Disclaimer: I own nothing, I know nothing, I am nothing; unlike the people
who do: Miss Naoko, TOEI, DIC and whomever else. Please don't sue. =)
Author's Note: This is the sequel to Burning Love. You don't HAVE to read
the other one to understand this one, but it's recommended. The other one
is more of a romance thing, this one is half mushy, half action.
*....* means thoughts /..../ means a dreamscape
Armageddon
Chapter One: Prelude to a War
After things had calmed after the first quake, Jadeite left the room in desire
of solitude. His bedroom was inviting enough, but he wanted to enjoy the
night sky.
Half-way towards the exit of the castle, he encountered Queen Serenity and her
two advisors, Luna and Artemis.
"Where are you going?" Queen Serenity asked him.
"Just out for a stroll under the stars," he explained.
"It is a beautiful night. You will be coming back for the rest of the Ball?
You have not yet danced all night."
He smiled ruefully. "There is no one for me to dance with."
"What of Lady Raye? You two enjoy each other's company very much."
He tried not to show his discomfort at the mention of Raye's name. "Lady Raye
is occupied with her fiancee." He bowed before the Queen to make his exit.
"If you'll excuse me."
Queen Serenity nodded and watched him go. She looked down to the cats and the
same thought passed through all of them.
Jadeite breathed in the cool air once he stepped outside. Many stars danced
in the sky and Earth was bright and high up.
His mind strayed to the one person who seemed to be occupying his thoughts a
lot lately. He suddenly realized that he still hadn't had a chance to talk to
her since last night. He had wanted to discuss the feelings occurring between
them, but he didn't have to anymore. After tonight's announcement, everything
had become crystal clear.
He was in love with her.
And she was getting married.
He had lost her before he even had her. The irony of the situation was
killing him. He leaned against one of the castle pillars and closed his eyes.
Right now, Raye is dancing with her fian- he couldn't stand to think about
it anymore. Maybe Queen Serenity was right. He could get one more dance out
of Raye. Maybe he could even tell her how he feels...
From his position, Jadeite could see the lake. It shimmered with beauty under
the Earth's light. He subconsciously strolled towards it, not really paying
attention to where he was going. His head hung low as he walked. He kicked
at the occasional patches of dirt or rocks that were lying around. Not
looking at his direction, he bumped his head on a tree. Groaning, he rubbed
the spot that hurt.
Looking up, he finally noticed something. This was the tree that he had hid
behind from Raye his first day at the moon. A bittersweet smile crossed his
face as he thought about that moment. He even remembered that last day of his
on Mars when they had played the same game.
In the darkness, a shiny object on the ground caught his eye. He bent down to
pick it up. It was Raye's necklace, the one he had given her.
*Raye will be happy to have this back.* He pulled at his necklace and put the
two interlocking stars together, as he did when he had first given his FRIEND
the necklace. After thinking about it, this is only the second time that the
two charms have been joined together. He fingered the inscription.
*Always.* It had meant they would always be friends.
Jadeite leaned against the tree and twiddled the necklace between his fingers. Raye had
been so happy when he had given it to her fifteen years ago. Looking out at the water, he
saw a figure walking along the shoreline, her dark raven hair dancing in the wind.
There she was. His best friend. Unfortunately, that was all Raye was going
to be to him now.
"I know how you feel," a voice said behind him.
He whirled around. "Good evening, Princess Serena."
"I guess you could say that," she replied sadly.
Jadeite was sympathetic. "I'm sorry for your pain. I know that you and
Prince Darrien are very fond of each other."
Serena looked over at Raye, who was now walking towards another figure on the
sand. She then looked at the necklace in his hands.
"Does she know how you feel?" Serena asked.
He chuckled softly. "Doesn't everybody?" He played with the necklace a
little more. An expression of regret crossed his face. "She doesn't know,
or, at least, I haven't told her."
"Maybe you should."
"What good will that do? She's engaged now."
Serena looked at her feet, on the verge of crying. "Yes, she is."
She quickly brushed away the tears and looked up again. She forced a smile on
her face. "I guess we're in the same predicament here."
He smiled briefly and then turned back to look at Raye.
"I still think you should tell her. It's always better to know the truth."
"Ignorance is bliss, isn't it?" He continued to watch Raye.
Serena put a hand on his shoulder. "At least give her back the necklace.
Everyday that I've seen her, she's always wearing it. I don't think that
she'll stop."
He looked down at the necklace and then looked back at Serena. "How about you
give it to her for me." Serena was about to protest but he stopped her.
"Please? Don't tell her I found it. Say that you did. I'm not ready to face
her."
Serena could not refuse the pleading in his eyes. "All right." She took the
necklace and walked in the direction of the two other girls.
Halfway there, the ground began to shake again, more intense than the first
time.
*****
Amy sat peacefully in the boat as Zoicite rowed. Never had she imagined a
setting like this for herself. This was always one of Serena’s or Lita's
fantasies.
"What are you thinking of?" Zoicite asked her. His smile made her blush.
"Oh, nothing important."
"I was thinking of you."
Amy blushed even further. "You do know how to make a girl feel loved."
"Well," he said looking straight at her. "It's easy to love you." If it as
possible, Amy's face reached a deeper shade of red.
The moment was ruined when the moonquake hit and the calm waters of the lake
became violent waves.
On the shore, Mina and Raye helped Serena up off the ground when she lost her
steadiness.
"I hate moonquakes," Serena cursed.
"I'm not so sure this is just another moonquake," Raye muttered.
"What?!" Mina asked.
"I sense an evil presence," she whispered, her eyes darting back and forth to
try to find any strangers in the darkness. Immediately upon instincts, Raye
and Mina became Mars and Venus, their dresses transforming into their familiar
red and orange uniforms.
Jadeite came behind them and Mars almost knocked his head off, mistaking him
for an enemy.
"Jadeite, be careful!" she scolded him.
"You feel it too?" he asked. She nodded, and then, as if on cue, the lakes
waters bubbled with life.
"What's going on?" Amy asked on the boat. The boat was then flipped over by a
massive wave created by a monstrous creature rising from the depths of the
lake.
"Amy!" Zoicite shouted in alarm.
"Zoicite!" In the blink of an eye, Amy became Mercury. Clearing her head
enough to think, she used her powers to manipulate the waters to the best of
her will.
*Just concentrate!* she told herself. While trying to stay afloat the wild
waves, she froze a platform of ice and climbed onto it, helping Zoicite up
with her.
"What is that thing?" she asked.
Jadeite asked the same thing from the shore. "What is that thing?" It was
hideous monster, tall enough to make a person think it reached the sky.
Numerous tentacles stuck out of it's sides and one could not tell how many
eyes it had.
"Serena! Stay behind us!" Venus commanded her.
The ground had stopped shaking, now that the creature had finished emerging.
Venus took a tentative step forward and shot a crescent beam of light, hitting
her target directly. The monster wailed in pain. It brought up one of it's
tentacles, and prepared to bring it down hard on Venus. Venus dodged out of
the way, missing it by a fraction of a second. The force of the blow threw
everyone on the sand off of their feet. Mars covered Serena protectively.
Mercury witnessed this from the lake and made herself a bridge of ice that
took her and Zoictie to the other scouts.
"Glad you're here, Mercury," she heard Venus say. "Where's Jupiter?"
"Last I saw, in the ballroom."
"Less talk, more fight!" Mars shouted when another tentacle flew at them. She
quickly destroyed it with a fireball, the ashes falling to the ground.
Mercury whipped out her tiny computer and scanner, and began to analyze the
creature. "Gotta find a weak spot," she mumbled.
Another tentacle shot out, prepared to grab Princess Serena from her
protectors.
"No!" Mars yelled. She jumped in the way and was taken instead of the
Princess. She slimy tentacle wrapped around her and began to squeeze hard.
That did not hurt as much as the sensation she began to feel all over her body.
The tentacle had tiny stingers on it which dug deep into her skin, releasing a
poisonous venom.
"Mars!" Jadeite shouted in distress. All of those on the ground could
visibly see her weakening. He shot an energy blast of his powers at the
appendage. The creature wailed again in pain and threw it's captive away.
Mars landed against a tree. She fell to the ground and didn't get up.
"I got-" Mercury began, but another tentacle reached out and wrapped around
her foot. It dragged her towards the water but Zoicite grabbed her hands,
trying to pull her back.
"Mercury!" he called. Venus took the opportunity and shot another crescent
beam at the creature. It relinquished Amy's leg. She rubbed her ankle, not
too much venom had entered her system, but the pain was throbbing.
"Like I was saying, I've got it. It's weak spot, everybody aim for that
bulging spot near it's, uh, right shoulder."
*At least I think that's a shoulder,* she thought. "That's where it's energy
is built up," she explained.
"Let's do it," Mars said weakly.
"Are you all right?" Jadeite asked.
She waved him away. "Let's just bag this thing."
"On the count of the three!" Mina shouted. Everyone aimed and waited for the
signal.
"Three!" The two Generals shot their blasts of energy and the three scouts
shot their powers, all aiming at the directed spot. The creature wailed again
as pain flooded it. The fighters felt their energy draining, but they
continued on with the fighting. Finally, the monster exploded in a flash of
light and became nothing but ashes.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and Mars collapsed to the ground.
*****
"Her temperature is burning!" Mercury stated. After the battle, Jadeite and
the others brought the battered Mars to the medical unit of the Moon Castle.
It was difficult to nurse her wounds, though, when she kept convulsing and
shaking in pain. Mercury feared that Mars' fever would cause subconscious use
of her fire power. Sedation was not helping Mars remain calm. She seemed to
be on a rollercoaster of anxiety. There would be moments where she would lay
still and in other moments, she would have to be restrained.
Right now, she was quiet, with Mercury tending to her and Jadeite gently
stroking her hand.
/Deep within the recesses of her mind, images flashed back and forth. Raye
remembered the moemnts of her life, the good and the bad. Right now she
thought of her childhood. The carefree days when nothing mattered. Jadeite
was part of her childhood. She remembered the last day he was on Mars with
her. He had given her a necklace and she in return gave him her favorite
doll. She remembered the pain she felt when he left./
"Don't go Jadeite," she whispered.
Everyon in the room looked up when they heard Mars' mumbling.
"I'm right here," Jadeite told her.
/Raye's mind continued to torment her eternally. Jadeite was leaving even
against her protests./
"Don't go," she whispered again.
/Jadeite was no longer a young boy in her mind. He was full grown, the boyish
round face transforming into the handsome features of a man. He continued to
walk away from her and she still called his name. Suddenly, he was swept up
in her firey flames and she screamed./
Venus used all of her strength to hold Mars' legs down and Jadeite pinned her
arms as she continued to struggle. They all grimaced when she screamed.
"No! Jadeite, don't go!"
"I'm right here!" he told her again.
She continued to struggle in everyone's grip. Tears began to streak her face.
"No! Don't go! Jadeite, I love you!" Her body then went limp and she was
calm again, her breathing rapsy, but regular. Sweat matted clumps of hair
against her face and neck, but for the moment she was still again.
The room remained silent for awhile, all eyes trying to avert from Jadeite's
shocked expression. He was entirely stunned and simply stood there, still
holding Mars' hand.
Serena went to put a cold compress on Mars' forehead and Venus continued to
bandage any other wounds. With the aide of Zoicite, Mercury also resumed her
scanning of Mars for further information on her condition.
"Well?" Venus said, finally breaking the erie silence. She was addressing
Jadeite.
"Well what?"
"Aren't you going to tell her the same thing?"
______________________________________________________________________________
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