there," said Mamoru, carrying her out the door. "Put your arms around my neck . . . that's it. I'll get you to Ami, and you'll be all right! I promise!" I promise! Mamoru ran. This was one promise he would keep even if he had to give up the kingdom for it. PART NINE Thorns were nothing compared to this. If felt like being eaten from inside. So sharp was the pain, Zoisite could barely breathe as Mamoru swept her through the corridors. Arms around his neck, she clutched at his tunic collar and cried. "Almost there," said Mamoru. Zoisite heard screaming as Mamoru paused. She lifted her head to see a flurry of attendants burst from Usagi's room. She also saw a dead rabbit with it's belly split open, blood splattered on the wall and mat. "What's going on?" shouted Mamoru, forcing his way into the birthing room, which rang with the newborn cries of Princess Usa. Minako and Makoto lay unconscious against the wall, beside their spears. With a yelp, Rei hit the floor near Mamoru's feet, the streamers of her wand singed black. Zoisite's head snapped up at the sound of Beryl's laughter. She saw Usagi crouched over the birthing stool, the insides of her thighs awash with blood. The screaming baby had just come out. Beryl towered over mother and child like a great, phantom serpent with gleaming fangs and a whirlwind tail. Noxious, green vapor swirled around the room, sucking the healing herbs, paper charms and streamers down its funnel. Kunzite was also there, held close and silent against Beryl like a captive soul. And facing Beryl in fighting stance between her and Usagi, stood Ami. Her hemp cloth tunic and pantaloons were as bloodstained as her fists. Her short, black hair was mussed. Wet strands clung to her face. "Step aside," hissed Beryl. Ami dug her bare toes into the mat. "Very well." Beryl aimed her staff and blasted the senshi healer against a wall panel across the room. "Ami!" cried Zoisite. Beryl turned. "My Zoisite!" she said, looking sincerely concerned. "You've finally arrived! You must be in a great deal of pain right now. Let me shield you from this spell." Energy pulsed from the globe on Beryl's staff, wrenching Zoisite from Mamoru's arms and sealing her in a large, green bubble. Suspended in mid air, Zoisite's pain immediately dissipated, and she could sense that her own baby was still alive, no longer in the throes of whatever seizure had been gripping it. She looked down at Mamoru, who was being pinned to the wall by another energy pulse. "Thank you for bringing Zoisite just in time," said Beryl to Mamoru. "We almost lost her. You see, Zoisite's 'enfanta spell' isn't specialized enough to only touch Usagi. Of course, she never expected to become pregnant herself when she created it." "What are you talking about?" said Mamoru. Beryl laughed. "I could just take your child back to Jigoku and kill it, but it would be a shame to lose the tremendous power it carries from its bloodline. Unfortunately, if I want to harness that energy for myself, I must first bind it within a special enchantment, or I can't use it. That's where Zoisite has helped us. Our 'little rat' is quite adept at spellcraft. And she apparently did a good job hiding our plan from you. A big secret to keep for so many months. But then, deception is our way. I suppose she's tried to escape the palace?" Mamoru stared at Zoisite, questioning. Zoisite tried to plead that it wasn't true, that she hadn't even remembered about that spell. But she couldn't speak through the bubble. She couldn't assuage Mamoru's look of betrayal. "Kunzite," said Beryl. "Now!" Like a mesmerized youma with no will of its own, Kunzite drew his jeweled, short sword and raised it high over the infant. Usagi screamed and tried to put up an energy attack, but she had little strength, and Beryl merely absorbed it. With his hands pinned to the wall, Mamoru couldn't throw any roses. He strained against his bonds. Ami, too, was unable to fight. Kunzite's sword came down and cut the umbilical cord. "Tie it off!" said Beryl to Ami, who was still dazed from her blow. Resisting the order would only hurt Usa, so the healer meekly rose and obeyed, using what remained of her chi to tend the baby. But before she could clean the filmy tissue and blood from its skin, the baby was wrenched away and given to Zoisite. For a moment, Zoisite wondered how any of the people in that room could still be alive. But then she remembered that the scepter Beryl carried in the Third Awakening had a limit unknown to the previous awakenings. It was whispered among the youma that Beryl's own dark master, whom Zoisite knew about but had never seen, wanted Beryl to learn restraint this time around. To keep her from squandering her resources by killing her servants in flashes of petty anger, as she had once done to Zoisite, Beryl could injure, but she was not allowed to kill directly. If she did, the scepter's power would be extinguished, leaving Beryl completely helpless. This was why her oni servants now did all the dirty work. Fortunately for Usagi's court, Beryl didn't have any servants on hand, and Kunzite looked too sapped to fight. In fact, he looked ready to faint. Zoisite's descent into Jigoku was a dizzying, furious spiral through multiple layers of dark space. Curled inside her bubble, she squeezed her eyes shut and clutched the infant as they were hurled down through what felt like the caverns of a porous, volcanic mountain. Alternating red light and black shadows played on the insides of her eyelids. The rush of acceleration pressed her ears and tore the breath from her lungs. My Gods! she thought, holding Usa in the folds of her black robe while the bubble spun them upside-down and sideways. What level was Beryl condemning her to? Then all was still, and she found herself sprawled unharmed on cold, rough stone. The black space was silent except for the wailing of Princess Usa, who squirmed beside her. And strangely cold for Jigoku. Colder than any level of Hell she knew. "We must be far below Beryl's audience chamber," whispered Zoisite. Shivering, she pulled the infant into her arms for warmth. Would they be left to die in the coldest reaches of Jigoku, where even youma didn't descend? Then blue-green light filled the space, along with Beryl's laughter. Zoisite could just make out the rock walls of her new prison. The little cave was about the same length and width of her room in Crystal Yedo, but the "ceiling" joined the floor at the edges. One could stand upright only near the center. Up front, stalactites and stalagmites made thick prison bars. Beryl and Kunzite appeared on the other side. "Most Honored One," said Kunzite on his knees. "Thank you for sparing Zoisite from the enfanta spell." Beryl took his chin. "My dear Lord Kunzite. I could never allow that spell to devour Zoisite." She dug her long nails into his cheek. "Such a death would be far too quick." Zoisite held Usa tighter. The look overtaking Kunzite's face was terrible to see. "Queen Beryl!" he said. "Please let Zoisite go this time! It wasn't her fault! She was pierced by Kamen's rose, and--" "Silence! Groveling does not become you." Beryl straightened to her full, regal height. "If you don't want Zoisite tortured, perhaps victory over Crystal Yedo might change my mind." Princess Usa's scepter floated inside a bubble. The gilded wand was as long as Zoisite's forearm. The red globe and lunar crescent at the end blossomed from a crown of silver-white wings. Below that was a disk emblazoned with the sacred triple swirls of the mitsutomoe symbol. Beryl was keeping a curious distance from it. Suddenly, Usa's whimpering became a brief gurgle of laughter, and Zoisite's eyebrows shot up. Newborns didn't laugh! The bubble shielding the scepter burst with a painful, brilliant flash. "Cover it!" shrieked Beryl, blocking the rays with her hands. "Zoisite! Give me that black clothing! All of it!" Zoisite promptly obeyed, and her clothes were thrown over Usa's wand, dousing the light. In her nakedness, Zoisite could feel how much poor Usa needed a bath. The slime covering the newborn was growing sticky. And now this shunned, lower level really felt chilly. Kunzite's chamber was always so delightfully warm. Better air, too. Usa started crying again. "Zoisite!" said Beryl. "Can't you shut it up? Take care of that filthy, little beast until I tell you otherwise. Keep it fed." "With what?" Zoisite looked down at her underdeveloped breasts. "I can't carry a child and nurse one, too . . . can I?" "I'll find you a servant adept at growth spells." Zoisite gulped. Most of the "growth" spells she knew of involved tumors. Beryl turned to Kunzite. "Now that we've got enough energy to open the kimon of Crystal Yedo and let our forces through, I've decided our attack cannot wait. Take this freakish wand and follow me; we'll see what it's got." Before leaving, she aimed her own scepter and shot one last bubble to encapsulate Zoisite's cell, just to make it extra secure. But as Beryl led Kunzite back to the upper strata, Zoisite noted that Beryl's voice had sounded just a touch hesitant. Even if the enfanta spell made the scepter compatible with Jigoku, did the queen really know how to harness the intense, positive energy of Princess Chibi Usa? Or was Beryl playing with strange, dangerous fire? As if she could hear Zoisite's thought, the infant laughed again. * Kunzite climbed through a narrow, rock crevice toward Zoisite's cell, lamp in hand. It had been over a day since Beryl had locked her in there, and the queen was now so occupied with that new wand--surely she wouldn't notice her general's very brief absence. There! Following the stench of urine, he entered the small cavern by Zoisite's cell, and set the lamp down. Finding the weakest spot in the stalactite "bars," Kunzite tugged on his uniform cuffs and white gloves, formed an invisible ball between his hands, and curved it into a blade. Then he braced his long legs and threw it. But Beryl's seal absorbed the attack. His shoulders sank. Brushing a wisp of silver hair from his eyes, he shook his head. "I must be insane," he whispered, dropping to his knees before the cell. "Even if I could bust you out of here, we can't escape Beryl." Zoisite didn't even look up. In the dim, shadow-strewn lamplight, she was curled naked around the infant, whose pitiful cries sounded like hunger and exhaustion. But the tiny, wrinkled creature squirmed, unwilling or unable to sleep in Zoisite's arms. And it certainly didn't look willing to feed from her newly swollen, spell-induced breasts. In fact, it was pushing her away. "You must be freezing," said Kunzite, pulling off his gray and blue cape. He tried to stuff it into the cell, but neither the cape nor his hand could pass through the seal. It was unbearable seeing Zoisite naked and shivering while he himself enjoyed a rich, warm set of clothes. "Zoisite? Zoisite, can't you hear me?" How strange, he thought. She was barely acknowledging his presence. Long curls cascaded over her delicate shoulders and back, catching fiery glints from the lamplight. Being only five months pregnant, she was showing just a little; Kunzite could hardly see any difference, except for a faint, angelic glow. But she looked so despairing, and Kunzite noticed smudges of grime soiling her arms and legs. Out loud, he cursed Beryl for not providing anything to keep Usagi's smelly, little imp clean. Zoisite lifted her head to regard him with a face veiled and cold. Then she turned away. "You can put the brat down for a minute," said Kunzite. "Beryl won't know. I'm so sorry about this whole situation, Zoisite. I came to see you as soon as I could break away from my duties. My officers are preparing the troops as we speak, so I cannot linger here, you understand. "But don't worry. My troops will be attacking Crystal Yedo presently. I will destroy the emperor's palace to the last timber, and wipe out all his royal court and subjects. I will achieve such a total victory, Beryl will reward me with your release. She will not put you to death when she beholds my triumph. And I will make Tuxedo Kamen pay for everything he did to you. I promise! I promise with all my soul!" Kunzite frowned at Zoisite's reaction to his words. She was wincing, as if in pain. He was trying to cheer her, not make her shudder. What, in the name of darkness, was wrong? He re-fastened his cape and adjusted the epaulettes on his shoulders, almost as a nervous gesture. She looks sick, he thought. "Zoisite, are you not well?" Kunzite's mind struggled to face a possibility more fearful than any opponent. "Do, do I no longer please you? You know there's nothing I would deny you. Ask me for anything, and I'll grant it!" "There's only one thing I want," said Zoisite in a clear, even voice. "If you have any heart for me at all, you'll do this one thing. Otherwise, I swear, I'll never speak to you again." "I'll do it!" "If you must attack Crystal Yedo, promise me Ami's safety." "Princess Mercury?" said Kunzite. "But she's our enemy!" "She is your enemy." "Beryl will be furious. It'll jeopardize your own safety, Zoisite." "I don't care. If anything happens to Ami . . . " Her voice cracked. "But--" Kunzite took a deep breath. "I see." He felt his life force draining to the tips of his fingers. The thing he feared had come true; Zoisite's old romance from the Silver Millennium had indeed rekindled. What else could explain such a foolish demand? Looking down at his body, he wondered; what was he lacking? He was still tall, trim and strong. His muscles were tight. And he had spent a great deal of energy on his grooming before coming here. Had Zoisite found more appeal in the softer flesh of a young, dark-eyed woman? "Promise me!" said Zoisite. "You said you'd deny me nothing." "I did." Kunzite squeezed his eyes shut. "And if this is what you demand of me . . . I will do what I can for your Ami." "Not enough! You must promise that she will live!" "H-hai." Zoisite said nothing more to him after that, and he eventually left--much sooner than he had planned. As he returned to his duties, appearing before his troops of oni in the upper levels, his heart felt heavier with each salute from his officers. And he feared that Beryl would not spare Zoisite's life after all. * "You're beautiful," said Mamoru, cradling Usagi in his lap. They sat on the futon of their bedchamber, bathed in the yellow, mid-day glow of the rice paper window screens. Usagi's golden hair was wound into two balls atop her head, from which flowed two long tails, like streams of sunlight. But her face was wan from lack of sleep, and dark circles shadowed her blue eyes. Ami had ordered her to stay in bed, but no one had been able to keep her there. Now, after a week and a half of pacing around the palace, she was showing exhaustion. Still in her pink dressing gown, she dropped her hands in her lap and rested her cheek against the front ties of Mamoru's tunic. Mamoru bent down and planted a light kiss on her small, upturned nose. "Once upon a time," he said, wrapping his arms around her, "there lived an old bamboo cutter." "Oh, not this story again!" said Usagi, smiling and snuggling closer. "And one day, while he was out cutting bamboo, far from the village, he found a baby girl abandoned in a basket. He lived alone, and had always wanted a child, so he took the girl home with him to be his daughter. And she grew up to be the fairest, most beautiful young woman in all the land. She had hair like the sun, and eyes like the sky, and when she came of age, she wrapped her hair into balls to show everyone that she was now old enough for suitors. "Of course, the four lords of the land all fell in love with her. But none of them was worthy. In fact, the beautiful, lovely, and very insightful Kaguya thought they were all jerks. Only the prince could win her heart. But the old bamboo cutter didn't want to give her up, so the prince had to prove himself with a lot of really dangerous tasks . . . which, of course, he completed with perfect success, 'cause he was one heckuva prince." Usagi giggled. "But then one day, a great, silver bird flew down from the moon, carrying strange people on its back. Very strange people." "Hey!" Mamoru laughed and stroked her face with the knuckle of his forefinger. "They said that Kaguya was really the princess of the moon kingdom, and it was time to take her home. The four, creepy lords all got jealous and fought the people from the moon, but the moon people had powerful magic and defeated the lords. So Princess Kaguya joined them on the back of the great bird to return to the moon. Of course, the tall, dark, handsome, brave, and admirably humble prince had to go along, because he was too deeply in love with the moon princess to ever be parted from her. "But the bamboo cutter was so grieved over the loss of his adopted daughter, that she took pity on him, and waved magic dust over him to make him forget everything." "And then?" said Usagi, looking up. "They all lived happily ever after . . . fighting the forces of evil now and then." Mamoru squeezed her tight. He had always thought the "Tale of the Bamboo Cutter" sounded like an ancient, Japanese account of alien abduction, but Usagi liked it, and Mamoru would do anything to lift her spirits right now. "How was the meeting with your military advisors?" said Usagi. "Uh, very good. Very hopeful." "Don't lie, Mamo-chan. Luna tells me everything." "What did she tell you?" said Mamoru. "That Beryl got in because she found a 'source of darkness' in our palace, and that it was the hatred between you and Zoisite. Why did Zoë hate you so much?" "I took her crystals." "Aw, c'mon." Usagi shifted so she could face Mamoru. "It had to be more than that. I think you two have a past you never told me about." "W-what do you mean?" Mamoru felt his stomach turn cold. "I know you can't remember everything from the Silver Millennium, but were you and Zoisite ever an item?" "Never!" For all his past life amnesia, Mamoru knew this much. "Did she, or he ever like you? I mean, that way, and you didn't return it?" "Um, uh . . . " Mamoru searched his mind. He'd never considered this. He knew about Zoisite's relationship with Princess Mercury, but had there been other feelings? Earlier, perhaps? "I don't know," he finally answered. "I can't remember." Another thought surfaced--one he'd been trying to ignore. But today was Yutate-Sai, or Great Purification, and if he was to charge into battle a clean man, he would have to come clean with Usagi and 'fess up. Mamoru cleared his throat. "Um . . . Usako, there is a reason Zoisite's hatred was so strong. Something I did during the Second Awakening." "Besides fighting her every day?" "Remember the fight in the Christian cemetery? When your friend, Naru, went to her Catholic priest with that strip of cloth she'd ripped from her shirt to bind Nephrite's arm, and she wanted to use it for a funeral ritual? It was that night." "After I healed Naru's priest, you disappeared with that crystal. Didn't Zoisite chase you?" "Yes, but I turned and caught her instead. Down by an old, fish market." "Then what?" "I . . . " Mamoru coughed. "I was so angry, and I wanted revenge, and I did it quickly before I could think about it, like a stupid--" "Did what? Scratch her face?" "I raped her." Mamoru forced himself to look straight into Usagi's eyes. "What?" "Usako--" "Omigod. Mamo--" She jerked away from him. "You didn't." "I did. Look, if there was only one thing in all my lives that I could undo, that would be it! Usako, please! I was a kid! And Zoisite . . . oh!" Mamoru pushed his bangs from his eyes. The horror in Usagi's face changed to an unreadable expression. Her mouth froze open and her fingers reached up to pinch her lower lip. "You . . . did you ever do this to anyone else?" "Just Zoisite, and just that once. After I let her go, and I, I realized what I had just used my magic for, I got sick all over the sidewalk going home. But she never forgot, and she's still got that scar--the one under her left eye. I gave it to her." Mamoru took a deep breath, opening and closing his fists. "So now you know." Usagi touched her face, as if to make sure she wasn't dreaming. "I can't believe . . . I just can't believe . . . No wonder Beryl woke up! You owe Zoisite big time." "She paid us back." "You don't think she really helped Beryl take our baby, do you?" "She knew about it all along. She didn't deny it." Usagi settled herself on the cushion before Mamoru. She almost took his hands, but then drew back and tucked her fingers into the folds of her dressing gown. "Maybe Zoi-chan couldn't talk. Maybe Beryl was lying." "I don't know," said Mamoru. "She certainly had reason to hurt me." Minutes passed in silence. Mamoru wanted desperately to pull Usagi back into his arms, but he couldn't. Finally, Usagi said, "If Zoë's innocent, you're gonna have to make it up to her. I don't know how. But you have to. And you're going to have to be a father to her baby, even if it is half oni." "And if Zoisite's guilty?" "We can't possibly know that." "What if we could?" said Mamoru. "What if we find out beyond any doubt that she knew about the kidnapping plan all along, and was hiding it from us?" "Then . . . I don't know. But right now, I don't want to touch you. Get away from me and stand over there. I can't believe you'd . . . but we don't have time to argue about this, do we?" Usagi sighed and shook her head, shelving the thought for later. "What did your advisors tell you today?" Mamoru was relieved to change the subject. He stood up and walked to the window, hands in his pockets. "We've got to figure out which kimon Beryl plans to use." There were two kimon, or "demon gates" they had to worry about--the palace kimon at the edge of the gardens, over which Rei's shrine stood, and the one located at the farthest, northeast point of Crystal Yedo, about two kilometers from the palace. The kimon were necessary, vulnerable points between worlds, which couldn't be eliminated any more than one could get rid of the northeast. There were others in Crystal Yedo-- every cottage had its own; but blasting through a little house kimon would destroy the house, and hence, the kimon, so Beryl wouldn't likely waste her energy on those. "If Beryl's oni troops come through the palace kimon," said Mamoru, "they'll be right on top of us. But your wards are pretty strong there, and it'll take a lot of energy for Beryl to break through." "If she's got Usa's scepter, she can do it." Mamoru nodded, although he knew little about these matrilineal scepters. Once, he'd asked Usagi where she got her moon stick. She said the "Mother Queen" from the moon had given it to her. Whatever. Usa's scepter had just appeared one morning. It was shortly after the wedding, when he had taken Usagi up to Hokkaido to see the Northern Lights. They spent the night under the stars, while green ribbons flashed and crackled across the sky. When they awoke at dawn, there was a shiny, new scepter lying beside them. That was how Usagi knew they had just conceived a princess. "But doesn't Usa's scepter harness positive energy?" said Mamoru. "What's going to happen when Beryl uses it?" Usagi wrinkled her brow. "I'm not sure. Nothing like this has ever happened before. But if she can harness it, it'll open the palace kimon, no problem." "But maybe Beryl would rather conserve energy, and send her troops through the kimon at the outer edge of Crystal Yedo. If she does that, we'll at least have some distance between them and us, and we can defend the palace." Mamoru touched the window screen. "But either way, we're still sitting ducks, and I don't like it. If only we could keep Beryl's oni from jumping into Earth." "Impossible," said Usagi. "Tokyo's full of kimon. Even if I put a ward over the one behind the arcade, the demons have a million others they can use. What we have to do is break into the Dark Kingdom and stop Beryl in her own lair." "How can we break into Jigoku? I doubt Kunzite's gonna invite me." Suddenly, Usagi's eyes lit up. "Kunzite!" she said. "That's it!" "Huh?" "Luna said that a 'source of darkness' let Beryl into Crystal Yedo. So why wouldn't the opposite work? If we find a source of light in Jigoku, we should be able to break through Beryl's ward, just like she broke through mine!" "Kunzite's a source of light?" said Mamoru, cringing. "Don't you see? If there's love between two people in Beryl's court, then the evil of Jigoku has a serious flaw. But they can't just be sexually attracted; it's got to be a true love so strong, they'd do anything for each other. Give up anything." "You think Zoisite and Kunzite's love is that strong?" "If it's not," said Usagi, "then we're in trouble. It's our only hope." Mamoru heard scratching at the door, which he recognized as kitty claws on teakwood. "Enter," he called. The door panel cracked open just enough to let Luna in. She was followed by her mate, Artemis, the white cat who had trained Minako back when the senshi were still school girls in modern Tokyo. "Mamoru," said Luna, "the shogun has just arrived with his entourage from Kyoto and is coming to greet you." Mamoru turned to Usagi. "I want you to stay in bed and regain some strength." "I have to call the scouts, so we can plan how we're going to break into Jigoku!" "Usagi--" "It's my baby and my battle!" "But you're weak; you need rest." "I'll be fine." Mamoru looked pleadingly at the black cat. "Luna, talk some sense into her. She needs to sleep today." "But it's the Yutate-Sai," said Luna. "As Sailor Moon, she must perform the final cleansing before our troops go into battle." "Okay. But after that, you have to make her go to bed." "Hmph! I couldn't make her go to bed when she was fourteen." Artemis yowled to get Mamoru's attention. "The shogun is approaching the palace," he said. "I suggest you hurry and suit up." "Do I really have to wear armor for a tea ceremony?" "You should be wearing it at all times now; an attack could be imminent. The warriors are staying prepared. Besides, your armor is light and should be perfectly comfortable." Sure, thought Mamoru, padding over to an alcove across the room from the tokonoma, where his armor and weapons hung. First, he tied on a pair of shin protectors and knee guards, made from tough rawhide and light plates of steel. Then, with some difficulty, he climbed into his armored coat, which included a cuirass and armored skirt panels made of folding metal plates, laced together with sinew. It was light enough for movement, but still pretty heavy, and hopefully strong enough to fend off an energy attack or two. On his breastplate was the triple-swirl mitsutomoe, plated in gold and surrounded by the gold chrysanthemums of Japan's imperial emblem--something to remind him that the armor of Crystal Yedo was more than just leather and steel, that it was sacred and endowed with special protection. "You must live by the code of the samurai," said the white cat. "Physical comfort is of minor importance." At least it's a cool day, Mamoru thought as he laced into the shoulder plates and arm guards. His helmet, which he would just carry for now, was fashioned from curved metal leaves, riveted together with the nape guard and topped with the lunar crescent over a ringed, wooden disk symbolizing Crystal Nihon. "Have you bathed?" said Artemis. "Yes." "But you've been sitting with Usagi." "Usagi is not a contamination." "But she's just had a baby. You know our sacred customs here, and if you've touched--" Mamoru silenced the cat with a sharp glare. "Save it! Usagi's bodily fluids are not my biggest concern right now." He frowned as he reached for his sandals. Our baby daughter's in Hell, in the arms of my enemy, our palace is about to be trampled by demons, and our Grand Chamberlain and Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal are a couple of Confucian housecats. What more can the Gods drop on my shoulders? Suddenly, Mamoru was startled by a blast outside that sounded like an erupting geyser. "What . . . was . . . that?" "Oh," said Artemis. "I forgot to tell you. Something from Kyoto has just landed in the courtyard gardens." "Landed?" "You'll see." Artemis turned to Luna. "Help Usagi prepare for tonight's ceremony. I'll accompany Mamoru to the throne pavilion." The last thing Mamoru did before leaving his living chambers was to strap on his sword girdle, attach his jeweled wakizashi short sword, and take down his katana. Apparently, this deadly length of dark gray, tempered steel was the same weapon he had carried back when he was a samurai prince a thousand years ago. The ancient blade, being much straighter than the swords of the Tokugawa era, had most of its curve near the tang. It had been forged by an ancestor of the master sword maker, Masamune, and allegedly tested on the bodies of captured demons. Every time he gripped the black, leather binding of the hilt, memories would come flooding back like distant voices and dark, faded visions. But it was fleeting, like trying to remember a dream after waking up. He held the sword for a moment, feeling its weight and balance before re-sheathing it. "I'll see you at the shrine," he said to Usagi, who nodded as he bowed out of the room. As Mamoru coursed alongside his furry advisor down the hallway, he tried to listen to the information Artemis was reciting, but the noise outside was distracting. "Our tengu army from Mount Kurama is setting up camp along the hillside southwest of the palace. The Lieutenant General of Kurama is leading two, standard 'B' divisions of twenty thousand goblins, organized into four brigades." "Goblins?" said Mamoru. "Most of the mountain people of Crystal Nihon are goblins. They're our finest warriors. A lot tougher than the faerie of the valleys." A lot uglier and more dangerous, too. Mamoru had never met a goblin. He didn't want to. "The army from Hokkaido," continued Artemis, "is camped due west, and our forces from Kyushu and Shikoku are flanking our eastern side. And I should tell you . . . um, have you ever met the shogun?" "No." "Be very respectful. He's a Kurama Mountain goblin, and has a notorious temper." "Great," said Mamoru. "Are all the daimyo lords in his entourage also Kurama Mountain goblins?" "No," said Artemis. "Whew. That's a relief." "Most of them are from Mount Fuji." Upon entering the courtyard gardens, Mamoru almost fell backwards. Alongside the lily pond curled a black reptile larger than any dinosaur he had ever seen at the museum. At its widest girth, the snake-like body was as big as a little house. The grinning beast had four legs, but seemed to prefer slithering. Along its back rippled waves of leathery wings . . . or were they fins? Mamoru saw four long ridges of them, each spanning about twelve feet. It tail was in the water, stirring the pond. Its head was shaped almost like a dog's, with a pug snout and big, brown, rolling eyes. It was shaking the water from its wings, making it rain over the garden. Long, fleshy, barbels covered its mouth and cheeks like a red beard, and Mamoru could see rows of sharp teeth. "She's the special pet of the shogun's youngest daughter," said Artemis. "Dragons can fight, of course, but they mostly lend good fortune by their presence. This one originally came from Manchuria, I'm told. She's over two hundred years old, and one of only four such animals in all of Crystal Nihon." A geyser of pond water spouted from the blow-hole at its neck. Suddenly, the tangle of crimson-tipped fins over its eyes opened like a hibiscus blossom, and Mamoru saw Minako sitting astride the creature's head. "Mamo-san!" she cried, waving her arms in greeting. She was wearing an orange and white yukata. Her long, blonde hair was pulled back with a clashing red bow. "What are you doing?" screamed Mamoru. "You gotta take a ride on this thing! Omigod, it's fun!" "Get down from there!" "All right," said Minako. She leaned over the dragon's ear hole and called out a command in Mandarin. The beast then lowered its head to the ground, and Minako climbed off, staggering slightly to catch her balance. "Oh yes!" she said. "Oh, Hell yes! I gotta get a dragon! This is better than a car!" "You're crazy!" Artemis said, "It's mate is staying behind in Kyoto to guard the shogun's castle, and the third dragon has to remain at the farthest, northeastern kimon of Hokkaido." "So, where's the fourth?" said Mamoru. The petal-like, crimson fins over the beast's brow fanned open into full bloom, revealing a little dragon about the size of a pony. The hatchling had been sleeping behind Minako, curled up on its mother's head. It uncoiled its shiny, black body, stretched out its wings and legs, flexed its claws, opened its jaws and honked. "Sounds like a vintage micro-bus," said Mamoru, as the hatchling climbed down and let it's mother nudge it into the pond. It paddled through the lilies like a giant, black swan with its back arched, then dove under for a few seconds, surfacing with a large, black and white, spotted fish half-way down its gullet. "That's the baby whose hatching Rei and I got to see in Kyoto!" said Minako, striding over to Mamoru. "Her name is Gùngjyú, which is Chinese for 'Princess.' Isn't she cute?" "Real cute," said Mamoru, grimacing at the remains of a fish tail hanging from its jaws. "Cute appetite, too. Princess just downed a fifty-year-old ornamental koi." He turned to Artemis. "Tell the servants to bring some fish from the kitchen before this thing cleans out our pond." The hatchling honked again and snaked along the water's edge. It sniffed at a lily, then nosed under to root it up. "Is the mother this destructive?" whispered Mamoru, standing at the edge, watching the infant happily root up several lotus plants with its snout. "Shhh," said Artemis. "A dragon's presence will augment our powers." "But is Crystal Yedo a safe place right now for the only baby dragon in Japan?" "The mother and daughter are the most auspicious and powerful of all; and if Crystal Yedo goes, everything goes. That's why Usagi and her court mustn't evacuate. C'mon. Let's go meet the shogun." In the throne pavilion, the shogun sat on the dais, adjacent to Mamoru's right. Artemis stayed a little farther off to his left. On the tatami mats before him, his seven chief counselors faced the shogun's seven daimyo lords. The contrast couldn't have been greater. Mamoru's councilors were faerie, with long, slender limbs, delicate features, shiny, iridescent hair pulled into neat top-knots, and rich, brocaded coats that shimmered with metallic threads and jeweled fasteners. They held their tea bowls with white fingers as dainty as those of an oyster shell doll. The goblins were squat, winged beings covered in mottled, brown fur that poked out in tufts from their course, rawhide-and-steel armor. They had small, black eyes positioned close together over their snouts, and wide, papery ears that twitched and pivoted like satellite dishes. Their wings, which were actually their arms and hands, were black and leathery, folded over their shoulders. They looked like bats, thought Mamoru. The shogun held his mouth in a permanent, panting grin full of needle-sharp teeth, and he kept swaying back and forth over his tea bowl. His helmet, a frightful, steel mask with horns, sat beside him. In no way do I want to offend this guy. Mamoru hoped he would remember all the nuances of etiquette. At least he could finally kneel in the seiza position for a long time without putting his legs to sleep. "How is the tea?" he said. "Good," grunted the shogun, flashing his teeth and rocking slightly. Despite the goblins' rude, menacing appearance, they were all immaculately clean for people who had just traveled across Japan. "I hope you and your warriors had a good journey." "Very good. It is an auspicious day. I feel the Kami wind of victory in the air." That's good, thought Mamoru. "Glory follows the emperor!" said the shogun. Very good. You're doing okay so far, Tux. Just remember not to lay your stir stick where it's pointing at anybody. "When is Yutate-Sai?" "Tonight, at dusk," said Mamoru. Usagi was probably in the tea pavilion by now, holding her own, more informal war council with the senshi. He envied her. Chocolate-chip ice cream with friends felt a lot more appealing right now than glutinous rice balls and bitter tea with the fiercest military commanders of Crystal Nihon. "The empress and her scouts are forming a plan to break into Jigoku and confront Beryl before her oni can attack us," he said. "Ahh," said the shogun. "But let us hope the senshi do not steal our glorious battle away from us, and deny us the pleasure of spilling oni blood! Ha, ha!" The shogun rocked back on his heels and barked with laughter, followed by the guffaws of his goblin lords. "Ha, ha," chuckled Mamoru, trying to sound sincerely amused. "Good joke!" His back was starting to hurt, and the sweat under his armor stung. If he could just live through this tea ceremony, plunging his hands into scalding water during Yutate-Sai would be a breeze. * "Are you all right?" said Rei, after she had finished intoning her prayer for success in battle. Mamoru felt the weight of her hand on his back and opened his eyes. Yes, the little make-shift altar still sat before him. No, he wasn't getting out of this. Flexing his leg muscles, he raised himself up slightly onto his heels so he could continue holding the seiza position. Wearing armor, however light and flexible, wasn't making this any easier. It was twilight outside; he'd been wearing this armor for hours. It wouldn't be long before he started to stink. He tried to savor the sweet smelling votives and oils on the simple altar, admire the pleasing arrangement of rice dishes, seaweed and saké that Rei had set before the Kami spirits. "How are you feeling?" whispered Rei. "Truthfully." "Scared shitless." "You can do this." "No problem," said Mamoru, forcing a smile. "I plunge my bare hands into pots of boiling water all the time." "It's for Usa." Dressed in her white kimono with black hakama pantaloons, Rei took up her black, lacquered clogs and adjusted the black eboshi cap tied over her long hair. They were alone in the portable shrine that had been carried to the grounds outside the southern face of the palace. It was a small box with barely enough room for two people to kneel. A curtain hid them from the throng of warriors waiting outside. With a fresh wand of white, paper streamers that had never been used, Rei brushed Mamoru's left shoulder, then right, then left again. "The Kami are with you," she whispered before exiting the shrine to bless and "purify" the bubbling cauldron outside. Mamoru bowed low until his nose touched the mat. Now he was alone. Alone with whatever spirits, real or imagined, attended this most sacred of cleansing ceremonies. What now? Could he pray? He had never decided whether he even believed in the Kami, the gods of Shinto. Sure, he'd been to shrine many times back in Tokyo. New Years, Coming-Of-Age, spring and fall festivals--these were just things everyone did. But this . . . What was going to save his wife and child? Save his friends and this strange country he had to lead? What could give him courage to thrust his hands into a cauldron of boiling water, and why was it so absolutely important that he do so? The drums began to sound-- not tinny, little, hand drums like at the Tokyo shrines. These were big animal hides stretched over frames as wide as a tent. Steady, slowly accelerating beats were pounded out by warriors who knew how to face death. Mamoru shut his eyes and let the spices from the votives and oils blend with the smell of sweat, of food, of alcohol--breathing into his nostrils, filling his senses. The sooty fog that hid his past parted like a curtain, allowing a glimpse into a bygone time and battle, when he wore armor and swung his katana to fight the First Awakening of Beryl. Usagi, of the distant, celestial kingdom, was his barbarian princess of golden hair, and the four lords who had abandoned him now faced him as enemies. Mamoru opened his eyes just as a drop of sweat fell from his brow onto the mat. It was not just a dream. He was that samurai prince, and it was time to fight. He rose and picked up his helmet. About a hundred thousand souls filled the hillsides of Crystal Yedo, stretching from the western to the eastern flanks of the palace. They all stopped and dropped to their knees in silence as Mamoru emerged from the shrine into the open, evening air. It was like watching a rippling wave in which he was the center. The land curved around him from the foothills to his right, swinging past the faint edges of the ocean to the valleys on his left. It fell from him in terraced rings, green and gold for the harvest. This was one of Mamoru's rare glimpses of his kingdom outside the palace courtyard, and were he in modern Tokyo, he would now be facing the glass and steel towers of the downtown financial districts, the concrete high-rises and neon boulevards. The sun was just disappearing behind the foothills. A breeze began to ruffle the blue and red dyed hemp cloth of his hakama and tunic sleeves. It cooled his heavy, damp hair. Still glowing, the horizon was rapidly deepening to violet, then indigo and midnight blue, as a band of stars arched over the heavens to make their torii--the original torii. Mamoru put on his helmet. Auspicious day were the words in his mind. Rei had just finished blessing the boiling water, and was scattering droplets from a single leaf of the sacred sakaki tree. The fire beneath the great, iron kettle crackled and smoldered. Mamoru took a deep, vigorous breath of smoky air and commanded the drummers to resume their pounding. Two young, faerie miko rose to face the cauldron, since dancing was the proper way to begin this spiritual battle. Dressed in nothing but red skirts, with their hair pulled back tight in white ribbons, they held their bell wands and white streamers before their faces as they began to bow and spin around the fire. Mamoru watched the sweat gleam between their pubescent breasts in the orange glow as they shook their bell wands at the four corners of the world. It was far more primal and erotic than miko dances of modern shrines. Then Rei stepped forward and took Mamoru's katana. Sword raised high over her head, she circled the fire just as the two miko had done. Cutting in all four directions, she slashed through the steam to sever the hold of evil and open the curtain shrouding Mamoru's destiny. The pounding grew faster, louder. Moving with the unconscious surety of ritual as deep as instinct, Mamoru re-sheathed his sword and approached the cauldron, facing the foothills of the western horizon. The drums stopped. The warriors held their breath. All was suddenly silent except for the whispered notes of Rei's prayer. Mamoru found his own lips moving with her words. Then his hands clapped twice and he bowed low to the ground. After the fourth bow, he rose, stretched out his right hand, and with a piercing cry dashed the hand into the roiling water. Drums and cymbals banged in a frenzy while water splashed and sizzled on the hot fire stones at Mamoru's feet. His hand was out and back into the air, spraying drops of water from his fingertips. Rei wetted a bundle of sakaki twigs to fling sacred drops over the backs of the chief samurai officers who knelt closest to the fire. Soon, they both had branches in the pot, sweeping them up into the air to wet the four corners of the universe, drenching their own garments in the process. Amazingly, although his hand was slightly pink, Mamoru didn't feel burned. When the pot was nearly empty, Rei motioned for Mamoru to stop and look over his shoulder. Standing behind him was Usagi, dressed in the twelve-layered kimono of high ceremony, with headdress, train, and sleeves that hung to the ground. Her colors were blue and red accents over white, with touches of yellow. The three other senshi stood behind her, also in bright, court garb, in their own colors--blue and white for Ami, green, white and pink for Makoto, and white and orange for Minako. Usagi stepped forward with her crescent moon scepter held high. "Who will be healed tonight?" she called out in the clearly articulated voice she only used when asserting authority. There were a few furtive glances among the goblin officers, but it was Mamoru who finally approached her. He hadn't planned to be the one to sacrifice his remaining darkness to the Kami; but now, it somehow felt right, even seemly. "You?" Usagi blinked. "Me," said Mamoru, bending to his knees and lowering his head before her. A ripple of whispered gasps rolled across the throng, followed by reverent silence. Mamoru, although he could see nothing but the clover under his clasped hands, could feel Usagi's energy gathering. He could feel her focus through the glint of the scepter, feel her drawing the circle around him. But before she could speak the healing words, the woven energy was suddenly ripped like a piece of cloth. It felt like claws lashing through Mamoru's soul. He jerked up. The hills around the palace, waiting in silence just a moment ago, were now shaking with the war cries of startled tengu. A volcano of dark energy was erupting through the palace kimon just beyond the edge of the courtyard gardens. By the time he turned around, the officers who had been kneeling around the shrine were already running, shouting orders to their subordinates, rounding up their warriors. And a ring of guards appeared around Mamoru, Usagi and the court. Usagi grabbed Mamoru's arm. "Stay here!" she shouted. "This is the safest place we can be, outside the southern wall!" "But I'm armed for battle!" said Mamoru, pulling on his helmet. "You don't have to prove anything to these guys." "I have to prove something to myself." With a bow to Usagi and the court, Mamoru dashed through the protected circle to find his battle. But by the time he reached a vantage point on the northwest hillside, standing on a tuft of abandoned earth to see what was going on, it looked as if there was not much left for him to do. Waves of oni came springing like lava out of the ground at the kimon, but the tengu goblins on horseback had surrounded them, shooting them down with arrows. Perhaps "horseback" wasn't the correct term, for Mamoru wasn't certain these white, shaggy creatures the goblins rode were horses. They thundered up the terraced hillside around the palace like a stampede of Arctic yaks or giant rams with deadly horns and hooves. The bows the tengu carried looked like the short-bows the mongolian hordes had used to take over ancient China. The goblins wore hideous iron masks with their helmets, that almost made them look like oni themselves. Their wings opened in the wind like ragged, black sails, and their war cry sounded like twenty thousand subway trains taking sharp corners on un-oiled track. The oni, who were really just youma--elemental spirits captured and held by Beryl--had obviously been morphed to Beryl's design. She had made a uniform army of scuttling and leaping crab-like monsters the size of draft horses, the likes of which would never be able to withstand the weight of their own exoskeletons on Earth. The grooves that formed the back of their shells looked just like human skulls. Nice touch, thought Mamoru, watching the gravity-defying crustaceans get slaughtered as they tried to storm the palace grounds. Those that didn't fall by an arrow were cut down by foot soldiers swinging pre-Heian period straight swords. Finally, the little piece of hillside holding the kimon was blasted beyond recognition, and the kimon vanished, allowing no more oni. The dead bodies were already beginning to vanish into the earth. Mamoru covered his ears through the tengu victory shout, as he returned to Usagi at the southern wall. "We're trouncing them!" said Mamoru. The shogun appeared and slapped Mamoru's back. "Feast tonight, yes? But this battle's so easy, it is almost not worth a feast! Ha, ha!" But suddenly, in the midst of all the laughing and shouting, Rei pitched forward into the dirt. Her two crows came screaming through the air toward the court. "Rei!" cried Mamoru and Usagi. Mamoru leaped to the priestess' side. She was gasping for breath and clutching the front of her temple robe. "What's the matter?" said Mamoru. "We're winning this battle hands down!" Rei was shivering violently. "This is no battle." "Huh?" "It's nothing but a minor diversion. The kimon . . . the outer kimon--the big one up the road . . . just opened." * Zoisite recalled a bright, spring morning, when the clover felt fresh under his toes. Full sun warmed his face and arms. Dressed in a light yukata--white with pink cherry blossoms, he bowed low to the strange woman who cast no shadows. She was taller than any queen of Japan, with hair that coiled in ringlets like copper shavings down to the hem of her long, blue gown. Her face was delicate and pointed like the spirit people who dwelled in the valleys around Prince Mamoru's palace, and her eyes were larger than a barbarian's. And her amazing powers . . . When she summoned Zoisite to meet her at the glade beyond the northern edge of the village, he had expected some kind of camp with tents, not this breathtaking pavilion carved from stone. He found himself surrounded by a ring of white pillars sprouting from the earth, capped with lintels. There were stories of barbarians in far off lands to the west who carved their pavilions from pure, white stone, but Zoisite had always regarded such tales as nothing more than fantasy, like stories about towers to the sky. "You may raise your head and sit up," said Queen Beryl. "Do you like my temple?" "I have never seen anything so beautiful, Honored One." "It is nothing compared to the splendor of my country. Wait until you see the great, stone palace I am giving you. It was hewn from a solid mountain. You can see streaks of pure gold and silver in the walls, wander through endless rooms under high, vaulted ceilings. The floor of the audience chamber is pure, polished obsidian, and you shall have abundant servants for every need. I promise, you will completely forget your mundane life as a lackey in the court of your incompetent prince." The foreign queen tapped the ground with her long, bronze scepter. Entwined with iron tendrils that bloomed at the top around a smoky, glass sphere, the staff looked almost organic. And Zoisite noticed, with wonder and just a twinge of discomfort, that Queen Beryl's staff didn't cast any shadows either. Was she actually standing there, or was this just a projected illusion? She said, "Did you get the information we need?" "H-hai." Zoisite pulled a small scroll from his sleeve. "Everything is here; the size and strength of his army, the names within the court, and the names of the magic attacks . . . all you need." "Well done," said Queen Beryl. "You always were the clever one. Where is your prince now?" "He has left Crystal Nihon to revel in the foreign court of his barbarian harlot." Zoisite spat out his words like bitter venom. "Just like him. But take heart, Honorable Zoisite; we stand at the threshold of new leadership. Now . . ." A scroll appeared from the air and floated into the queen's hand. And crystallizing on the clover before Zoisite's knees was a small, stone table with an ink block, brush and dagger. "Are you ready to join me?" Zoisite nodded, wondering uneasily what the dagger was for. But he took a deep breath and pushed back any feelings of fear and guilt. He had to do this if Crystal Nihon was to escape the weak leadership of the arrogant, indulgent Prince Mamoru. He could not stand back and watch the incompetent prince become Emperor of the upper realm. The prince had thwarted Zoisite's ambitions with empty promises and threats for long enough, and Zoisite could suffer no more. And with the power his allegiance to the foreign queen would bring him, he could regain the favor of Princess Mercury. That would be even sweeter than revenge on the prince. Zoisite took up the ink block, spit into it and began rubbing the pestle stone across the groove to create the ink. "Spit and blood," said Queen Beryl, pointing at the dagger. "Nani?" "You must use both spit and blood, or our pact will not bind." Of course. Zoisite nodded, lay down the block and pestle and drew the tip of the freshly sharpened dagger across the pad of his thumb. He winced as he squeezed a few drops into the ink block, but when he finally took up the brush and wrote his name in calligraphy down the scroll, the ink was a deep, rich, beautiful burgundy. Then he pulled out the little, wooden name stamp that hung around his throat. "Use only blood," said the queen. Zoisite squeezed another drop onto the stamp and pressed his ideogram to the scroll. Suddenly, the queen began to laugh, and her delicate face twisted right before Zoisite's unbelieving eyes, until she looked like a serpent. "Ha! I've caught the third one! Only the fourth is left!" Zoisite gasped and fell back. Immediately, some strange force pinned his wrists to the ground, which now felt oddly cold, as if a carpet of ice needles had replaced the clover. Queen Beryl's fingers, suddenly long and gnarled, with claws, reached out and snapped the name stamp off the string around Zoisite's throat. "You won't be needing this," she said as the stamp vanished in her fist. >From nowhere, a band of insectoid oni pounced on Zoisite, shredding his yukata, then disappearing just as quickly, leaving him naked under the full sun. The full sun? What was happening to him? His skin was burning! "Are you coming or not?" said the queen, releasing the binding over Zoisite's wrists. He looked up to see a black portal gaping before him. The evil emanating from it was so palpable it turned Zoisite's stomach. But it was out of the sun, which had never burned him before. He cried out in pain, afraid to enter what he now realized was Queen Beryl's realm--the realm of the fabled Dark Kingdom! And this temple was really a . . . a kimon! "We are waiting, Zoisite. Your comrades, Jadeite and Nephrite, are already within. Kunzite-sama will join us shortly." "He'll never . . . be so fooled!" stammered Zoisite, writhing as his skin began to peel and blister. He screamed. "Oh, the Captain of His Majesty's Royal Guard may be a hard sell," said Beryl. "But I think he's secretly fond of you, and won't hold out forever. Now, come inside before you roast. First, we'll fit you with a proper uniform. Then we'll work on your attitude, little traitor." Zoisite couldn't stand the burning. He crawled into the sanctuary of darkness, begging out loud for Prince Mamoru to return quickly and save him, fearing that it was too late . . . Princess Chibi Usa began to cry again, interrupting Zoisite's reverie. But it was just as well, because this memory was not one Zoisite liked to indulge. The infant sprawled on its back on the cold, stone floor, whimpering. It was caked in its own filth, as was Zoisite, who hardly even noticed the stench anymore. The putrid food and water the oni had dumped into the cell had made Zoisite ill, and the stones ran slick with the result. Zoisite tried to lift Usa, but the baby screamed until she let it alone. How did it live? wondered Zoisite. One couldn't really keep track of time in this dark pit, but it must've been several days since Usa's birth, and the enfanta still refused to nurse. Any normal baby would've died from hunger and dehydration by now. Was the energy of Usa's scepter somehow nourishing her? How much longer could that work? Usa wailed, then started screaming. "Quiet!" snapped Zoisite. "I'm in enough trouble as it is! Don't make it worse!" Zoisite placed her head between her naked, soiled knees to still the pounding behind her eyes. "Don't your lungs ever wear out?" If only she hadn't been so harsh with Kunzite. He was only trying to comfort her, in his own, Jigoku way. And now he probably thought she didn't ever want to see him again. If he would just visit her once more, she could tell him not to misunderstand her; she wasn't trying to make him jealous of Ami. It wasn't like that at all! Ami was just her only friend! But Kunzite hadn't come back since that first visit. No one came to see her in this deepest, darkest pit of Hell. Zoisite could take the cold, the sickness and Usa's screaming if it weren't for the terrible loneliness. Even Mamoru would've been a comfort now. She ached for Kunzite's arms and began to fear for his safety. Was he still alive? Would Beryl even tell her if Kunzite were killed? Maybe that was why Kunzite hadn't come back. Zoisite trembled, wondering if her demand upon Kunzite had been fatally foolish. The baby cried harder. "Shut up!" The crying was incessant. "Shut up! Shut up!" Usa, who never seemed to sleep, screamed endlessly, not allowing Zoisite any sleep either. Zoisite couldn't take anymore. She reached down and seized the infant's wrinkled, little shoulders. "I said, shut up!" Usa continued wailing. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Zoisite's fingers squeezed harder, her frustration turning to rage at the screaming, little ball between her hands. For a flash, she envisioned herself dashing the baby against the floor, shaking it into silence. With a strangled cry, Zoisite threw herself to the stones, several feet away. "Oh!" she gasped. "I almost shook its brains out!" She closed her eyes against the welling tears. "Beryl would kill me! "Oh, who am I fooling? Beryl's going to kill me anyway . . . I'd be doing the brat a favor . . . she's better off dead than with us." It took a while before Zoisite realized the crying had stopped. She froze. Had she indeed killed Usa? But then she noticed . . . warmth! A white glow bathed the cell as Zoisite opened her eyes. Turned away from the baby, she couldn't see anything but the stone walls before her, but the light and warmth was coming from Usa's direction. Zoisite was afraid to look. She felt an armload of white feathers tumble weightlessly over her back. But when she shifted under them, they suddenly became a thick, white blanket, softer than cotton flannel. And when Zoisite glanced down at her hands, they were clean! So were her arms and legs and the stones beneath her! The blood, filth and sickness had suddenly vanished, and the air smelled fresh. She distinctly heard humming--a popular lullaby in low, deep tones. Trembling, Zoisite turned around. Then she gasped. Crouched over the baby was a man with broad shoulders and flowing, auburn hair. He was dressed in a general's uniform much like Kunzite's, except that the gray shimmered like burnished silver, flashing to white when he moved. When Zoisite tried to look at him more closely, he seemed to fade into his own light. The man's back was turned, but Zoisite could see his large, strong hands gently fitting a cloth diaper on Usa, who was also suddenly clean. The baby had stopped writhing, and was happily kicking her legs. For a brief moment, the man turned his head so that Zoisite could just make out the strong, masculine lines of his profile. Nephrite! Zoisite shrank back into her blanket. But the terror she should've felt seeing the ghost of her slaughtered enemy failed to rise. Instead, Zoisite found herself transfixed by the glow sparkling off the tips of his fingers and the ends of his hair. He lifted Usa into his hands and stood up, cradling her against his chest. She looked so tiny, nestled in the crook of his arm, her head resting in his palm. He slowly paced around the cell, where the ceiling was high enough to clear his tall form. His voice was deep and soft. Hush, hush, and go to sleep; Blackbirds rest in yonder mountain. You mustn't cry, but go to sleep, Or the blackbirds will start to shrill again. Then, with a kiss on Usa's head, he knelt beside Zoisite and placed the baby into her arms. Immediately, Usa nudged Zoisite's left breast and began to suckle. She could feel Nephrite's hand on her back--almost a physical pressure, but more like a tingle. And the kiss he planted on the top of her head was as soft and fleeting as a feather. Then he vanished. But the blanket remained around Zoisite's shoulders, still just as warm. There was even some residual light in the cell. And in the corner lay a small pile of fresh, neatly folded diapers beside a bottle of water and a lunch tin Zoisite hadn't seen before. Usa made small, contented noises as she suckled, patting the breast with her tiny fingers. It was so strange and wonderful, nourishing someone like this. Giving life instead of taking or using it! Cradling Usa's downy head in her hand, Zoisite held her close, feeling for the first time true affection for the baby, maybe even love. She smiled. The darkest, coldest pit of Hell couldn't keep everyone out. Even here, someone cared. PART TEN "Rei! Is it that bad?" Mamoru crouched beside the gasping priestess at the southern wall. A goblin warrior, looking as if he'd just run a marathon, bowed, then whispered into the shogun's ear. "The farthest kimon has been breached," said the shogun, flashing his sharp teeth. "But several other kimon, from dwellings within the village, have also opened." "What?" said Mamoru. "You're kidding! Why would Beryl waste energy on a bunch of little kimon that can't last more than a minute?" "Usa's scepter," said Usagi. The shogun sniffed the night air. "The oni forces advancing from the outer kimon are large and armed with dark magic. We will need all our armies to hold them back." "But what about the oni coming through all the little kimon?" said Mamoru. "That could be a problem." "True. Are the senshi still planning to break into the Dark Kingdom?" "We sure are," said Usagi and Minako together. "Then do it now. I fear that your auspicious presence here will not be enough to save us." Usagi helped Rei to her feet. "Are you ready?" "Don't worry about me," said Rei. "I'm not the one who just had a baby." "I can't let you do this," said Mamoru, laying his hand over Usagi's back. "You haven't regained your strength." "You heard the shogun; we don't have time for naps!" Motioning with her hands, Usagi addressed the four senshi. "Time to transform! Are you coming with us, Mamo-chan?" Mamoru nodded. A night of swinging his katana on the battle field might bring him glory, but protecting Usagi and Usa was more important. "Let's do it!" said Usagi, raising her wand into the air as the others joined hands in a circle around her. "Moon Prism Power . . . Make up!" For Mamoru, it was always magic, watching Usagi transform into her warrior self. From the first time he had witnessed it over three years ago, the awakening of Sailor Moon moved him more than any transfiguration in any religion he had ever read about. Usagi--young, imperfect, in many ways immature, became not a different person, but the consummation of all her past and future lives. It was not a stranger suddenly looking through her eyes, but her true identity. Girl, Empress, fighter and lover. Her twelve-layer kimono, fan, combs and all the trappings of Crystal Yedo vanished. Poised in the air like a dancer, she stretched her arms and pointed her toes as red and blue ribbons coiled around her body. They turned into the fuku--a bright, silken raiment more like a figure skater's costume than a fighter's uniform. The ribbons around her feet became red boots, and those around her hands became white gloves. The two tails flowing from the rolled buns atop her head lengthened, and Mamoru thought she was far more radiant than the fabled Princess Kaguya could ever have been. The other four senshi also transformed. "You can get up now," said Usagi to the shogun, whose nose was planted in the grass. She pulled the red bow from her bodice and gave it to the awestruck goblin. "For my gratitude." Then she turned to Mamoru and the other scouts. "Let's go!" Teleporting to the alley behind Crown Arcade, Mamoru was glad he didn't pass out this time, although he was disappointed that he couldn't take his samurai armor and katana to Earth. It wasn't as comfortable as a tuxedo, but it sure looked cool. "We have to focus on a strong source of light in Jigoku to break into the kimon," said Usagi. "Everything depends on Zoë and Kunzite." "Gods help us," said Mamoru as he and the senshi joined hands. "Mamo-kun," whispered Minako beside him. "If we don't make it out alive . . . " "Yeah?" said Mamoru. "I want you to know that it's not that I don't like you, but . . . well, okay. I never liked you. But what I mean is . . . uh . . . I'd hate it if we died, and I never got a chance to tell you . . . um . . . to tell you . . ." "That you'd rather be on my side than Beryl's?" "Shhh!" said the others. "It's all right," said Mamoru, squeezing Minako's fingers. Tokyo night's couldn't get really dark, not with the light-pollution. Forget about watching stars. And this part of town, although mostly deserted by nine o'clock, still rumbled with busses and subways. Crystal Yedo's fresh smell of cut hay was replaced by acrid, damp concrete. The bright colors of the fuku and Usagi's golden wand were all that cut through the pervading gray. Somewhere, thought Mamoru, the bum under the loading dock stairs was probably watching their little circle, wondering what kind of goofy religious cult this was. Mamoru drew as close to his wife's mind as their bond permitted. Eyes shut, they tried to see the love between Zoisite and Kunzite as a hair-line trace into the dark energy of Beryl's domain. A light to follow, to pull the senshi inside. Mamoru could feel Usagi's energy drain, but he didn't dare interrupt the trance. After several minutes, she slumped into Mamoru's arms, shaking her head. "I can't . . . if there's love there, it's not strong enough to crack the crystal structure of Beryl's ward." "Not strong enough?" said Makoto. "All Zoë ever did was pine for Kunzite . . . except when she was cuddling--" Everyone looked at Ami. Ami stepped back. "I certainly never encouraged her!" Minako ground her teeth. "Well, I didn't!" defended Ami. "Nobody's accusing you," said Usagi. While the scouts argued, Mamoru felt his hackles rise. Jigoku was approaching in a form he knew too well. "Look out!" he cried, as Kunzite pounced from above like a cat who had been lying in wait. Mamoru conjured a rose, but Kunzite was already drawing a portal back to his lair, with Ami in his claws. It was such a flash, Ami couldn't even scream. Kunzite, silent and lithe as a panther, dragged her through the portal before anyone could stop him. * * * * "Lemme go!" cried Ami, kicking as hard as she could. Kunzite hoisted her over his shoulder, feet over head, before she could stomp on his instep or knee his groin. Even for a man of his strength and martial training, it was a struggle keeping her from clawing his eyes out. This petite woman fought dirtier than Zoisite. "Stop that!" hissed Kunzite, pulling Ami's fingernails from his face. He could feel blood dripping down one ear, where she had sunk her teeth. Now she had his hair in her fists, and was trying to put a choke hold on him between her legs. He wrestled her into his bedchamber and threw her into his nest. She leaped up and flew at him, but he covered her with a bubble of dark energy, much like the one Beryl was using on Zoisite. "Stop shrieking," said Kunzite, touching his painfully shredded ear. Blood was streaming down his jaw. Ami didn't seem to notice that her blue and white fuku was completely torn off one shoulder, or that the little skirt couldn't hide the smear of blood on her leg--Kunzite's blood, no doubt. "I'm keeping you out of the fray." he said. "Why don't you go bleach your roots?" Kunzite rolled his eyes. He was getting a little weary of that line. "This is my natural hair color, little dark one. And believe me, I wouldn't give a damn about you if it weren't for Zoisite, so keep your peace!" Ami's expression changed. She cocked her head and brushed the heavy bangs from her eyes. "What about Zoisite? How is she?" Kunzite felt a twinge of pain at the concern in Ami's face. "Zoisite is alive. That's all you need to know." His resentment warred with admiration. The quietest, most reserved and cerebral of the senshi would attack a man twice her size if given half a chance. Ami challenged him like someone who didn't believe in death. Kunzite had to admire that. He recalled Ami's fair face and blue-black hair from the Silver Millennium. He could still see her dark eyes gazing into Zoisite's, back when Zoisite was only his squire, unaware of Kunzite's feelings. And he could remember how glad he was the night Zoisite and Princess Mercury had their falling out, just before Beryl's attack against Prince Mamoru. Then the Mother Queen of Princess Usagi's kingdom sent Beryl and her servants to sleep for a thousand years. And when Kunzite awoke to the city lights of modern Tokyo, Zoisite finally belonged to him. Kunzite was not going to let some feisty reincarnation of the celestial princess change that, even if Mercury was as brave as she was pretty. "Where's Chibi Usa?" said Ami. Kunzite hadn't meant to respond with a growl, and chided himself for letting his jealousy get the better of him. Ami was settling herself into the nest, sniffing and poking curiously at the tangle of feathered coverlets, torn clothing and bits of fabric. "You sleep in this?" she said. Kunzite swung around with a "Hmph!" and stalked out of the room. If that was a note of pity in Ami's voice, he didn't want to hear it. He hurried through the corridors to Beryl's audience chamber, knowing that his absence would bring more suspicion upon him. He and Beryl had broken into Usagi's palace by focusing on the source of darkness-- the hatred between Mamoru and Zoisite. But now Beryl feared that the reverse might also work. She had intimated her concern that Usagi might find a source of light in Jigoku. Beryl hadn't said explicitly what that source of light might be, but everyone knew about Kunzite and Zoisite, and now everyone was watching. Kunzite had to hide his feelings, and not let on just how deep his bond with Zoisite really was. He now had to act stoically unconcerned whenever Beryl described possible methods of killing Zoisite. He couldn't show his fear and rage, and above all, he had to resist the overwhelming need to visit Zoisite's cell. Beryl would kill Zoisite if she thought their love was strong enough to be a danger. Pausing at the entrance to the audience chamber, Kunzite showered himself with a grooming spell to get the blood off his face and gloves, and to smooth his tangled hair back into a long, platinum fan. But there was little he could do about his mangled ear, except hope that Beryl wouldn't notice. "Lord Kunzite!" called Beryl as the general straightened his cape and crossed the polished, obsidian floor of the deep, vaulted space. The energy felt different. The pools of liquid black oozing from the shadows quaked in an odd way. One of the more slender stalactites had fallen, and lay in chalky pieces near the back. Kunzite's nostrils flared. Something was wrong. Something unknown and dangerous. But he dropped to his knees before Beryl's dais and kissed the floor just as he always did. "Have your officers successfully dispatched our forces through all the kimon?" said Beryl. "Hai. Nine armies, three divisions each-- eighty-one brigades. And the initial attack at the palace provided just enough diversion to upset the energy balance for our breach. The real siege is about to commence." "Excellent! Tell your officers that I have decided to open twelve more kimon!" "My Queen?" said Kunzite, looking up. Princess Usa's scepter floated beside her, draped in the black fabric of Zoisite's yukata from Crystal Yedo. The bandage around Beryl's left hand reminded him that Beryl couldn't touch it, and had to draw its power indirectly. Kunzite could hear a soft ringing that might've come from the wand, but the harmonic resonance throughout the chamber made it hard to tell. Beryl started laughing. "Twelve more kimon! The power in this stick is even greater than I thought!" "But . . . Most Honored One! It takes so much energy to open even one kimon! Twelve? I cannot advise it!" "Then make it twenty-four! I have more than enough energy!" Beryl threw her head back, fists in the air. But she also trembled in a way that spooked Kunzite. Shivers ran from her flowing, red tresses to the hem of the blue gown. The surge of power rising within her was certainly strong, but it felt unstable, like the mania of psychosis before a nervous collapse. Kunzite narrowed his eyes at Usa's scepter. The insectoid youma who tended Zoisite appeared from the shadows. "Come forward!" commanded Beryl. The youma, one of Beryl's more articulate, obeyed and scuttled forth. In its crab-like claws was a white blanket that radiated strange, foreign light. "What is that?" said Beryl, drawing her thin lips back over her fangs. Keeping its antennae bowed low, it presented the blanket like an offering and flexed its mouth parts to speak. "Mmmost Honored One, thisss was in Lady Zzzoisite's cell." Kunzite's eyes widened. "I never authorized that!" said Beryl. "How did it pass through my ward? Who put it there?" The youma was shaking so hard, Kunzite could hear the clicking plates of its red and black exoskeleton. "I know not, my Queen. The guards insssist that no one entered that sssector." "Well, blankets don't materialize out of the air." Beryl flashed an eye at Kunzite, who tried to look as much like a stone as he could. "There's more," said the youma. "When I checked on Lady Zzzoisite, I found her cell . . . cleaned. And there was fffresh water and fffood that I nnnever brought. And diapers for the infant. And Lady Zzzoisite was . . . " "She was what?" said Beryl. "She was rocking the infant and sssinging! Sssomething about blackbirds." Kunzite watched Beryl's manic euphoria turn dark. She started hissing through her fangs and shooting paranoid glances from side to side. "Source of light," she muttered. "Is my Queen quite well?" said Kunzite. "Perhaps this infusion of foreign energy has some side effect--" "Zoisite has been manipulated by the enfanta. Such bonding is dangerous." Beryl turned to the youma. "The enfanta can feed from a bottle, can it not? It doesn't need Zoisite's dugs. I'd better get down there and pull that suckling whelp off her teat before this gets out of hand." Kunzite added, "I shall augment the security around that sector." "Tend to the battle," said Beryl. "And let me deal with Zoisite. I'll find out what's going on." * * * * Two teleports to Earth in one night. Mamoru steadied himself against the brick wall behind Crown Arcade, waiting for the dizziness to pass. Usagi and the senshi had tried again and again to break into the Dark Kingdom, to no avail. So Mamoru had taken a moment to check up on Crystal Yedo. Usagi was down on the asphalt, knees huddled to her chest. Makoto, Minako and Rei stood around her. "Usako!" said Mamoru. "Are you okay?" "She's getting tired," said Makoto. "We've got at least half a million oni on us. That dragon's still circling over the palace, but things don't look good. Kimon keep popping open, and our forces are overwhelmed." "Then I have to try again," said Usagi. "I know there's love between Zoë and Kunzite, and if I just keep focusing on it, sooner or later we'll break through. Let's make a circle." * * * * Amazing, thought Zoisite. No matter how many changes Usa needed, the stack of diapers Nephrite had left never got any smaller. And after the youma took Zoisite's blanket away, another blanket had appeared, just as warm as the first. Best of all, Usa's colic hadn't returned. Spreading her new blanket over the stone floor, Zoisite gently lay Usa down and took a fresh diaper. Then she started shredding the quilted stuffing out of it. "I'll make you a little bed." Suddenly, the baby started whimpering. Zoisite sensed an unmistakable presence approaching from beyond the cavern, followed by an eerie green-blue light. She snatched up Usa, blanket and all, and clutched her like stolen treasure. Zoisite kept her back turned, but she could feel Beryl's energy filling the room, touching her like a rash over her naked skin. She scurried under the blanket for shelter, holding Usa under her chin. "How dare you keep your back to me!" said Beryl, dissolving the ward around the cell. "Turn around! Who brought you these things?" Zoisite turned, eyes lowered. "Answer me! Who brought you this blanket? Was it Kunzite?" "No," said Zoisite. "Visitors are forbidden! Anyone disobeying me will be put to death!" "You are too late, Most Honored One. He who gave me this blanket is already dead." Despite her trembling, Zoisite couldn't help raising a faint smile. "Oh?" said the queen. "Who killed him?" "I did." "What are you smiling about? How dare you lie to me! Don't you know what I can do to you?" "Your humble servant can die only once in this awakening, my Queen." "Then I'll shall make certain your death takes a good, long time." Zoisite took a deep breath, trying to steady her shaking and the quaver in her voice. "I know. You manipulate Kunzite with false hopes, but I know you're going to kill me." Beryl's hiss bubbled into a low growl. "Or maybe I'll keep you alive, as I keep Jadeite." "As you have done to Jadeite, your own dark master will one day do to you." "What! You, you insolent . . . " Zoisite felt as if she were kneeling beneath a latrine as Beryl poured names over her head. But she knew that this was all Beryl could do right now, since the queen couldn't risk aiming her scepter and blasting; she might kill Usa and extinguish both her scepter and the enfanta's. Even if she blasted Zoisite alone, she might kill the unborn child within. "You live for now," hissed Beryl. "But I'll see you tortured no matter what Kunzite accomplishes in Crystal Yedo. Now, give me that blanket!" Zoisite obeyed. But just as she tossed it through the stalactite bars, another armload of white feathers tumbled over her shoulders and became a new blanket right before Beryl's eyes. The queen gasped and stepped back. Terror flashed across her face. Pupils narrowed to slits. One spiny finger reached absently for a lock of hair and twined it about as Beryl stood, speechless for a moment. Then she composed herself, shaking back her floor-length tresses and lifting her pointed chin as if amused. "So," said Beryl. "You think you have allies from the other side? A blanket won't keep my hungry youma off you when your body is laid out for our victory feast. You promised much, Zoisite, but you wasted yourself on petty indulgences." "Such as my love for Kunzite?" Zoisite couldn't tell if Beryl's reaction was true smugness or hidden unease. "If the love between you is so strong," said Beryl, "why does Kunzite never visit you? Why does he show so little concern whenever I speak with him about your death? I know how he's enjoyed the odd features of your body, but believe me, Zoisite, his ambition as an officer comes first." She lies! Zoisite told herself. None of it is true! See the fear in her face! Zoisite pulled Usa closer, more to comfort herself than to comfort the baby. "You've got to wonder what sick kind of man would be aroused by a freak. I'd be suspicious of him if I were you." "You're just jealous because you never had a love of your own, not even when you captured Mamoru during the Second Awakening and brainwashed him." "Jealous? Of someone who has to indulge the twisted fantasies of a sexual deviant to maintain rank? You call that love? Zoisite, romantic love is a cultural construction fostered for the purpose of controlling bloodlines and wealth. I haven't the stomach to dwell upon what it is you share when you spread your legs for Kunzite, but it's not love." Zoisite squeezed her eyes shut. Don't listen! she repeated to herself. Beryl is a devil! "Let's be realistic, Zoisite. Are you someone who would attract people of good character? And I don't mean confused perverts like Kunzite. I mean decent men, like Mamoru. Look at yourself. When you served in his guard, you sold military secrets to his enemy. You hated your master because you could not stand that he was your better. You sought a higher rank by possessing the Princess of Mercury, who could feel only contempt for you. And when she spurned you, you took your revenge by delivering the celestial court into my hands. Not terribly honorable, Zoisite. "But when you were finally granted rank within Jigoku-- the only kingdom suitable for such as yourself, you proved incompetent. You even murdered your superior officer, Nephrite, just to secure your place. You've never been given trust which you didn't exploit, or honor which you didn't betray. You've accomplished nothing but failure. "Dare to examine your soul, and you'll know I'm telling the truth. You are a worthless traitor and a murderer, and you will get exactly what you deserve." Try as she might, Zoisite couldn't deny any of it. All she could do was take shelter under Nephrite's blanket, and cling to the baby who had finally accepted her. "T-talk all you want," she stammered. "You'll still lose. Mamoru and Usagi will defeat you!" Beryl laughed. "And they'll fly to your rescue, right? After you stole their child and turned it oni?" "What, what are you talking about? The baby's not oni!" "Not when it first came here," said Beryl. "But what do you suppose happens to an infant who suckles a demon? It resisted you for a long time, didn't it? I wonder who changed its mind? Was it the visitor who gave you all these delightful blankets?" Beryl smiled. "You must thank him for me." "You're lying! Usa's not oni!" "Then explain the infant's acceptance of you." "She . . . I . . . " Zoisite didn't know what to say. This was too monstrous to be true! "You have completed its transformation," said Beryl, reaching between the stalactites into the cell. "Now, give it to me." Zoisite hadn't the strength to resist. The weight of Beryl's condemnation pressed too heavily for her to even lift her head. But as soon as she passed Usa into Beryl's hands, the child started screaming. That had to mean something, she decided. Zoisite clung to that hope as she clung to her blanket. It wasn't much, but it was all she had. "No matter what you do, Zoisite, you'll always belong to me. From now, through all the millennia. Enjoy your blanket." Zoisite crouched low against the cold stone and shivered for a long while after Beryl's departure. Hardly even noticing that Beryl had neglected to re-seal the ward, she held onto the blanket, twisting the corners around her hands. How did Beryl always know what to say? she wondered. Whenever Zoisite tried to be strong, Beryl could always reach into her deepest fears and expose every shame. Now there were only a few threads of hope to cling to: the knowledge that Beryl was a queen of lies, Usa's crying in Beryl's hands, and the warmth of the blanket. But there was something else, too. Mamoru's thorns were like a whisper, promising that Zoisite would not be completely forgotten no matter what she had done in the past. * * * * Kunzite didn't trust Beryl's mania. Such a psychotic power madness could lead to stupid actions. He tried not to think about what she might be doing to Zoisite at this moment, but he prayed to whatever would listen that Beryl wouldn't lose her temper and aim her staff. If she did so, she would extinguish her powers, which was fine with Kunzite. But Zoisite would be dead. In the meanwhile, Kunzite knew he had to move Princess Mercury to a more remote and secure place. The risk was too great that Beryl's manic paranoia would drive her to inspect her general's quarters. Entering the amber-lit caverns of his living chambers, Kunzite found Mercury curled inside his nest, resting under his dome of dark energy. As he stood over her, she raised heavy eyelids and drew the back of her hand across her mouth, hiding a yawn. She had burrowed into the tangle of fabric and covered her bare arms and legs just as Zoisite did when snuggling. With the harsh discipline Kunzite reserved only for himself, he decided that jealousy would not get the upper hand. If there was pain, he would block it. One did not last long in the Dark Kingdom by letting emotions take control. But his throat tightened as he beheld his rival. She was an admirable fighter. She was intelligent and pretty, and Kunzite could understand Zoisite's attraction to her. It made Kunzite hate her even more. He growled and said, "You can sleep at a time like this?" "I haven't slept in two days, but it's not your business." Ami rubbed her face. She really did look tired, thought Kunzite. Perhaps the initial attack on her palace had worn her out. But since he couldn't read her energy levels through his dome, there was no way to tell. Moving her would require utmost caution, not just for the sake of his remaining ear, but for security. There were servants nearby who had the gift for various binding and gagging spells, but Kunzite didn't dare call them. Ami's presence was too dangerous a secret to tell anyone. "Princess Mercury," he said, bending to one knee beside the nest. "Ami? This may be hard to understand, but I'm trying to protect you. Zoisite's request." Those last two words caught in his throat. Ami turned her face away, which made her even more unreadable. "I have to move you, to keep you safe from Beryl, and we must do it quietly, understand?" The girl looked weary and defeated. But Zoisite sometimes acted this way on purpose, before springing an attack. Zoisite might've learned the trick from her. "Do you understand?" said Kunzite. "I would not have an easy time explaining the presence of a senshi in my bed." Ami said nothing. She had curled herself into a ball, like a little animal. For a moment, Kunzite considered binding her with an actual piece of rope or strip of cloth, something that wouldn't require magic he didn't possess. But then, like a lone tendril peeking out from his chambers, he sensed Beryl's return. She was approaching . . . fast. "Shit! C'mon!" Kunzite shattered his energy dome and swept Ami into his arms. He plunged into the darkness of a back exit. Racing through a maze of narrow, poorly lit caves, Kunzite panted, eyes forward. No time to worry about the screaming bundle slung over his shoulder. "Shut up!" he snarled. He would toss her into one of the abandoned cells up ahead. And he would gag her even if he had to rip up his own cape to do it. Mercury was squirming, trying to twist her arms free. She kicked, then slammed one knee into Kunzite's chest. Kunzite felt her teeth in the back of his neck. But when he grabbed her hair to yank her away, her hands shot up to seize an outcropping of rock. With a boot heel in Kunzite's face, Ami vaulted out of his grasp and rolled across the cave floor. "Stupid kid!" said Kunzite. "You wanna get killed?" "If I can take you with me!" "I am trying to save your ass, you little shit!" "Yeah, right!" Ami crossed her hands and shot an energy pulse of ice bubbles. Normally, Kunzite would simply reflect them back. But he didn't dare injure Ami, so he snapped up a ward that would absorb her attack instead. "Don't start!" he said. "I don't want to hurt you!" But Ami shot a second blast, then a third and fourth. She was like a little dog that wouldn't quit. "Stop it!" hissed Kunzite, tossing up another ward, afraid of the noise they were making. "Don't you realize I could kill you with a look?" Chunks of stone flew with every blast, and the floor grew slick with ice. "You're not so tough!" said Ami. Kunzite rolled his eyes. "You're more foolhardy than Zoisite! Come here!" He leaped for her, but his boot slipped. Ami bolted. "Not that way!" cried Kunzite, scrambling over the ice. Oh, Gods! The kid was heading straight for Beryl! He chased her through a tangle of rough, volcanic passages, and through glittering caves of quartz, pyrite and granite, ducking when the tunnels couldn't clear his height. The tiny globes of light riveted into the stone were sparse, forcing him to feel his way. Mercury was well beyond him, but he could still sense her direction. Finally, he emerged into the open, at the edge of Beryl's audience chamber. Looking up, Kunzite saw Mercury clinging to an outcropping of smoky quartz over thirty feet above him. Apparently, she had found another passage, one that opened onto a cliff. "How in Hell did you get up there?" said Kunzite, glancing about. "Hide!" Beryl entered the chamber. Before Ami could retreat, a small blast from Beryl collapsed the cave, filling the mouth with crystal shards. "What's this?" said Beryl, lowering her staff as she crossed the polished obsidian. "What's a senshi doing here?" The youma who had tended Zoisite followed close behind, clutching a screaming infant in its spare legs. Kunzite dropped to his knees. "Most Honored--" "Have the senshi broken through our kimon?" said Beryl. Kunzite lifted his eyes just in time to see Beryl aim her staff at Ami. "No!" he cried, as the energy bolt grazed its target. "Queen Beryl, be careful! Your powers!" He knew it. Usa's scepter, which still hung over the dais, was clouding Beryl's judgment. But when the dust cleared, Mercury was still alive. Barely. The dark queen's aim had been about as centered as her mind. A twinge across Beryl's expression told Kunzite that she realized the foolishness of her action, but she quickly covered it. "Kunzite!" said Beryl. "Never question me! I know what I'm doing! That was to weaken her, to make certain her fall will be fatal. Now . . ." Beryl raised her staff again and blasted the crystalline wall just under the ledge where Ami huddled. It cracked, then splintered in sharp fissures, smashing the polished floor below. Ami still clung to a piece of rock high above the jagged pile of shards. But she was slipping, weak from the first blast. Probably going into shock. Her wound looked like a pattern of burgundy flames across her thigh. Part of her arm was burned as well. The tattered shreds of her once-blue skirt were singed black. Eyes shut, mouth hanging open, the senshi curled around the chunk of stone as her chi drained. Kunzite swallowed, waiting for her to fall, to die. His explanation to Zoisite would be simple. He had protected Mercury all he could. He'd done everything. But the foolish, little senshi had flung herself at Beryl. It couldn't be helped. Zoisite would be furious and hurt, but she'd eventually come around. The little rat wasn't someone who could remain alone for long. She wasn't that strong. She would return to his arms, and he would have no rival. Yes, thought Kunzite. This was best. But it would break Zoisite's heart. Back in the Silver Millennium, Mercury had been the closest thing to a friend Zoisite ever had. And Crystal Yedo brought them together again. This rekindled romance hurt Kunzite more than he could bear. But now he could stand by, blameless, and witness its death. Nothing could be done. Ami's foothold crumbled. She yelped, slipping further. Kunzite didn't realize how tense he was until a heavy drop of sweat streamed down between his eyes. He told himself to patiently wait for the inevitable. Then he wouldn't have to lose Zoisite to a rival, and wasn't that the most important thing? But deep inside, the still, small voice questioned him. If he truly loved Zoisite, could he stand by and allow her to be hurt? Even if it was the only way he could keep her? He had no time to answer. When Ami finally lost her hold and fell, there was no chance for Kunzite to reason with that voice. Instead, he found himself bounding forward like a wound, steel spring. His arms caught Ami just inches from the sharp stones below. In one swift movement, he curled around her and rolled into the fall, taking the blow himself. Crouching over her on the floor, in the midst of the rock debris, Kunzite's hands passed across her delicate face and through her hair. He touched the skin surrounding her burns. He could feel her chi still draining, sliding toward death. But at this point, Kunzite had already made his choice, and there was only one thing left to do. Holding his rival close, he bent down and pressed his lips to Ami's, since a kiss was the fastest way to transfer his own chi to her. Ami was limp and barely conscious. Her little body felt so fragile in Kunzite's arms, he had to cradle the back of her head in his hand. Her soft lips were slightly parted and unresisting; she couldn't really kiss him back, but it wasn't necessary. All he had to do was keep his mouth on hers and will his own energy to pass through. As her chi started to stabilize, Kunzite held the kiss for as long as he dared. It was draining him. He could sense his own loss of chi as an ill feeling in his stomach and a coldness in his limbs. But it was not dangerous . . . yet. Zoisite's little, dark one was almost recovered . . . a bit more . . . he could give just a bit more. Then, strong enough to pull away from his lips, Ami blinked up at him and softly gasped. He almost smiled. "Kunzite!" shrieked Beryl. Kunzite snapped his head up. For a few crucial moments, he'd forgotten about Beryl. "What's this? You've taken up with a senshi? How dare you betray me!" Kunzite turned to see Beryl striding toward him. Her eyes were white, her lips pulled back from her fangs. She jerked her head at an odd angle, like one stricken with a nervous disorder. "My Queen," said Kunzite. "It's not--" "You're all traitors! The whole lot of you!" She aimed her staff. "Queen Beryl!" The blast was not as strong as he had feared, but Kunzite took it directly in the chest. After a moment of white shock, he found himself sprawled on the rock pile with Ami behind him, holding his head in her lap. "That was a warning," said the queen. "Get up and take care of this senshi the way you're supposed to. Now!" But Kunzite could not get up. He could barely even see. His vision was a fading tunnel. After giving so much of his chi to Ami, there was nothing left to sustain even a minor blast. "Get up!" screamed Beryl. "I command you!" The pain from the burn in his chest was dizzying. But it was also growing distant, slipping away with his consciousness. Kunzite was just aware enough to realize that Beryl must not have noticed him giving his chi to Ami. Otherwise, Beryl wouldn't have dared to blast him. Normally, he could've taken it. But now he would die, and the power in Beryl's staff would die with him. Through heavy eyelids, Kunzite passively watched Beryl's expression evolve from rage to panic. "Lord Kunzite!" she said. "What's the matter with you? I command you!" "He's dying," said Ami, laying her hand over his chest, just above the wound. "Impossible! That was not a fatal blast!" "It is to someone who just sacrificed his own energy to save me." Kunzite looked up at Ami. "Beryl will . . . now be powerless," he whispered. "She's not allowed to kill directly . . . with her staff." He paused for breath. "Her staff . . . dies with me." "What?" said Ami. She bent down close to Kunzite's face. "You . . . must find Zoisite . . . and be happy together." "Excuse me?" "I know . . . about your love," said Kunzite. "Our love?" Ami stared. Then her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh, no! We're not like that at all!" "You two are not lovers?" "We're not even friends! In fact, Zoisite and I parted on rather bad terms!" "Really?" Kunzite closed his eyes and began to softly chuckle in despair. "Then . . . we are all fools, aren't we?" Beryl stood frozen. Her long, spiny fingers clutched the iron tendrils climbing the length of her staff. Behind her, in the arms of the youma servant, Usa wailed. PART ELEVEN "Wait!" said Usagi. "Don't break the circle yet!" "But you're exhausted," said Mamoru, still holding hands with the other senshi in the alley. They had been trying all night to break into Jigoku's kimon, and Usagi looked ready to drop. "I hate to give up, but this just isn't working." "Wait. I think . . . I think I feel it, like something just happened down there. Something Kunzite did. Yes . . . there it is! Hang on, everyone! We're goin' in!" Mamoru and the senshi huddled close over the opening vortex. Following Usagi into Jigoku wasn't as terrifying or painful as being pulled in by Kunzite, but Mamoru's adrenaline still surged as they all spiraled into the fissure. Inside the Dark Kingdom, a tangled labyrinth lay between their entrance point and Beryl's audience chamber. But Mamoru, having lived there for a while during the Second Awakening, knew the way. And because everyone had transformed into their senshi selves, they could fly. A rose already in hand, Mamoru led the party straight to Beryl, but he couldn't have expected such a sight as this. A land slide had just crumbled the west wall and smashed the beautifully polished, obsidian floor. Kunzite's body lay on the heap of rubble, with Ami cradling his head in her lap. Beryl looked caught between fight and flight. Crying and squirming in the claws of an attendant youma was Usa. Mamoru squinted at Beryl as Usagi and the other senshi gathered behind him. The dark queen looked panic stricken. Not herself at all. "She's not allowed to kill directly, or her staff loses its power," said Ami, still holding the demon lord in her arms. "Kunzite's almost gone. Then you can stop Beryl with little trouble." That was all Mamoru needed to hear. He lunged at the queen, who fled toward the back recesses. But Beryl stumbled over her dais, and Minako caught her staff. Grasping the torn hem of her gown, Beryl ducked through one of the exits, disappearing into the dark maze. Minako turned to the youma. "Hand over the kid!" The youma obeyed before scuttling away, and Mamoru took Usa into his arms. It was the first time he'd ever held his daughter. She was so small, her head fit in the palm of his hand. Her tiny, grasping fingers were pink . . . and so were her eyes! Pink as a rabbit's! She looked up at him and cooed. Rei, seizing Usa's wand from over the dais, said, "Hurry, Mamo-sama! Before Beryl gets away!" But when Mamoru turned to give Usa to her mother, he found Usagi lip-locked with Kunzite. "What're you doing?" he cried. Usagi kissed a little longer, then looked up. "We can't just let him die! He got us through the kimon!" "And he did save my life," added Ami. "But--" Mamoru glanced toward Beryl's escape. "I got her witchy-stick," said Minako. "Beryl ain't goin' far without it!" Minako stroked the smooth, glass globe at the end. "This thing is cool." Usagi's lips were back on Kunzite's, and Mamoru saw the demon lord's arm twitch slightly. "Usako," said Mamoru. "You're draining yourself!" She lifted her face, which was just a touch more pale than before. "There," she said. "That's enough to keep him alive, I think." "If you wanted to save Kunzite," said Makoto, standing beside her, "you should've let one of us kiss him. You need all your energy." "Sorry. There wasn't time to think about it. Give me my baby." Color returned to Usagi's cheeks as she drew Usa into her arms and nuzzled the infant's forehead. "She's got pink eyes," said Mamoru. Usagi beamed, tears flooding the corners of her lashes. "They're beautiful. She's the most perfect baby I've ever seen. And she's even dry! Where'd she get the cute, little diaper?" "You and Mamoru had better hurry," said Ami. "I'll hold Usa." "Right." With obvious reluctance, Usagi passed the baby to Ami and struggled to her feet. "If Beryl thinks her powers are gone, we'll be able to psyche her out. Minako, keep the youma off Kunzite. Rei, Mako-chan, protect Ami and Usa. Don't lose Beryl's staff." "Don't worry," said Minako. "I wanna keep it!" Mamoru cleared his throat. "Let's go!" Taking Usagi's hand, Mamoru half ran, half flew through the dim caves. He knew that Beryl would probably be heading toward the sanctum where her own, dark master slept. Racing on, he almost carried Usagi. Her right hand clung to Mamoru while her left hand pressed her crescent wand to her bosom. They caught up to Beryl and cornered her against a small, stone alcove. "You were mine," pleaded Beryl, cowering before Mamoru. "Don't you remember the Second Awakening? You used to kiss my hand!" Mamoru's arm drew back like a coiled spring, then he shot a long, red rose, hitting Beryl just above her heart. Red streaks spread like crystal fissures from the not-quite-fatal wound. "Prince Mamoru!" cried Beryl, sinking to the ground. "I never wanted to hurt you!" "Usako," said Mamoru. "Put her to sleep." Focusing her energy, Usagi raised her wand. But then she paused. Lowered it. "Wait a minute," she said. "What now?" snapped Mamoru. "We got her down! Finish her!" "But the last time I put her to sleep, the whole Dark Kingdom disintegrated!" "So? We'll get out." "We'll never find Zoisite in time!" "But . . . but . . . " Mamoru's shoulders sank. Usagi was right, of course. "But Zoisite helped them steal Usa!" "Do you really believe that?" said Usagi. "Can you just abandon her?" Mamoru's fists opened and closed. He had Beryl at his mercy! He could take her out right now, and save everyone a lot of trouble and bloodshed! He . . . he . . . "Can you leave Zoë, who's carrying your baby, to fry to death in some dark cell in Jigoku?" Mamoru sighed. "No." "Go find her," said Usagi. "I'll cover Beryl until you come back." Mamoru conjured a second rose and handed it to Usagi. "Just in case it takes me a while." "Go on! Hurry up!" Mamoru realized, flying through the passages to the lower levels, that if Usagi had been able to complete Yutate Sai and "heal" him, he might've lost his Jigoku memories. He still felt just enough connection with the Dark Kingdom to navigate the poorly lit tunnels and caves. But how far down was Zoisite? This place was as big as a mountain, thought Mamoru. It could take weeks to find her! And every minute spent searching for Zoisite gave the oni forces more time to slaughter the people of Crystal Yedo. If Usagi just took care of Beryl now, the oni would fall out of enchantment, the battle would end, and countless lives would be saved. All this death just for the sake of Zoisite! Who's individual life was worth that much? Mamoru stopped, pressed the palm of his hand against the stone, which felt cooler down in this level. He thought he should just return and tell Usagi he couldn't find Zoisite and that it was imperative to finish Beryl now, before Crystal Yedo was completely destroyed. Usagi would be upset, but she would obey him if he commanded her. That would be the wisest course. How convenient, not to have to deal with Zoisite anymore, accused the still, small voice. Gritting his teeth, Mamoru told that voice to shut up. He didn't choose his destiny. He didn't want it! But there was still the responsibility, and sometimes conscience had to give way to pragmatism. Pivoting, he took a deep breath, preparing for his return flight. . . . until a presence tugged at his soul. Mamoru wondered, was it his unborn child calling to him? Or was it . . . Opening his hand, he watched a pale, green shoot sprout from his wrist, blossoming with crimson petals. The thorns were tender, little nubs that sparkled at the tips. Damn! thought Mamoru, shutting his eyes. He could feel her! Or at least feel her thorns pulling at him. As long as they still grew and thrived within Zoisite, there was no way he could just turn around and forget her. "All right, all right!" he shouted out loud, freeing one of the glow-lamps from the wall and sailing down toward the lower levels. "I'm coming!" * Zoisite touched her cheek and found it caked with the fine, dry salt of spent tears. Licking her fingertips, like a cat, she began to unconsciously clean herself. An emotion symphony, playing through hysterical cadenzas of shame, fear and anger, had left her feeling too numb to cry anymore. Now she just wanted to become like the cold stone under her bare knees--an empty, gray slate that didn't care if it lived or died. Something that could wait forever. But the blanket was still a warm hand on her back, not letting her completely detach. How unexplainable, she mused, that she should still desperately want to live, and yet feel ready and willing to lay down what was left of her life for . . . for . . . Kunzite? Usa? Her own child? She didn't know. Maybe for everyone. Zoisite's nostrils suddenly flared, and a tingling spread from her belly, through her limbs. Holding her breath, she scanned the darkness. She crouched low against the stones and silently peered through the stalactite bars, fearing that any reflected light might make her green eyes glow. "Zoisite!" called Mamoru from beyond the cave walls. "Mamo-chan!" Zoisite bounded forward, her fear shattered by the familiar voice. "Mamo-chan! I'm over here!" She pressed her face between the bars. She saw her liberator in a trim tuxedo with a lighted globe in one, gloved hand and a rose in the other. His long, black cape swept the air as he ran. "Zoisite!" he said, panting, pulling the white mask from his eyes. "This cell's not even warded! You can bust outta here!" Zoisite's hands wrapped around the thick lengths of stone that imprisoned her. "No, I can't! You still have my powers!" "Oh, right. The oath is gone, but I haven't given your powers back, have I?" Mamoru stepped aside. "Zoisite, take back your powers, and make ice now!" Nodding, she backed up, opened both hands and pelted the stalactites and stalagmites with ice shards. After about a minute, the more slender bars started to give, and Mamoru said, "That's enough. Don't tire yourself." He kicked at the stone until it crumbled enough to let himself climb in. "You okay?" he said, extending a hand. Zoisite threw herself at Mamoru and cried into his shirt. Her sobs were like violent, painful hiccups. They shook the blanket off her shoulders. "Zoë?" said Mamoru. "I . . . uh . . . I'm happy to see you, too." There was so much Zoisite wanted to say, but for a while all she could get out were uncontrollable sobs. Her eyes felt like two broken dams, and she clutched at his waist until he finally put his arms around her. She felt his chin hesitantly touch her head. "Mamo-chan, I . . . I swear I never took little Usa! I didn't know anything! I mean, it was my spell, but I never finished it, and I forgot all about it . . . it was so long ago!" "Shhh. I know." Zoisite felt Mamoru's trembling fingertips brush the tears from her cheek. "You believe me?" she said, blinking up at him. "I have to. Now, let's go. I don't know how long Usagi can hold Beryl." "Beryl took the baby!" sobbed Zoisite. "I cared for little Usa as best I could!" "The baby's fine. Can you stand up?" "Beryl says I turned her oni when I nursed her! It's not true, is it?" Mamoru knit his brows. "Did Usa always have pink eyes?" "Huh?" said Zoisite. "I don't know; it was too dark here to tell." "Um . . . never mind. C'mon, Zoë." Mamoru eased her to her feet, then half carried her out of the cell and into the larger cavern. "Take your powers back and fly with me." Still holding her bare shoulders, Mamoru stepped back and regarded her, making Zoisite suddenly aware of her nakedness. She tried to cover herself with Nephrite's blanket. "You're a little underdressed," said Mamoru, starting to unfasten his cape. "You can wear my--" A white flash from the blanket knocked him back. Zoisite yelped as the thick cloth she had been holding suddenly came to life. "Mamo-chan!" she said. "What . . . what's happening?" The blanket, splitting into white ribbons, coiled itself around her legs, arms and torso. A double pulse of energy ignited from within her belly and between her eyes, bending her backwards. She felt her toes leave the ground, arms stretching upward, fingertips reaching. The strange material of the blanket tingled against her skin. When the blinding light faded, and Zoisite's toes touched ground, Mamoru was squinting up at her from the floor with that odd expression that overcame him during flashbacks. "What's wrong?" said Zoisite between breaths. She glanced down at herself and gasped. It was her old uniform from a thousand years ago in the Royal Guard! A white tunic over white leggings and fitted sleeves. Gaping, she wriggled her toes inside their cloven slippers. "What . . . how . . . " Her fingers touched a warm spot glowing between her eyes. "Zoi-chan!" said Mamoru, gaining his feet. "It's you! You're back!" Before Zoisite could respond, she was in Mamoru's arms, getting the wind knocked out of her. He was squeezing her so tight, it almost hurt. His cheek pressed against the back of her neck. He was shaking all over. "Mamo-sama?" said Zoisite. She blinked, stunned at herself. She hadn't called him "Mamo-sama" in a thousand years. It felt foreign, yet familiar on her tongue, like a hundred other old feelings and memories flooding her. "Are, are you okay?" "I will be," choked Mamoru. "You have no idea what a close call this was." "What do you mean? I'm one of your guardians, Mamo-sama. I'm destined to always be one of your guardians." Zoisite could hardly believe she was saying that. Mamoru touched her face like a frantic, blind man. "I almost turned back . . . oh, never mind. We have to hurry!" Zoisite flew ahead of Mamoru, and when they neared the upper levels, Mamoru called out, "Where are you going? Beryl's not in the audience chamber!" "But Kunzite is! We'll need his help!" "Zoisite, wait!" Zoisite raced on, sensing her partner's presence. She found him lying on his back, surrounded by senshi. "Beryl struck him," said Ami, passing the baby into Makoto's arms. Zoisite dropped to his side. "Kunzite-sama? Kunzite-sama, wake up!" Ami touched her back. "Let him rest. He'll be all right." "Why did Beryl do this?" "Because he saved me. Zoë, what's happened to you? Why are you in your old guardian clothes?" "I no longer serve Beryl." Zoisite turned to Minako. "What're you doing with Beryl's staff?" "Scaring off the youma," said Minako, grinning. "Give me that! It's not a toy! Do you even know what this staff does?" "Looking at Kunzite, I have a pretty good idea." Zoisite snatched the iron scepter from Minako's hands. "It's been cursed by Beryl's master. It can only kill once." "I know," said Minako. "I'll make it count." "But whoever it kills never gets to return, as we do. The soul gets claimed by Beryl's master." "Oh," said Minako. "Not even youma deserve that kind of end." "But Beryl does." Zoisite took Mamoru's hand. "You know where she is. Take me there." They found Beryl crawling before Usagi, wounded by the second rose. Spidery streaks spread across Beryl's thigh, where the flower still stuck in her flesh. The long locks of red hair hanging over her face couldn't hide her terror when Zoisite strode forth. Neither could her false smile. "My . . . my Zoisite? What're you wearing? And what do you plan to do with that?" Beryl pointed at the scepter with one spiny fingernail. "Don't you know it died with Kunzite?" "Kunzite lives, and so does this staff," said Zoisite. "I'm sending you to Hell, where you belong." "Isn't this Hell?" whispered Usagi. Zoisite shook her head. "Not compared to where Beryl is going." With a piercing cry like that of a shot falcon, Beryl scrambled out of the stone niche where Usagi had cornered her. She fled on her hands and knees, dragging the wounded leg. Zoisite advanced like a stone-faced conqueror claiming a prize. "Stay back," said Zoisite to Usagi and Mamoru. "I want to do this alone." She let Beryl drag herself through the passage until they had rounded a corner out of sight and earshot. Then Zoisite aimed the scepter and blasted an overhang, filling the passage and halting Beryl's retreat. When Beryl rolled to her side, the front of her blue gown was oily and black. "Now, now, Zoisite," said Beryl, her face as white as her eyes. "I didn't mean to hurt your Kunzite-sama. No one is more relieved than I am that he's alive--" "Shut up!" Zoisite raised the staff like a club, it's dark energy palpable in her hands. Tempting, yet uncomfortable, like an unhealthy craving. Never having held Beryl's scepter before, she wasn't prepared for this alluring tug, this overwhelming power. No wonder Minako liked it; it made one feel invincible. But it also filled Zoisite with indignant rage. She felt her anger bubbling to the surface, feeding and being fed by the staff. She was remembering every wrong Beryl had ever done her-- every lie, every empty promise and half truth. Her life in Jigoku had been a routine of cruelties to crush her spirit, to twist her into Beryl's tool. And Beryl would've merrily ended her wasted existence in torture. "You deserve this," hissed Zoisite. Focusing her rage and gathering it into the staff, she took a deep breath, ready to strike. The globe crackled with microcosmic lightning. Beryl cowered. "Stop!" Ami? >From the corner of her eye, Zoisite saw Ami stumbling breathlessly from the shadows. Usagi and Mamoru appeared behind her. "Don't use Beryl's scepter!" panted Ami. Let Usagi use her wand instead!" "Go back, Mercury. This isn't your battle." "But if that scepter does what you said it does . . . we don't need to punish her that far! Usagi can just put her to sleep!" "So she can awaken again and torment others?" "Zoisite, condemning Beryl won't stop her master. And it won't erase any of the pain she's caused you." Ami stepped forward and placed her hand on Zoisite's arm. "This is only revenge!" "And it's mine," said Zoisite, pushing Ami away. "Get back!" Ami was covered with bruises, dried blood and dirt. Her fuku hung in shreds, and there were cuts on her face and arms. But the hardest thing to look at was the firm pleading in her eyes. Zoisite turned and forced herself to stay focused on Beryl. Ami refused to back off. "Zoisite, why?" "Because I've been enslaved to this monster long enough. You can tell Crystal Yedo and all the worlds that I will no longer serve Beryl!" "That's true," said Ami. "If you do this, you will no longer serve Beryl. You will be serving Beryl's master." Zoisite swallowed. The power surging through her from the staff flared against these words. Her hand made a fist, ready to knock Mercury to the ground. Why didn't Ami step aside? she wondered. Couldn't the foolish senshi feel the danger? "Are you going to act on your hatred?" said Ami. "That's what got you into trouble in the first place." Zoisite felt her face twisting into tortured lines of indecision, as pride battled with conscience. Deep down, she knew Ami was right. Ami persisted. "If you let Usagi put Beryl to sleep, then Beryl may have a second chance at some future time to turn around." "But this monster doesn't deserve a second chance!" "Did you? Zoisite, you wear the clothes of a guardian, but you still have to choose which direction to face. This staff is an instrument of evil, and the soul it takes will never have a second chance. Can you really do that to someone?" Zoisite lowered the staff, balancing the weight of the iron length against the globe. The swirling energy inside the glass orb looked smoky, brown and poisonous. She gritted her teeth. This was much harder than forgiving Mamoru, and even as she raised the staff one last time, she still did not know what she would do next. Beryl screamed. At the last moment, with one violent swing, Zoisite smashed the globe against the cave wall. "There," she said, as the dark energy dissolved from the shattered crystal. Momentarily drained and a little dazed, Zoisite slumped against the wall. Ami caught her. "I'm so glad," whispered the senshi into her ear. "Not for Beryl's sake, but for yours." Zoisite could only meekly nod. Usagi stepped forward and raised her wand over the stunned queen. But when she tried to focus the sleeping spell, her knees suddenly buckled. "Usako!" cried Mamoru. Usagi collapsed to the stones. Her wand clattered at Zoisite's feet. "I . . . I must've given . . . too much energy to Kunzite." "Ha!" laughed Beryl, still squirming in pain from her wounds. "You squandered yourself, and now you're too weak to do the job!" "Usagi, you must try again!" said Ami, hopping to her side. But Usagi hung her head. "I should've rested myself, like you said." Zoisite glanced down at the crescent wand. Only those who shared the royal couple's bloodline could use it. That excluded Princess Mercury, who was from a different kingdom. And it certainly excluded . . . Zoisite frowned, touching her belly. Did it exclude her while she carried Mamoru's child? She felt Mamoru's thorns sparkle as her fingertips reached for the wand's gilded length. "Mamoru," said Ami. "I know only women are supposed to handle it, and I don't know if it'll work for you, but under these circumstances--" "Wait," said Zoisite, grasping the wand and rising to her feet. "You can't use that thing," said Beryl. "Yes, I can. I'm carrying royal blood." Beryl snorted. "That bastard was conceived in hatred." "So what?" said Mamoru. "Zoë loves her baby, and so do I. And we're going to raise it together, all of us." He turned to Zoisite. "Go ahead." There was no time for Zoisite to ponder the unseemliness of wielding Empress Usagi's crescent wand. She felt unclean, after having held Beryl's scepter. She would gladly have Mamoru break matrifocal protocol and do this himself. "Mamo-sama. I, I'm sorry . . . are you sure?" "Just do it," said Mamoru. "We'll work out our problems later. I promise." Zoisite nodded and raised the crescent wand over her head. It seemed to suddenly tap into all her hidden sources of confidence and strength. And when she looked down at Beryl, she saw a woman whose own past was at least as painful as hers. And even though Beryl was sneering up at her in contempt, Zoisite felt strong enough to have compassion for this twisted wretch. Now Zoisite knew, without any doubt, which direction she faced. Bracing herself, feet apart, eyes closed, she felt a praternatural wind ruffle the edges of her white tunic. Its invisible fingertips brushed the hair from her face. This time she focused not hatred, but understanding, and whatever shreds of forgiveness she could feel. Beryl screamed in pain, but Zoisite knew it would soon be over. When the shrieking finally died, and Zoisite opened her eyes, Beryl was gone. Only scorched stone and ashes marked where she had knelt. "Hurry," she said to the others. "Jigoku may be big, and it's true that we only inhabit the outermost edge, but it'll disintegrate quickly now." "I remember," said Usagi, as they flew back to the audience chamber. "Last time, it was like lighting a big sheet of paper on fire, with the corners and edges curling up." But when they joined the others in the audience chamber, Rei wouldn't leave. "The youma aren't under Beryl's spells anymore," she said. "But they're trapped. I can feel them panicking." "The ones who weren't sent to Crystal Yedo to fight," said Zoisite. "We keep most of them in cages." "They're just elemental spirits. They don't deserve to die in this horrible place. We've got to rescue them before we leave." "But there are thousands! And I don't know exactly how much time we have!" "You can go," said the priestess. "But it's my duty to save them." Zoisite glanced nervously at the exit, then at Rei. She sighed. "I'll have to help you, because you'll never find 'em all by yourself." "Mako-chan and I can help too," said Minako." "Then listen up," said Zoisite, clapping her hands. "Usagi, get Usa out of here. Mamoru, Ami, you can take Kunzite. Drag him if you have to, but don't try to teleport. The Dark Kingdom's too unstable right now. You'll have to use a kimon, and the nearest is that one that opens behind the arcade." She turned to Rei. "Let's go." Flying as swiftly as she could, Zoisite led the three senshi to the cells below the audience chamber. The long, narrow prison wings radiated from a central space, making it impossible to reach them all quickly. Plus, the crude, iron locks and poor lighting slowed them down even further. It seemed to take forever, and Zoisite was getting more nervous by the minute, but Rei refused to leave until the last creature was freed. "Now!" cried Zoisite, prying a youma off the front bars of its cage and tossing it into flight. "Get up to the kimon! The burning edge is getting closer! I can already feel it!" "I can feel it too!" called Rei, herding a mob of the terrified creatures. They tried to hurry, but the fleeing youma crowded the passages. They had to keep breaking up bottle necks and re-corralling. Finally, they got the creatures up into the audience chamber, with Rei driving them onward. The disintegrating edge of Jigoku was almost upon them. "The kimon!" screamed Zoisite, shoving the straggling youma ahead of her. "Get to the--" She suddenly saw Minako veer off to the left. "Venus! Where the Hell are you going?" "That big crystal over there in the niche! There's a man inside!" "Minako! We don't have time!" Zoisite and Makoto flew after her across the polished obsidian to where Jadeite stood. "Omigod," said Makoto. "Is that Jadeite? He looks exactly like my old--" "Can it!" snapped Minako. "We gotta blast him out!" With energy attacks, Zoisite's ice shards, and a few hard kicks, they cracked enough of the crystal to free Jadeite's limp body. "He's gonna need major therapy," said Minako, as she and Makoto draped him over their shoulders and hurried on to the kimon. Zoisite raced alongside, until she spotted a small, lone youma clinging to a stalagmite. "Shit!" She veered off, grabbed the youma and pried its claws from around the stone. Jigoku's edge was practically burning her heels. Crushing the wailing creature against her, she flew with all her strength. The kimon was just about sixty feet ahead. The deafening silence of the edge drew closer. It burned cold, like liquid nitrogen. Zoisite could feel it on the bottoms of her feet. "Almost . . . almost . . . " She didn't even see the small, granite promonory blocking her path, until it knocked her back. * "She does have pink eyes," said Usagi. "This never happened on my side of the family. But they're kind of cute!" Seated on the royal-blue carpeting, leaning against a Slam Dunk game, she nursed Usa. It was almost dawn when Mamoru had helped her out of the kimon. Fortunately, their friend Motoki was opening the arcade that morning, and had let them in early. He would keep the door closed to customers until everyone was safely out of the kimon and rested. It would've been a strange sight indeed-- all these cut and bruised people in weird uniforms, camped around the video games. Mamoru looked at the clock behind the counter. "It's been over an hour. What's keeping them?" Wiping sweat from over his lip, he knelt down beside Ami, who was sponging Kunzite's forehead with a paper towel. She had removed his cape and draped it over the latest incarnation of Super Robot Battle. The ex-general was waking up again. His head lolled. He flexed his gloved fingers. "Where's Zoisite?" he said. "She's on her way," said Ami in her gentlest voice, laying her hand on his chest. "Maybe I should go out to the alley and check," said Usagi. Mamoru stood up. "Stay here. There might be an explosion back there when the edge reaches the kimon. I'll check." Outside, behind the building, he found Rei herding the countless, multi-colored youma out of the dark portal that hovered over the asphalt. They dispersed into the streets of Tokyo, growing more transparent until they vanished. "Where is everyone?" said Mamoru, as the last of the youma escaped. "Watch out!" came two voices. Minako and Makoto burst from the kimon, carrying an unconscious man. "Take cover!" The kimon suddenly erupted like a geyser of broken bricks. Mamoru hit the pavement. Debris pelted his back. Then all was quiet, but for the din of early morning traffic. Mamoru rose to his knees, shaking. He crawled to the huddle by the wall. "Everyone okay?" The senshi lifted their faces and nodded. Minako was holding the man in her arms. Rei's fingers reached out and touched his cropped, blonde curls. "Jadeite?" said Rei. "Is he alive?" "He's breathing," said Minako. "But I wouldn't wake him up too fast." Mamoru glanced about. The senshi were all here, and so was Kunzite and even Jadeite, but where was Zoisite? Numbness flashed through Mamoru's hands and feet. His stomach turned cold. He jumped up, searching wildly around the broken bricks. "Wasn't she with you?" he said. "Huh?" said Rei. "Zoisite!" Makoto gasped. "She was right beside us!" "Where is she?" Mamoru frantically started tossing bricks, trying to find Zoisite under one of the little piles. His heart pounded. He couldn't lose her now! Not when they finally had a chance to mend things! He just couldn't! "Mamo-chan--" said Rei. "Help me find her!" "Mamo-chan, she's not here! She must not have made it out!" Mamoru clawed at the broken wall where the kimon had been. Tears streamed down his face. He didn't even notice that his tuxedo was gone, that he was suddenly wearing jeans and a T-shirt that said, "Hard Rock Cafe-Honolulu." Street clothes were also appearing on the senshi. Rei hardened. "Your friends got out, Beryl's gone, and your wife and child are safe. You should stop crying and consider yourself lucky." "Shut up, Rei," said Makoto. "Mamo-chan, do you want me to tell Kunzite?" Mamoru shook his head. "I'll do it." With feet that felt like concrete blocks, he stood up and headed inside. But when his foot fell on the threshold of the arcade's service door, he heard a man scream. He looked down the alley. It was the bum who lived in the refrigerator crate under the loading dock steps. "This is my house!" shrieked the man. "Get out of my house!" Running toward Mamoru, waving his arms, he looked more terrified than angry. "My house! Get them out of my house!" "Get what out of your house?" said Mamoru. "Imps! Oni! I don't know! Get them out!" Oni in his crate? But only houses and buildings have kimon . . . Mamoru's eyes widened. That crate is the man's house! Mamoru sprinted as fast as his long legs could move, daring to hope. Diving under the steps, he tore the ragged curtain away from the box. The whole back of the crate had been blasted off, but two figures cowered inside, covered with soot. "Zoë?" "M-Mamo-sama!" With a joyful cry, Mamoru sprang forward and caught her in his arms. He kissed her head, nose, and even her mouth, until his face was as grimy as her own. "I thought you were lost!" he said through his tears. "So did I. I wasn't even aware of this kimon. I must've fallen into it when I hit that rock." "Who's this?" Mamoru lay his hand over the little, blue and orange striped youma who was still clutching the front of Zoisite's singed tunic. It had six legs, butterfly wings, and a face that looked almost human except for the proboscis. "I pulled it off a stalagmite. It was too scared to fly." Zoisite gently pried open its tiny claws and nudged it into the open air. "Go on. You're free." But the creature climbed back up her arm and buried its face in her hair. "Looks like you've got a new pet." "I hope it's good with babies," said Zoisite. "Where's Kunzite-sama?" "In the arcade, waiting for you. C'mon." Zoisite hesitated. The sun was up, and the whole alley was flooded with bright, morning light. She crouched back into the crate's protective shadow. "You don't have to fear the sun anymore," said Mamoru. "Are you sure?" "Give me your hand." Zoisite let Mamoru slowly pull her from the crate. The box's owner was still hopping up and down the alley, ranting about oni in his house. The sunlight touched Zoisite's hand, then moved up her arm. Her skin looked so white!" "I'm not burning!" she cried. "You will if you stay out here long enough," said Mamoru. "The ozone layer's not as strong as it was a thousand years ago." "What in the name of Darkness are you wearing? That looks awful!" "You don't like this?" said Mamoru, looking down at his street clothes. "I haven't seen this shirt since I took over Crystal Yedo." Zoisite stumbled and fell into Mamoru's arms. "I think I need to eat something." "I'll bet you do. Let's get you inside." In the arcade, Zoisite collapsed beside Kunzite. Taking his face in her hands, she covered him with kisses. His eyes fluttered open. "Zoi-chan?" His voice was weak, but to Zoisite's ears, it was the sweetest music in all the worlds. "It's me," she said, pressing her face to his heart. "I thought I'd never hold you again." With obvious difficulty, Kunzite raised his arms enough to wrap them around Zoisite. "Now that we've escaped the Dark Kingdom," he said. "What will we do without our powers? I don't remember how to live in this realm. And it's changed so much. Modern Tokyo." "Don't worry," said Zoisite. "We'll manage somehow. If you can accept the child I'm carrying." Kunzite's dour face cracked a smile. "I will love any child of yours." "Even if it's Mamoru's?" "He brought you back to me." Kunzite tipped his head back and shut his eyes. "He's very weak," said Ami, sitting behind him, examining his torn ear. "But with a few day's rest, he should be fine." "You guys can crash at my place," said Makoto, who had no parents and had lived alone in Tokyo. "Um . . . if I still have a place." She looked down at her shabby street dress. "My wand is gone!" said Usagi. "So is Usa's! And what am I wearing?" She drew her knees together under the short, black skirt. "I haven't seen this outfit since . . . since . . . " Luna and Artemis appeared from behind Super Robot Battle. "You've done your job," said Luna. "Our guardians are back with us, and Beryl should sleep for a good, long time. If the Dark Kingdom ever returns, you'll see your wands and fuku again." "Does this mean we can't go back to Crystal Yedo?" said Usagi. "There's no need." "But are they all right up there? Did they win the battle?" "Zoisite won the battle. I'm afraid the upper realm is closed to you now, but you can have your normal lives back." "Yes!" screeched Makoto. "That's all I wanted! . . . I think. Boy, the rent for my apartment has gotta be way over due by now, and I ain't got a job." Minako's shoulders drooped. "I never got to kick anyone's butt." "You want a challenge?" said Luna. She hopped up onto a pinball game, featuring pictures of anorexic girls bound in leather and chains. "You've got two teen mothers trying to survive in the most expensive city in the world, where twelve-year-old girls are sold into prostitution, where brutality and subjugation is popular entertainment, and where you, Minako, will never enjoy the opportunities men have. "And old scars don't heal with a single act of forgiveness. Zoisite's still going to need a great deal of emotional support, especially after the pregnancy, when she starts turning back to a he. Things will not be easy for any of you. But if you all vow to help one another, you may be all right." Zoisite cuddled closer to Kunzite, rocked by the rise and fall of his breathing. The little youma had taken to his hair, and was snuggled against his cheek. Zoisite could no longer feel thorns, but she felt Mamoru's fingers stroking the back of her head, and Usagi's hand on her arm. Usa was making contented, little singing noises. Luna was right, of course. The cats were always right. But for now, everything was warm and peaceful. She closed her eyes. Something kicked inside. "Oh!" she said. Mamoru touched her face. "You okay?" "It's our baby." Zoisite smiled. "Tell Mina she doesn't have to kick anyone's butt. This kid's already in training." THE END I hope you enjoyed reading my story as much as I enjoyed writing it. ^_^ Since I've taken such great liberties with Takeuchi's work, it's only fair that I invite other writers to "play in my garden." If anyone wants to write a sequel, prequel, or use Crystal Yedo, I would be delighted. And, of course, you may email me at johns877@tc.umn.edu