Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Redemption ❯ Dragonfall ( Chapter 11 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

DRAGONFALL


Space warped, rippling and shimmering like the dance of heat
at the edge of a desert horizon, bursting outward on itself
and distorting the surroundings. For the first time in
centuries, something disturbed the quiet stillness of that
hallway. White-veined green marble lined the hallway, the
illumination of the area low, adding to the sense of
abandonment. Dust swirled in the wake of the spatial
origami as a trio of figures was disgorged there before the
tin-plated doors.

Antique-gold eyes scanned over the corridor, every sense on
the alert for any unexpected or hidden dangers. Sailor
Draco flexed her fingers, the mental command to unsheathe
the Dragon Claws at the ready while she took a swift moment
to take in their surroundings.

Nothing. The place seemed as deserted as it looked.

Violet eyes made a cursory inspection. To Raye, this place
where she found herself was slightly familiar, being very
similar to the area outside the chamber of the Sacred Flame
back in Phobos Deimos Castle. They were standing within a
wide corridor lined with green marble and adorned with faded
tapestries showing the glories of the history of the Jovian
kingdom, dimmed light casting weak rays of illumination from
faintly glowing fixtures high up on the white-veined green
walls. To their right, prominently placed within the
stone-lined wall, was an ornate pair of enormous doors, the
high-relief sculptures decorating it showing regal scenes of
justice, dominion and everyday Jovian life. In the center
of the doors, within a circle bisected by the joint between
the two halves of the double door, the stylized symbol of
the planet of Jupiter dominated the tin-gilded surface.

She had come home. Lita stood there, staring at the
tin-covered entry, her forest-green eyes shimmering too
brightly in the dim light, the sense of peace and joy at
being here momentarily overwhelming her. No matter that she
was now a human, an Earthling in this lifetime -- this is
where she truly belonged. Her breath catching in her
throat, she reached up and lightly stroked her fingertips
along the shiny, metallic surface, tracing the edge of the
astrological symbol.

"Hey, I'm glad you're happy to be here, but we *did* come
here for a reason," Draco growled, noticing how caught up
the ponytailed brunette was getting in the moment.

A curl of anger unfurled within the girl, triggered by the
interruption of the older Scout. Forest-green eyes
narrowing, Lita sighed and reluctantly lifted her hand from
the surface she had been touching so reverently. Turning
her focus to the current problem, the athletic teen took a
step back from the entryway and looked it over for a long
moment. Realizing that she didn't have the first idea where
to start, she turned her verdant gaze upon her friend.
"Raye, how exactly did you get the doors to open in your
castle?"

"I'm not sure. I was under Obsidian's control at the time,"
the raven-haired priestess replied, her expression becoming
one of thoughtfulness. "Somehow, he managed to trigger
something within me..."

Lita frowned in disappointment, her focus returning to the
tin-covered doors. "That's not a lot of help..."

"I do remember having a need to open the doors, though,"
Raye continued, pulling the hazy memories from her mind. "I
had my transformation pen in my hand, and had a feeling that
it was important to go inside and see the Sacred Flame."

"Well, let's try *something*, ladies, before this Lord
Obsidian decides to take another stab at grabbing Jupiter,"
Draco said, folding her arms over her chest. *It's a wonder
that these girls can get anything done,* the redheaded
Senshi thought to herself, her golden gaze scanning over
their surroundings again.

Ignoring the flame-haired woman, Lita slipped a hand into
her pocket and pulled out the slender, gold and green pen
that was her key to the Jovian powers. At the moment, the
orb within the golden ring that topped the verdant-shafted
object was quiescent, the green sphere dark with potential.
Holding the item between clasped hands, the pen resting
against the center of her chest, the tall brunette closed
her eyes and focused her mind on a single thought. *I wish
to go inside and see the Sacred Oak...*

The place was almost too quiet, even for a castle that was,
by all indications, abandoned for at least a thousand years.
The Dragon Senshi frowned, her senses on the alert, her
lithe body carried in a relaxed but ready stance. That the
marble-lined corridor and its decorations showed no signs of
having seen the visit of anyone for a long period of time
made Draco feel slightly better. However, she was well
aware of at least Kunzite's and Zoisite's ability to
teleport. That alone made the black-bodysuited woman on
edge. At least she'd managed to pick up a sort of a
second-sense in her long years in the Negaverse, discovering
an ability to get a slight warning when one of the other
generals was about to pop into existence near her. Relying
upon that innate ability, Draco turned her attention back to
watching the taller teenager stand before the ornate doors,
one of the Dragon Senshi's green-gloved fingers tapping
against a forearm.

Lita continued to focus on her thought, the outside world
slipping away. Somewhere from deep within, something
stirred, something that struggled upward like a seedling
pushing up through the cool embrace of the soil to greet the
warmth of the sun. Emerald light began to glow around the
transformation pen, spreading to dance around the girl's
athletic body, its verdant illumination lighting up the once
dimly-lit corridor.

Raye watched in amazement, violet eyes going wide, as the
other teenager began changing within that aura of green
light. Lita grew just a bit taller, her visage becoming
older, more mature. Her clothing changed, from jeans and a
T-shirt to an elegant gown of emerald green silk, the hem
brushing against the white-veined marble floor, the skirt
slit to allow for movement as well as showing a flash of her
well-proportioned legs and the plunging neckline only
accentuating the beauty of the grown woman standing there.
Gold and emeralds glittered against her fair skin, part of
an ornate necklace that now encircled her neck, and more
emeralds sparkled within the intricate hairstyle her rich,
brunette tresses were now in. Instead of her usual topknot
ponytail, her hair was piled on top of her head, a thick
braid encircling the rest. More gold and emeralds glimmered
from a bracelet around her right wrist.

The sight brought a feeling of bittersweet melancholy with
it for the Shinto priestess. Here was her friend, the
princess of Jupiter, someone she'd not seen in so very long.
The vision of the elegant beauty made Raye smile brightly,
even as unshed tears welled up within her violet eyes.
Memories came back, fond ones, of the court of princesses
sharing so many fun times within the confines of both the
Moon Palace and their own home castles. To see her again
was almost miraculous.

Forest-green eyes opened as the aura of green light faded
away; Princess Jupiter looked up at the center of the double
doors while she transferred her transformation pen to the
grip of her right hand. Slender fingers curled around the
green shaft, she stepped forward and stretched her arm out,
touching the golden cap to the middle of the planetary
symbol carved upon the tin-gilded doors. The words came to
her easily enough, pushed upward by the same forces that had
awakened this part of her now manifest. "By the power and in
the name of Jupiter, I ask that you open to me, your
mistress. Allow me passage to the Sacred Oak beyond."

The verdant sphere within the golden ring atop the
transformation pen flared to life, the Jovian symbol
shimmering in its depths. The emerald light reached
outward, spreading over the larger astrological symbol
carved upon the doors like wildfire. The green light from
the now brightly glowing Jupiter symbol on the doorway cast
its emerald hue over the princess, the Senshi and the
priestess standing there for a moment. Then the massive
doors swung silently inwards, parting to allow the castle's
mistress into the chamber at the very center of the
structure.

Lowering her hand and turning to give her companions an
excited smile, Princess Jupiter made a "follow me" gesture
with an expansive wave of her left arm. "Come on! Let's take
a look inside." Gracefully turning, the young woman strode
forward, stepping through the now-open doorway.

"It's about time," Draco muttered under her breath as she
lowered her arms and walked after the disappearing form of
the princess. Her keen hearing picking up the footfalls of
the black-haired teen behind her, the Dragon Senshi glanced
around at the room beyond the fancy, metallic doors.

The room was surprisingly bare, being a large chamber devoid
of anything save the highly-polished, white-veined,
green-colored marble that lined the floor, walls and ceiling
of the room. The soft sound of a breeze rustling the leaves
of a tree greeted the trio of females, their footsteps on
the shiny, almost reflective surface of the floor echoing in
the vast chamber. The feeling of power filled the space and
made their skin tingle, the energy making it seem as if the
entire room was softly glowing with a green light.

Dominating the chamber, however, was a sight that left the
trio feeling awed as they gazed upon it, their steps taking
them slowly closer to it. From a square-shaped dais of
three steps rose an enormous, ancient oak tree, a massive
specimen of the species. Rough bark thrust gnarled branches
up into the heights of the chamber, the limbs festooned with
the gloriously healthy dark green of the massive, broad
leaves. The Oak seemed strong, sturdy, the epitome of
everything such trees symbolized, its foliage full and
looking to be at the height of the summer growing season.

Looking upon it, Draco couldn't help but think of Nephrite.
In many ways, he and this tree felt very similar. *He did
mention that he was the 'Earth Warrior, the Commander of the
North', whatever that was supposed to mean...*

Both the older redhead and the younger, raven-haired
priestess stopped a respectful distance away. As Raye
continued to watch the graceful figure of the princess
approach the holy tree in the center of the chamber, Draco
took a moment to glance back over her shoulder. Habit, more
than anything, kept her wary. Seeing nothing but the
still-open, tin-covered doors in the marble-covered walls,
the Dragon Senshi turned her attention back to the huge tree
and the emerald-clad woman striding toward it.

Princess Jupiter gazed upon the Sacred Oak reverently, her
heart joyful to see it in such perfect health after all this
time. Though the kingdom may have fallen and Io Castle
abandoned to the winds of time, the Oak remained, as strong
and sturdy as ever. And she was here now, doing what she
could to keep it safe. A fierce protectiveness welled up
within her as she thought about Obsidian and his cronies
tampering with her beloved Oak like they had the Flame of
Mars and the Fountain of Mercury; no, never would she allow
anyone to do something that would harm this precious tree.

They'd have to kill her first.

*Come on, princess... What's taking you so long?* the black-
and green-clad Senshi mentally growled. Obsidian and his
Gemlords could be preparing even now and it seemed as if the
emerald-adorned woman was taking her own sweet time to get
over to the Oak and get the stone from it. It didn't help
her mood any to realize that *this* was the one that had
held Nephrite's affections before the Negaverse -- another
detail he'd mentioned in telling everyone there in the
Shinto temple's sanctum his story. She had to admit that
the Jovian princess was beautiful.

The brunette female walked up the trio of steps, standing on
the narrow walkway of marble that surrounded the rich earth
into which the Oak had its roots deeply sunk. Forest-green
eyes scanning over the dark, rough bark that covered the
massive trunk, Princess Jupiter searched for a hollow she
knew was there. Stepping to the right, still searching, she
couldn't help but reach out with a hand and gently caress
the tree in a moment of affection for the focus of her
planetary powers.

Though the bark was slightly raspy beneath the stroke of her
fingertips, the feeling of power and goodwill made her
smile. A couple more steps around the solid Oak and her
smile widened, her gaze falling upon the very thing for
which she was searching. "Ah hah..." she murmured to
herself, leaning forward and sticking her free hand into the
hollow, her other hand continuing to clutch her
transformation pen.

At first, only empty air met the touch of her questing
fingers. Scooting forward a bit more and stretching upward,
Princess Jupiter moved her hand, feeling around in the space
beyond the opening. Just as she was about to give up for a
moment, regroup and try again, she felt a sudden hard
coolness against her fingertips. Lifting herself up and
supporting her weight on the balls of her feet, the hand
still clasping the Jupiter pen coming up to rest against the
trunk of the Oak to give her something to brace against, the
Jovian woman snatched at the object. Feeling the form of it
within her grasp, she pulled back, taking it from the
hollow.

Her heart suddenly pounding in her chest, she turned her
hand over and uncurled her fingers, forest-green eyes going
wide at the sight. She held a jewel in her hand, a large
emerald of absolute perfect hue, luster and clarity, faceted
in the classic emerald cut. The gem glittered darkly in the
light of the sacred chamber, ripe with the secrets of the
Earth Element. It was absolutely gorgeous... and apparently
just as powerful.

Excitement flowing through her, she turned to face the
others, holding up her hand so that they could see the stone
glimmering there in her grasp. "I have it!" Princess
Jupiter called out to her companions. "I have the Emerald of
Forests!"

"Then give it here, quickly," Draco shouted back. She'd see
to it that the stone was kept safe from Obsidian's greedy
hands. She hadn't been one of the best in the Draconian
Empire and in the Negaverse for nothing. Compared to these
children who were the current crop of planetary Senshi for
this system, she was far more experienced and capable than
they were.

Frowning slightly at the older Scout's imperious tone,
Princess Jupiter lowered her hand and started down the dais,
heading back towards her friend and the slightly abrasive
woman. She only got as far as the bottom step there
underneath the spread of the Oak's mighty limbs before
suddenly stopping, her forest-green eyes going wide in
abrupt astonishment.

A tall, dark form appeared seemingly out of nowhere right
behind the gold-caped Scout, looming slightly over the
redhead like a shadow of doom. Even as Princess Jupiter's
surprised mind tried to process that information, she could
see a black, formidable-appearing staff suddenly *there* in
the newcomer's hands. Curling her hands around both gem and
transformation pen, the green-clad woman shouted out a
warning and started running toward Draco and the stranger
menacing her. "Look out!"

She wasn't swift enough. The low sound of energy hummed
within the echoing chamber, the staff made a
perfectly-executed swing. Dark blood spattered against the
white-veined marble floor, staining the green stone's
polished surface.

Aware of how swiftly he would lose the element of surprise
and of the fact that the one running toward him held the
very thing his lord needed, Adamant set his jaw and mentally
solidified back to stone the one end of his gemstone staff
that he had energized. Recalling the Elementals' tale of
this Senshi shrugging off hard blows to her body, the
raven-haired warrior made sure to make his next strike hit
hard and heavy. A thrust to the left sent the top end of
his weapon slamming hard into the Senshi's side, just under
the ribs and with an upward-driving force. His body moving
with a nearly feline grace, he reversed the swing of his
six-foot staff, lowering his left hand while driving his
right up and forward. The now-solid end of his weapon
connected hard, slamming the side of the bodysuited woman's
red-haired head. All this before her body fell to the
floor, unable to carry her weight any longer on her feet.
Hard to stand when someone's cut the hamstring of one leg.

Draco had barely enough time to register the fact that the
princess had shouted out a warning before the redhead's
right ankle exploded in searing pain. Taken by surprise --
there had been no warning, no sound, no sense of anything
wrong -- she had only a sense of falling to the floor before
two nearly crushing blows slammed into her. Though not
quite winded by the hit that had attempted to rob her of her
breath, the resounding smack against the side of her cranium
left her somewhat stunned. Whatever had whacked her had
done so with more force than she'd hit the tombstones in the
cemetery.

Standing over his prey, the raven-haired Gemlord impassively
watched as the gold-caped soldier laid crumpled on the
sacred chamber's floor. Turning his gemstone staff in his
sure, controlled grip, he lowered an end of the weapon,
simultaneously giving it a mental command. In response, the
lowermost two feet of the staff energized, the stone giving
way to a construct of softly humming, concentrated power of
a hue as dark as night.

Even as she hit the green stone floor, the Dragon Senshi did
her best to shake off the effects of the attack. Rolling
over, ignoring the burning agony that indicated something
was seriously wrong with her right leg, she was about to
make an attempt to rise to her feet when the hum of energy
and a feeling of heat near her neck forced her to pause.
Antique-gold eyes glancing down, she found herself
confronting a weapon that appeared to be a beam of black
radiance; scanning upward, she saw that it was only
partially made of energy, the rest being a darkly glittering
stone. Pale hands were holding the six-foot-long staff in a
deceptively relaxed hold, hands that belonged to a
formidable-appearing man dressed in silver, slate gray and
sable.

Seeing the dark stranger -- Princess Jupiter was sure she
had never seen this particular man before -- holding his
eerily glowing weapon virtually at Sailor Draco's neck, the
emerald-adorned woman came to a stop, hesitating. Should
she hold her ground and wait to see what the man wanted, or
should she transform?

Antique-gold eyes narrowed; Draco made a couple of quick
mental calculations. *If this bozo thinks he's got me beat,
he's got another think coming.* A silent command and the
tines of the Dragon Claws extended, the redhead
concentrating on that and ignoring the burning pain in her
right ankle. Her left arm darted out; mystic powers clashed
with a sound and a mental sense that left everyone's ears
ringing as Senshi energy and Gemlord energy fought with one
another to slash through the other. The Claw on her left
hand sparking against the energized part of the stranger's
staff, keeping the deadly weapon from her neck, she snarled
and lashed out with the Claw on her right hand.

The sound of shredding cloth gave her some sense of
satisfaction -- until the silvery blades met with an
unexpected resistance. Her gaze darting over to look, Draco
felt a sudden fear as she realized that not even the
planetary powers of her artifact could cut the skin of this
newest foe. Eyes wide in astonishment, she watched as the
Claw skidded across the surface of the man's knee and lower
thigh without making so much as a mark.

Adamant's expression turned grim indeed. Just as he was
about to pull his staff away from the silvery blades holding
it in check, however, a sudden telepathed command
momentarily imposed itself upon his consciousness. In a
matter of seconds, the plans changed and the raven-haired
warrior responded accordingly. A swift spin of his weapon
and a perfect aim, taking advantage of the Senshi's
momentary surprise at her discovery of one of his unique
attributes as a Gemlord. The still-solid end of his adamant
staff cracked down decisively against Draco's right temple.
Seeing the black-clad body go slack, Adamant turned and
dashed into action, running straight at the emerald-clad
woman holding the green stone desired by Lord Obsidian.

Raye had retreated a couple of steps away from Draco the
moment the dark stranger had launched his attack. Without
her powers, there wasn't much she could do, and she *knew*
that her *ofuda* -- her Shinto charms to ward off evil
spirits -- wouldn't work on this one. There wasn't anything
evil she could read off his presence. Her slim body held in
a fearful stance of ready action, all she really could do
was stand there and hope that Sailor Draco and Princess
Jupiter would be able to handle the aggressor.

Emerald eyes darkened in determination. Seeing the
raven-haired man rapidly closing the distance between them,
the Jovian princess lifted her hand in the air, holding her
transformation pen aloft. "Jupiter--"

Four auras suddenly appeared, even as the black- and
gray-clad man abruptly vanished. A double-helix of deep,
violet-tinged red, a glimmer of violet-pink, a swirl of
cherry blossom petals and a flash of orange-yellow light,
they heralded the arrival of three men and a lone woman.
Two of them Princess Jupiter recognized. Kunzite and
Zoisite each taking up a position around the fallen Sailor
Draco, along with the yellow- and orange-clad man with short
blond hair, was the last thing the emerald-eyed woman saw
before the whole world exploded in pain and went dark.

The the one aura that really caught the redheaded Senshi's
attention was the swirl of cherry blossom petals.
Apparently the little brat wasn't as broken as first
thought. Trying to get to her feet and finding her right
foot unresponsive to commands, Draco did her best to prepare
for what was to come next. Light glittering along the
silvery blades, a soft growl sounding from deep within her
throat, she looked around herself as the three former
Negaverse generals surrounded her. Each one of the trio
looked hostile, cold... distant... much as they had in the
depths of that sunless kingdom. Normally she'd be inclined
to taunt the blue-clad woman, but something about them put
her on edge, made her more cautious than was her usual wont.
She was already at a disadvantage and in pain, though that
was fading with the rush of an upcoming confrontation.

A nod from Kunzite and Jadeite held his hands in front of
his athletic form. "Air Energy Electrify," the Eastern
Commander intoned, his voice controlled, clipped. At the
verbal trigger, a dome of yellow light sprang to life around
the golden-caped Senshi, effectively caging her like one
would a wild animal.

The silver-haired Fire Elemental was next, hands coming up
in the same gesture the other Gemlord had used. "Fire
Energy Electrify."

Sailor Draco blinked, looking from first Jadeite to Kunzite
and then to Zoisite. This was something new, something...
unexpected. They were working together, and weaving
something that was more than she'd ever sensed from any of
them before. *What in the nine hells are they doing?*

The moment the princess's unconscious body hit the marble
floor of the sacred chamber, Adamant knelt down and plucked
the darkly shimmering Emerald from her slack grasp. Sable
eyes looked it over for just a moment before he slid the
stone into a pocket of his black pants. Feeling the build
up of power from the Elementals as they worked quickly to
contain the Dragon Senshi, he lifted his gaze to stare at
the fourth Gemlord that had come to help with the mission
given to them all by their ruler.

It was all damned *distasteful*. The redheaded spy grit his
teeth as he heard the calls of the Elementals, saw the
commander of the Overt Operations Corps of Lithos bending
over the princess he'd just smacked into a hopefully
temporary oblivion with that adamant staff of his. And
there wasn't a thing he could do but go along. Violet eyes
scanning over the scene, he sighed as his gaze fell upon the
raven-haired girl standing in uneasy readiness, her body
clad in a white and red, loose-fitting outfit. *Cosmos, I
have to beat up on kids...* Sighing heavily, Garnet took a
couple of steps toward the girl.

"Stay away from me, or you'll regret it," Raye called out in
challenge, violet eyes flashing fire.

Garnet crossed the rest of the distance in a quick sprint,
reaching out to grab the teenager. "I already regret it," he
hissed. Feeling the fiery girl try to grab him in a hold
designed to throw him, the redheaded spy fluidly reversed
it, ending up behind her and locking down a very effective
sleeper hold against her. Damned if he was going to hurt
her any more than was necessary, and damned if he was going
to let himself get hurt in the process.

The look in Zoisite's violet-blue eyes was almost gleeful,
though the seriousness of her expression kept it from being
obnoxiously so. "Water Energy Electrify," she softly said,
raising her hands and adding her energy to the dome that
surrounded the crippled Senshi. Violet-blue energy blended
into the yellow and violet-pink already making up the
shielding.

Determined to get the hell out of whatever trap this must
be, the golden-caped Senshi lunged as best she could toward
a side of the shining dome, lashing out with one set of
silvery blades even as the other set scraped against the
green marble, cutting furrows in the white-veined stone.
Like the raven-haired man's skin, the Claws merely slid
across the energy's surface, not even making a ripple in the
matrix. Draco growled again, a sinking feeling washing over
her. This was going from bad to worse.

Off to the side from the swirling dome of energy trapping
the formidable Senshi, Garnet winced as the teenaged girl
kept trying to claw at the arm squeezing the column of her
neck, her well-manicured fingernails needling into his skin
through his leather jacket. That she was actually hurting
him through his clothing was a testament to how desperate
she was to slip from his choking grasp. Narrowing his
violet eyes, he tightened the sleeper on her, feeling her
struggles starting to fade.

Things looked like they were being handled very well;
Adamant mentally nodded. Still kneeling next to the
unmoving, brunette-haired woman, the tall Gemlord laid his
weapon down on the marble floor and then slipped his arms
under his downed foe's green-clad form. Scooping her up to
cradle her against his breast, he rose to his feet, his
gemstone staff fading back into nothingness, ready for him
to call it into being again.

She had to do *something*. The Dragons only knew if the
former generals and their two friends had already swooped
down on Nephrite and the pair of Senshi in his company.
There was still hope that they had come here first. If so,
she *had* to get out of this and go to his help. They'd
want that other stone...

Only two attacks could possibly work against the power she
senses surrounding her. Turning the possibilities in her
mind, Draco reluctantly discarded her most intense
manifestation of planetary power. That one required a
target to rend and tear, and all she was facing at the
moment was a shield of energy entrapping her.
Half-crouched, half-kneeling, the best position she could
achieve with her one foot not working, the Dragon Senshi
began to marshal her attack. "Draco Star--"

Working together, their minds linked and focused on what
they had created, the trio of Elementals gestured in an
almost perfect synchronous motion, Kunzite, Jadeite and
Zoisite mentally bracing for whatever their trapped foe
would throw at them.

"*Incineration*!" The moment the final syllable was voiced,
the redheaded Senshi straightened and arched back, her
humanoid body taking on a position as close as it could to
the classic image of a dragon breathing fire. Antique-gold
eyes suddenly glowed with a white-hot light, that same
heated radiance forming within her still-open mouth. The
light grew brighter, building, casting rays of brightest
white throughout the chamber, even through the shifting dome
of amber, violet-pink and violet-blue energy. Draco jerked
forward then, the attack bursting forth as fountains of
blazing, white-hot power from her eyes and mouth.

"Steady," Kunzite softly intoned, flicking his gaze from the
construct to look over at Zoisite for a moment. Echoes of a
long-ago event ran through his mind, of a time when the four
of them were united in the containment of a dying star; at
that time, it had been the first major mission of the newly
appointed Western Commander. The growing energy trapped
within their dome was similar, though at lesser power levels
than that, but the Fire Warrior wasn't sure if the memory of
that would interfere. Then again, Zoisite had matured since
that time.

Violet-blue eyes remained focused on the shielding; Zoisite
fought back the sense of *déjà vu* that threatened to
disrupt her equilibrium. This was almost like that other
time... *No, this is different. I *can* do this...* she
told herself even as the Senshi's turbulent energy slammed
against the shifting dome being projected by the three
Gemlords. Sensing Jadeite and then Kunzite shoring up their
parts of the matrix, the Western Commander poured more power
into the dome.

Garnet closed his eyes, shielding them from the white
brilliance that filled the sacred chamber there in the heart
of Io Castle. Even so, the afterimage of the warrioress's
star-like attack danced behind his eyelids. Holding steady
on the sleeper, he was gratified to feel the raven-haired
girl finally go limp in his grasp. His forearm stung just a
bit, but it was a small price to pay. Besides, he needed
*something* to assuage his guilt at having to take the
Terran prisoner.

The star-core heat and light faded away, the illumination
levels in the green-marble chamber falling back to normal.
Draco glanced around herself -- and saw that the energy dome
had held. Eyes back to their antique-gold hue opened wide
as she realized that her attack hadn't worked. A feeling a
true hopelessness momentary settled in her heart as she
turned her gaze to the tall, silver-haired man that seemed
to be in charge of the trio.

Kunzite was calm, unruffled... as icy as ever. A corner of
his mouth quirked up in a half-smile as he noticed the
Dragon Senshi staring at him through the dome. A swift,
telepathed command, and the three members of the Elemental
Guard of Lithos spoke as one, their hands simultaneously
executing the same gesture.

"Elemental Energy Shrink."

The half-sphere of swirling energy started to collapse in on
itself. Under the direction of the trio of the Elemental
Guard, its margins grew rapidly smaller, the space within it
shrinking. Throwing her arms out to either side and feeling
both pairs of silvery blades only scrape ineffectively
against the surface closing in on her, Draco turned her
hands and pressed her gloved palms up against the
solid-seeming wall of light. Bowing her head and putting
all her formidable strength -- a strength born from her
dense muscular structure adapted by the millennia of
evolution of her species to a world with a much higher
gravity field than that of Terra -- into an attempt to keep
that dome from collapsing in and crushing her, the redheaded
Senshi groaned in effort.

For just a moment, she thought she might have actually
stopped the movement of the energy sphere. Though her
muscles were quivering with the strain, she felt a hot flash
of triumph at that. Then the energy shifted subtly -- more
than likely at the behest of the former generals controlling
it -- and the resulting pressure was too much for her to
hold back any longer. An agonized cry of loss and
desperation burst forth from her as the futility of it all
sank in. There was nothing she could do, no way she could
get out of this and rejoin her beloved Nephrite.

*Nephrite, I'm sorry... I don't want to leave you...* Those
were the Dragon Senshi's final thoughts before the pressure
from the power encasing her constricted her into
unconsciousness, a mental image of the gorgeous, green-eyed
and auburn-haired man vividly there in her mind as she
finally passed out from the lack of oxygen reaching her
system.

Certain that the girl he'd subdued would be out for a while,
Garnet eased up on his hold. Supporting the priestess's
dead weight against his muscular form, the redheaded spy
scooped the teenager up into his arms almost as if she was
as light as a feather. He shot a quick glance of his violet
eyes to Adamant, noting that the other had the
emerald-dressed brunette in his arms. Then he looked over
at where the Elemental Guard stood in a triangle around the
glowing energy field trapping the mercenary that had once
been in Nephrite's Negaverse forces. It was well-executed,
efficiently done. And he hated every second of it.

"She's out of it, sir," Zoisite finally pronounced, her
sensitive empathy picking up the final flash of emotion
before the nothingness characteristic of a loss of
consciousness swept over her senses.

"Confirmed," Jadeite seconded, his telepathy giving him a
reading consistent with a state of unconsciousness.

"Very well then," Kunzite acknowledged, "dismiss the energy
and let's take her home."

The other two nodded, each one making a cutting gesture with
a hand. Doing so as well, the Fire Warrior watched
impassively as the matrix dissolved, the glowing field
dissipating and leaving behind the crumpled body of the
gold-caped warrioress lying there on the stone floor of the
castle's chamber. A quick scan of the room with his
pale-lavender gaze, and he allowed himself just a bit of a
smile. Their objectives had been achieved, and efficiently
so. While the pair of Elementals stood there and watched,
Kunzite stepped up to the fallen Senshi and held a hand over
her, levitating her from off the floor. The moment Draco's
body was up about chest-high to him, the silver-haired
Southern Commander closed his eyes and bowed his head, his
violet-pink aura flaring around both himself and the
floating woman. Three words formed in his mind, the mental
command to teleport back through the Mirror to the Tower
beyond it. With a flash of the rosy light, Gemlord and
Senshi were gone.

The remaining Lithosians followed suit, the various energy
fields of their teleporting manifesting around them as they
returned home, taking with them the princess of Jupiter and
the Shinto priestess. In the chamber now undisturbed again,
the Sacred Oak remained vibrant and healthy, the stone
lining the chamber as full of polish and the sense of
green-hued energy as before.

***************************

"Well done," the Guardian of Space said, his rich baritone
voice sounding quite pleased. Stepping back, he looked over
the sight in satisfaction.

Six chairs had been taken from the various sitting areas set
up within the confines of the large, circular Hall of the
Mirror and lined up near the table that contained the
open-air grave of the remaining Gemlords. Oddly enough, it
seemed as if he had arranged them in such a way as to
prepare for an audience; the chairs had a perfect,
unobstructed view of the center of the Zodiac carpet there
in the middle of the chamber.

Four of those seats were now filled, the unconscious forms
of two women and two girls perched there. From left to
right, Adamant recognized them as the girl he had menaced in
the temple, the Shinto priestess, the Jovian princess and
finally Sailor Draco. The remaining two chairs -- both
mahogany ones upholstered in green velvet -- were the two on
the end closest to the low table on which the soulstones
rested.

Sable eyes flicking back to the blond with the two
bun-topped ponytails, Adamant murmured, "Had I known you
wanted her, I would have brought her, my lord."

"You were already gone when I changed my mind, Lord
Adamant," Obsidian replied. "She was still unconscious when
I teleported there, though Prince Endymion had begun to
recover." The Guardian of Space softly chuckled. "I must
admit, it gave me a sense of pleasure to blast the Terran
prince to keep him from interfering."

*Prince Endymion?* the raven-haired Gemlord thought in
wonderment. The tuxedo-clad man had been the Terran prince?
Consternation came next, as Adamant realized how lucky he
had been in taking the strangely-dressed man so easily.
Even among the Lithosians, the black-haired prince had had
the reputation of a warrior of surpassing skill.

That chuckle put the hairs on the back of Garnet's head on
edge, a chill going down his spine. Standing there in the
background with the three members of the Elemental Guard as
their ruler stood before the lined-up chairs and spoke to
the other dark-haired Gemlord, the young spy shot the
ponytailed blond a sharp look.

While Jadeite frowned thoughtfully and Kunzite stared at the
Guardian of Space, his pale-lavender eyes narrowing
imperceptively, Zoisite looked to her right, meeting her
brother's gaze. Paling slightly, she shook her head just a
bit. Even if Garnet was right and there was something wrong
with this entire situation, none of them were truly in the
position to challenge their ruler. Besides, if this was the
only way to right what had been torn asunder...

Adamant's consternation deepened with the realization that
the other man actually *enjoyed* pitting his formidable
weaponry against a foe that, by all determination, wasn't
ready to defend himself. Lord Obsidian was usually a more
honorable man.

"So what are you going to do with them, *sir*?" Garnet
asked, his voice sounding both sullen and cold.

Obsidian turned, his gold-trimmed, ebony cape flaring out
gently as he did so. Meeting the younger Gemlord's
seething, violet stare, the dark lord gave the man a
chilling smile. "At the moment, nothing. I'm going to keep
them telekinetically bound to those chairs until I have the
other two Senshi."

"And after that?" the redheaded spy queried.

"You'll see," the Lord of Lithos curtly replied. Turning
back to face the raven-haired warrior, he held out a hand.
"I believe you have the gem, Lord Adamant?"

As Garnet bit back anything else he had in mind to say, not
willing to repeat his earlier mistake, the trio of
Elementals looked to one another; though the older ones'
expressions were unreadable, it was easy to see that Zoisite
was bothered by the developing situation. At least she had
the brains to see that the ends didn't justify the means.
That made Garnet feel just a tiny bit better.

"Right here, my lord," the dark-clad warrior responded,
pulling the deep green stone from the pocket of his black
pants. Without hesitation, he dropped the Emerald of
Forests into the older man's hand.

"Good. Now only the Amber of Winds remains," Obsidian
murmured to himself, holding up the darkly-glittering jewel
and admiring the play of light within the deep green stone.
"Soon... So soon..." Lowering his deep-brown eyes, he swept
his gaze over the Gemlords standing there. "Go!"

Kunzite blinked at the harshness of the order, lowering his
arms to his sides. "My lord?" he questioned, not sure what
it was their ruler wanted. Around him, the other Lithosians
all glanced to one another.

"Go to Magellan Castle and get the Amber, get the remaining
Senshi and get Nephrite," the Guardian of Space elaborated,
dark eyes narrowing. "Work together as you did before. You
know what I want. I expect it to be done. Now *go*."

None of them wanted to question him further, not with that
tone in his rich baritone voice. Even as he turned to head
for the reflective surface of the Mirror, Garnet shot
Adamant a look that practically shouted "I told you so."

What bothered the raven-haired Gemlord the most was that it
looked like the young spy was right after all. Still, it
didn't excuse his methods from earlier. No, he had no place
publicly questioning the authority of his ruler. And at the
moment, they had another mission to carry out. Misgiving in
his heart, Adamant walked toward the Mirror, his tall form
between the redheaded spy and the Elemental Guard.

***************************

Jade-green eyes remained focused on the shifting,
glimmering, faintly glowing statue in the center of the
chamber. The sculpture was one of the most fascinating
things Nephrite had ever seen, an ever-changing, kinetic
structure that looked like molten gold and flowed as
elegantly as quicksilver. Even more interestingly, it
shifted between being an amorphous blob to geometric designs
that were both simple and complex in design, freezing there
in that seemingly solid pattern for a moment before undoing
the beauty it had created to restructure itself into
another.

He had continued to watch the fascinating structure,
ignoring the rest of the faintly glowing chamber lined with
highly-polished, orange-streaked yellow marble, while the
beautiful and graceful Princess Venus had walked toward the
object. Perched upon a circular base of what looked to be
solid gold, at the top of a three-stepped dais that was
equally round in shape, the Mystic Sculpture dominated the
otherwise empty and bare chamber.

And though it had come close to repeating certain patterns
in those moments it stopped in a solid form, the Earth
Warrior could see that no two sculptures were precisely
alike, no matter their similarities. In many ways, the
Mystic Sculpture reminded him of the dance of the stars and
the music of the spheres, but this had more of a fluid
pattern set in the possibilities of probability rather than
a structured, always repeating sequence.

While Nephrite had taken a watchful stance there near the
still-open double, copper-gilt doors, his back to the
dust-covered, low-lit corridor that ran to this, the
innermost chamber of Magellan Castle, Amy had walked forward
in the wake of the blond princess until they had reached a
point about halfway between the impressive entryway and the
fluid, glimmering Statue. At that point, the blue-haired
genius had come to a halt, her sapphire eyes wide in
interested awe while Princess Venus had continued on alone.

It was utterly fascinating, this yellow-marble,
essentially-bare chamber that housed the ever-mobile Statue
and seemed to be filled with a swirling energy that almost
tinted the very air with a pale golden light. In many ways,
this chamber felt much like the one that now sat cold and
lifeless back in her home castle. That thought dampened
Amy's mood, reminding her of all that was lost, the Fountain
of Mercury no longer dancing with the humid energy of her
planetary patron. Even so, there was hope. Nephrite,
seemingly truly reformed from his previous ways, was waiting
there to help her restore both Fountain and focus.

But first they needed to recover the Amber of Winds from the
Sculpture.

Her graceful, feminine form clad in a long gown of
gold-colored satin that shimmered in flattering ways, the
skirt slit to allow an ease of movement, the bodice
sleeveless and the neckline one that tastefully showed off
her cleavage, the Venusian princess was a vision of golden
loveliness. Her sunshine-blond hair swept up in an intricate
style atop her head, glimmering little jewels of amber and
yellow topaz accenting her look in her silky mane, at her
neck, her ears, wrists and waist in golden pieces of
jewelry, Princess Venus looked just as she had those
long-past days when the four Elementals were given the task
to keep the Senshi busy.

It was a sight that left both Nephrite and Amy feeling
bittersweet, this glimpse into a long ago that had come to a
crashing halt.

The liquid gold flowed around her hand, the Statue
continuing its endless expression of Beauty around its
Senshi's presence within it, the feel against her skin one
that was an energetic tingle as much as it was a warm silken
softness. Her fingertips brushing against something hard
and inert in the center of that flowing mass, Princess Venus
stretched forward, her other hand tightening its grip on her
gold and orange transformation pen. She wrapped her digits
around that unyielding lump, pulling back and taking a step
backwards down the first small stair of the round dais.

Turning and walking down the next couple of levels, her
golden sandals making faint steps that echoed slightly in
the power-charged hush, the blond woman made her way over to
her waiting friend, a bright smile on her beautiful face.
For just a moment, the fun-loving Terran girl the princess
had become broke through her royal demeanor; giving Amy a
patented Mina-style wink, the young woman held up the
glimmering Amber for both the blue-haired teenager and the
waiting Gemlord a glimpse at the stone. A deep
golden-yellow hue, the interior of the tone glimmered with
the swirl of restless energy associated with its Element.

"Impressive," Amy softly said, her voice a nearly breathless
whisper. Looking it over, it seemed to be a flawless
example of its type, though intellectually she had to wonder
why the condensation of the Air Element took the form of
petrified tree sap. Then again, most things mystic in
nature ignored the laws and theorems of science.

"Yes, it is," Princess Venus replied, gesturing for her
friend to join her in returning to where the auburn-haired
man stood watching near the copper-covered, double doors.
"Now, let's go fix your Fountain, Amy."

The moment the two females returned to his side, Nephrite
held out a hand. "It's probably best if you let me hang
onto the gem," he suggested, "Lord Obsidian and the others
are my people. From what I understand, his interest only
lies in the Amber."

Reluctantly nodding -- a part of her still wasn't entirely
willing to trust someone who had not only been a Negaverse
general but had actively participated in the downfall of the
Silver Millennium as well had ties to the ones wanting the
jewel in the first place -- the Venusian princess dropped
the Amber into Nephrite's waiting hand. "Just don't make me
sorry about being willing to trust you," she warned, her
normally pleasantly cheerful voice taking on a hard tone.

Dark-fire highlights glimmered in the Earth Warrior's dark
auburn mane as he nodded his head in acknowledgment. "I
realize that no amount of telling you I'm sorry for my past
mistakes can completely erase the mistrust I've earned. I
can only hope that my actions can speak loud enough for me,
Your Highness." Softly sighing, Nephrite curled his fingers
around the golden-yellow stone, then slipped it into an
interior pocket of his emerald-trimmed, ebony-hued jacket.

"We'll see, Commander Nephrite of Lithos," the young woman
replied. Giving the black-clad man a stern look for a
moment, Princess Venus then turned her attention to her
blue-haired friend.

Just like that, he could sense them, their distinctive auras
moving through that odd not-space between realities. Two of
them were expected, a third was acknowledged with a
bittersweet feeling, and two more were a complete surprise.
Stepping closer to his two feminine companions, the press of
his body against them giving him what contact he needed in
case he was forced to yank them out of there through his
teleportation, Nephrite hissed out a warning. "Look out!
They're coming!"

"Who?" Princess Venus asked, twisting enough to swiftly look
back at the ebony-clad man standing up against her
yellow-clad form, her blue eyes wide in startlement.

That question was swiftly answered by the four distinctive
auras that suddenly surrounding the trio. The
manifestations faded, leaving Nephrite, Amy and Princess
Venus staring at five grim-looking people -- four men and a
single woman -- surrounding them in a loose circle.

Even as they took up positions around their prey, the
quintet of Gemlords could sense with whom they were dealing.
The Earth Elemental was there, his emerald-hued aura hard to
miss, while the golden power of the planet of Venus
glimmered next to him. The third presence was weak, hardly
of any consequence, though the five knew better than that.

The moment he was once more solidly back into physical
reality, Adamant called his gemstone staff into existence.
Of the ones there, the Northern Commander would be the
largest threat; a part of the very thing that defined the
center of Lithosian society, Nephrite would truly be a
formidable opponent. Preparing to spring in an action
calculated to make this confrontation as swift as possible,
the raven-haired Gemlord found himself suddenly looking at
Kunzite's arm, the Fire Warrior's mental touch brushing
against his awareness.

A conference at the speed of thought, and Adamant relaxed,
his stone staff held in both hands in a posture of watchful
wariness. The Southern Commander had asked for a chance to
talk Nephrite into joining them, giving the younger Gemlord
the sense that it was a point of honor. Understanding,
Adamant had agreed.

Body still touching the two females, his mind poised to make
the leap from here to the relative safety of his mansion,
Nephrite took a moment to look at the familiar forms
confronting him. He could sense them all, though the ones
he could actually see without turning around were Kunzite,
Adamant and Jadeite. Perhaps it was just as well that his
emerald gaze didn't land upon the slender Water Elemental.
On his forehead, he felt a slight warmth from his circlet;
the emerald must have been reacting to the others, just as
he could see the diamond and the circle glyphs glowing in
the heart of the gems of Kunzite and Jadeite's circlets.
Even so, Nephrite felt... detached, not a part of the
delicate web of mental and spiritual bonds that had tied him
to the others of the Cornerstone Binding.

Another quick exchange of thought, the sense of the Northern
Commander being there but not a part of the Binding
unexpected and commented upon. Zoisite's own thoughts
mirrored Kunzite's surprise at seeing Nephrite full-grown,
in full control of his Gemlord powers and clad in the ebony
uniform of the Elemental Guard. However, their mission was
clear enough.

"We need the stone, Nephrite. And we need you," Kunzite
said, pale-lavender eyes remaining focused on the
auburn-haired man. True, he had noticed the golden-haired
beauty there next to the other Gemlord, a woman for whom
he'd once felt a warm affection, but now wasn't the time to
dwell upon that.

Azure eyes wide, Princess Venus looked from Nephrite to the
silver-haired man that had spoken. She remembered him now,
from those long-ago parties and quiet moments, those
romantic interludes and just how well she thought they went
together, him with his pale hair and white uniform and she
with her blond hair and affinity for golden-colored
clothing. Remembered now the bitter heartache at seeing him
and the other three fighting with the enemy as the Moon
Kingdom crumbled around them, feelings that became mixed
with more recent memories of him, cold and aloof, continuing
to be a general of the enemy forces as she fought against
him in the here and now as Sailor Venus. Her beautiful face
taking on an angry expression, she narrowed her eyes as the
hand that still held her transformation pen began to rise.

Ever watchful, the raven-haired Gemlord noticed the change
in the Venusian princess's stance. A mental whisper and the
top two feet of his adamant staff flared to life, a low hum
sounding in the hushed stillness of the chamber of the
Mystic Statue as stone was converted to a beam of
concentrated black energy. In a movement almost as fast and
fluid as thought, Adamant pointed the force-imbued weapon a
scant distance from the joint of neck and shoulder. "If I
were you, I'd not do anything at all, Your Highness."

As Amy glanced around at the five surrounding them, her
quick mind trying to think of various possible avenues of
escape that would result in a less-than-sure risk of being
killed, Nephrite's only reaction was to give Adamant a cool
stare before turning his attention back to Kunzite. "Just
what's going on? Why are the stone and I needed?"

"Lord Obsidian wishes to restore our planet and our people,"
Jadeite replied, low voice supplying the answer.

"And we *can't* do it without you," added the Western
Commander, her usually strident voice soft. It was obvious
that she was on edge, slightly nervous.

"Odd way of showing that, dear Zoisite," Nephrite remarked,
his emerald eyes remaining focused on the lavender-clad form
of the commander of the Elemental Guard. "After all, you
could have killed me with that
poke of your sword."

"I wasn't aiming for you," the female Gemlord said, jumping
swiftly to defend herself. "You got in the way."

Next to her, Garnet reached out and laid a hand on her
shoulder. Now wasn't the time to hash this out, not if it
meant another argument between the two. Concentrating his
thoughts, the redheaded spy mentally reached out to the
black-clad warrior, his mind's voice meant only for Nephrite
and the other Lithosians. **Commander, there's something
very odd going on with Lord Obsidian. I'm beginning to get
very worried.**

He turned then, a puzzled expression on his face, fixing the
younger man with his emerald gaze. **What do you mean,
*wrong*?**

**He's captured the Senshi, including Sailor Draco,** Garnet
replied. From his nightmarish exile in the Negaverse,
watching the Elemental Guard become twisted caricatures of
themselves, he knew how much the fiery redhead had meant to
the Northern Commander at one time. **He's holding them
prisoner in the Hall itself.**

**What?** Nephrite blinked, turning again to glance at
Kunzite.

The Fire Elemental gravely nodded. **There is a distance
within him I've not sensed the like before. He seems...
rushed, driven to complete this...**

**We have lost a thousand years to Chaos,** Adamant replied,
low voice cutting through the others' thoughts. **More than
anyone, our lord is well aware of the amount of damage Chaos
can wreak upon the Cosmos in even that short of a time.**

**Excuse me, Lord Adamant, but I don't see that as an excuse
for what he's doing,** Garnet shot back, an irritated light
shining in his violet eyes.

"Nephrite?" Amy tentatively began, sapphire gaze flitting
from one imposing Gemlord to another as she looked over the
people surrounding them, "what exactly is going on?"

"We're discussing something," the auburn-haired man softly
said, his voice taking on a reassuring tone.

**We're immortals, Adamant,** the redheaded spy stated,
countering the older Gemlord's words. **No matter how
screwed up things get by Chaos, we have the time and the
opportunity to fix it, but only if we plan well. Don't get
me wrong; it'll be great seeing our world back and everyone
alive again, but something this important shouldn't be
rushed.**

**I must admit, I am slightly bothered by the compressed
timeframe our lord wishes us to meet,** Jadeite said, his
expression thoughtful. **Normally, I would be willing to
take his word that all we need are these gemstones and
ourselves, but...**

**Something is missing,** Kunzite finished. **And so we
either trust his word--**

**Or we figure something's wrong and fix it first,** Garnet
cut in.

**I'm willing to return to Lord Obsidian and hand over the
Amber of Winds to him,** the auburn-haired Gemlord began,
jade-green gaze shifting from Kunzite to Adamant and then
finally settling on the blond-haired Air Warrior. "But only
on the condition that you allow Princess Venus and the
Terran girl their freedom back on Terra," Nephrite added,
shifting to verbal speech so that the two females in
question would know what was being planned for them.

"We can't do that, Nephrite," Kunzite softly responded, his
expression one that was cool and unyielding.

"We have to drag them along," Garnet spat, his very tone
betraying his disgust at the entire thing. "That's part of
what's *wrong*."

"*What*? But before--"

Jadeite shook his head emphatically, his low voice cutting
through the Northern Commander's words of astonished
outrage. "He's changed his mind. He wants them all."

"What for?" Princess Venus snapped, her azure gaze switching
from staring at the glowing weapon of dark energy that
hovered far too close to her neck for comfort to glaring at
the blond Air Warrior.

"Shut up, Venus," Zoisite growled, violet-blue eyes blazing
in irritation. Despite suddenly getting a withering look
from her brother, the slender Water Warrior kept her
attention on the golden-gowned princess. "Lord Obsidian
wants you and that's all you need to know."

**Dammit, 'Zo! Behave!** the redheaded spy telepathed, his
projection a tightly focused one, meant only for his
sibling.

While Garnet continued to glare at the blue-clad Gemlord
woman and Zoisite paled slightly at her brother's mental
reprimand, Kunzite gave the Venusian royal a faintly
apologetic expression. "We don't know. We only know that
you must be returned to the Tower, with Nephrite and the
Amber."

"If you think I'm going--" Venus began, only to feel her
friend's hand on her shoulder, Amy giving the other girl a
slight squeeze as a gesture of warning.

"There's nothing we can do," the blue-haired genius quietly
stated. "At best, we can just pretend to be prisoners and
hope for an opportunity to escape."

"What did he do with the others, with Draco?" Nephrite
asked, his voice a low growl.

"Last we saw, they were all unconscious and being held in
chairs by Lord Obsidian's telekinesis," Garnet replied,
still sounding quite disgusted though he did turn his violet
gaze from his sibling's willowy form to look at the tall
Northern Commander.

"As for what he plans on doing with them, that is something
still unknown," Adamant responded, his sable eyes remaining
trained on the princess who was stubbornly holding onto her
transformation pen.

"He said we'd see, when we asked him," Zoisite added. "I
think it might have something to do with energy. The Mirror
itself seems sluggish where it's at."

"He's already sucked Sailor Andromeda dry," the redheaded
spy growled, feeling slightly ill at the memory. "Though he
did sent Ametrine out to drop the senshi off at her
homeworld afterwards."

"If you think I'm just going to let--" Princess Venus
started again, her expression furious.

"Your Highness, it would be a favor to us all if you would
keep your opinions to yourself," the raven-haired warrior
calmly stated, bringing his energized adamant staff closer
to her neck.

Feeling the slight heat of the weapon and hearing the buzz
of its potentially lethal energy, the blond Venusian royal
pressed her lips together, falling silent.

"So apparently he's only interested in their energy?"
Nephrite asked, glancing down at the two females pressed
against his athletic form.

"Yes," Jadeite confirmed. "He *did* order Andromeda
released."

"Return with us, Nephrite," Kunzite quietly said, pale
lavender eyes focused on the black-uniformed Gemlord. "We
are not whole without you. Nor may we set things right
without your power."

The auburn-haired man sighed, then nodded. Duty called;
though he could sense he was somehow separate from the
delicate web of psychic ties now, he was *still* the Earth
Warrior. And the lack of those ties left him feeling less
than whole, he realized. Something truly seemed wrong with
the Guardian of Space; perhaps by the very nature of what he
was, Nephrite could help stabilize the situation.
Everything that he had heard so far pointed to Obsidian
working in desperation for a noble goal. Were he in the
other's place, he probably would be doing much the same,
distasteful as those actions may be. Glancing down at the
two females again, Nephrite put a hand on each of their
shoulders. "Obsidian Mirror Return," the Northern Commander
intoned aloud, giving the other Gemlords there his response.
Silvery-green starlight swirled around the three forms as
Nephrite willingly returned to the Hall of the Mirror... and
to Lord Obsidian.

The others followed behind, their various teleportational
auras manifesting then fading away, leaving the Mystic
Statue to continue its infinite expressions of beauty in
abandoned silence.