* Note: I don't own the Sailor Scouts, Generals, etc, beside Erkyte and
Felicissa.
Betrayals; by L.M Griffin <wrengrif@udel.edu>
Chapter 14
**********
The Progical Returns
********************
There is a place, that is not Heaven. There is a place, that is not
Hell. It is a place where souls come to find a little peace before moving
on, where ever their journeys might take them. It is a place where Time
has no meaning, where good and evil are only medians to another dimension.
Some call it Purgatory. Some call it the Void.
Nephlyte called it boring.
For nearly a year and a half, he had been here. Not going "up", or
"down". Just being...there. He knew it had been that long because unlike
the others, he had bothered keeping time. Nephlyte was not a man to let
much get past him. In his first hours there, he noted that he kept his old
form, but it was, well, transparent. That he wasn't hungry, or tired. Or
hurt; he remembered before he came here that he was wounded. He also noted
that he, unlike the the others, was going nowhere fast. For some reason,
he was being kept here. Perhaps for a higher purpose. Or maybe just to
drive him mad.
So he accustomed himself to living, or rather, existing in this infernal
place beyond space and time, by concentrating his mind on other things.
Besides, there wasn't much else to do in limbo, but to think, and remember
better times.
To remember old mistakes, and old victories. To remember he was once a
person to be respected, someone he could live with. To remember days of
honor and glory, of serving in a cause he had believed in, where the only
thing he was a slave to was his passion for living...
To remember friends, friends that were the family he never really had.
That there was such thing as loyalty, and companionship. That not everything
was about power, and who had the most. To remember the sweetness of love
lost
in the winds of war..
At that particular moment, he lay on a cloud of some sort, remembering a
young girl. No, a young woman, with wavy red-gold hair hanging to her
slender
shoulders. In his mind's eye, he smiled into turquoise eyes that glowed
with understanding, and love. A trusting face, a sweet lovely face, met
his smile with one brilliant one of her own. So wrapped up was he with
this particular memory, that he failed to notice the bright cloud slowly
forming in front of him. It wasn't until the light began to solidify into
three forms that he noticed he was not alone anymore. He opened his blue
eyes, and surprise flickered across his usually impassive face.
Before him, three women stood. Or rather, floated. The one to the right
was a woman dressed in the uniform of the Sailor Scouts, her skirt and
ribbon a deep magenta. Her olive skin glowed with vitality, contrasting
her long shimmery green hair. Two crimson orbs that were her eyes shone at
him amusedly, and a silver staff with a garnet stone resting in the center
rested in her gloved hand.
The one to the left held herself like royalty, as well she should.
Silver hair, parted in the middle, pulled into two small buns, with long
flowing plaits stemming from them. Her face was infused with kindness; her
soft blue eyes shone with a world weary wisdom that all that have ever
worn a crown come to acquire. Her coral dress clung to her figure, and in
her grip, her old sceptre glittered.
The one in the middle, however, was the one surrounded in the divine
glow. She was dressed in the old Greek style, a toga of pure white clasped
at her shoulder by a golden clasp of laurel leaves. Her long dark hair
was pulled from her face in a braid, and her emerald green eyes were
filled with intelligence. On her shoulder rested a brilliant golden owl,
with eyes of amber. The bird watched Nephlyte with something akin to
apathy.
They all appeared to be waiting on him to say something. He raised
an eyebrow slowly, then cleared his throat quietly. His tone was slightly
dry as he spoke, "Good, uhm, afternoon, ladies. Is this a social call, or
is there some sort of business involved? You're going to have to forgive
me; I didn't think to lay out tea this early."
The green haired woman laughed quietly, while the stately silver haired
woman smiled softly. The dark haired woman in the middle raised an eyebrow
herself, and shook her head softly. She spoke, a low musical voice,
"Always joking, aren't you...Nephere?"
Nephlyte felt his mouth drop open. He hadn't heard anyone use his
real name in, well, centuries. He narrowed his eyes slightly in suspicion.
The green haired woman chuckled again, speaking in a cultured voice, "Why
Nephere, don't you recognize us?"
Nephlyte looked at the green haired woman, saying slowly, "If my memory
serves...I am in the presense of Sailor Pluto, the Scout of Time..." His
eyes
shifted to the woman on the left, and an expression of pain flashed over
his handsome face, "...and her most high majesty, Queen Serenity of..of
the Moon Kingdom."
Queen Serenity smiled again, a bit more soberly. Her voice was one
seeped in age, and wisdom, "Fear not, Nephere...I hold no grudges. I
remember you the way you were."
Nephlyte stood slowly, and bowed from the waist before her. His voice
was soft, "I long outgrew the honor of my former name, your Majesty. When
I first killed one of my own...then I ceased to be your faithful subject,
Nephere, and became Nephlyte..." his voice choked, coming out bitter,
"..Third General to the Negaverse."
Sailor Pluto spoke softly, her eyes glowing a somber red, "Nephere...you
know as well as us now what _really_ happened.."
She was cut off by a sharp gesture from Nephlyte, who said quietly,
"Some things are better left unsaid, Sailor Pluto...Now.." as he eyed the
woman in the middle, "..I'm afraid my memory slipped on your name. You
would be?" as he left the answer up in the air.
The woman in the toga smiled. A first, Nephlyte thought to himself. She
spoke, "My friends, family, and followers call me Minerva."
Nephlyte frowned slightly; why was that name so familiar? He eyed the
owl on the woman's shoulder. Minerva...owl...Minerva...owl...followers?
Owl..symbol of wisdom...Minerva...
He gasped, and fell to his knees. He whispered, staring down at her
feet, "Forgive my ignorance, Great Goddess of Wisdom.."
The goddess shook her head slightly at the now groveling General. She
sighed, exasperated, "Get up, Nephere, or Nephlyte, whatever you prefer to
be called. I get too much of that up here as it is. Besides, you're
getting what's left of your uniform all.." as she judged the
diphanous atomosphere around them, "...Cloudy."
Nephlyte straightened, looking from one woman to another. A slightly
baffled look passed his face. He opened his mouth to speak, then shut it.
Sailor Pluto smiled, arching an eyebrow at him, "You're wondering why we
are here."
Nephlyte smiled wryly, and said, "The thought crossed my mind, yes."
Serenity looked at him for a moment, then said thoughtfully, "What would
you do, Nephlyte, for redemption?"
Nephlyte's eyes widened slightly, as he looked from each woman. His
eyebrows creased together, as he said slowly, "I'm not sure if I'm
understanding the question. Redemption for...everything?"
Minvera nodded, "Redemption for your sins, to reclaim your honor; to be
able to call yourself Nephere, and know no shame using it. A second chance
to make everything right. What would you do?"
Nephlyte's eyes flickered as he considered. His voice dropped low, "For
my soul? For a clear conscious? Anything..." He looked at each one of
them, conviction making his words strong, "I would do anything."
Pluto looked to her companions, who nodded back at her. She gave
Nephlyte a direct look, then said, "Then Nephlyte...we have a proposion
for you. We are going to give one chance; one chance to change. To right
the wrongs you have caused againist the people you once, and still love.
Do you accept?"
Nephlyte felt his head spin; he was to be given another chance; a
chance to finally repay for the damages he had caused. To ask forgivness,
in action, if not in words, from the people he let down. He closed his
eyes tightly, as he fought back tears of joy. Nodding his head slowly, he
said hoarsely, "Yes...yes..I do."
The three women looked at each other, and smiled. Serenity pointed off
to the east, saying softly, "Look there, Nephere...do you see that glowing
beam spreading through the heavens?" Nephlyte nodded, his eyes following.
The Queen continued, "Very good...at the end of that light is your
mission, and your salvation. Follow it down to Earth, and all will be
explained..."
Nephlyte nodded, and began to walk towards the beam of multicolored light.
He paused, frowning, and turned around to face the three woman, calling
back, "You never told me what I have to do! What _is_ my mission?"
Minvera pointed back to the light, and said quietly, "As we have said,
all will be revealed at the base of that beam. So if you want answers...I
suggest you get down there as soon as possible."
Nephlyte opened his mouth to say something, but all three woman merely
pointed. He sighed, and turned back towards the beam. Why was it all deities
and dead people were so wonderfully cryptic?
The three women watched as the former General walked away from
them, and towards the beam that had turned the clouds around them into a
patchwork of color. Dropping her head slightly, as if weary from holding
up so long, Serenity whispered quietly, "I hope we've reacted in time..."
Pluto leaned on her staff slightly, as she murmered, "We have. It is yet
another wheel in motion. And soon...."
Minvera finished her sentence, "...and soon, all will be righted. We need
merely for them to awaken..." She scratched the owl under it's beak, as it
hooted softly at her words.
Serenity nodded her head, and said, "Not long then. Not long at all.."
Then the three women shimmered, and vanished...
****************************************************************************
**
Nephlyte approached the beam slowly. He raised his hand as he neared,
for the light was nearly blinding. He marveled at it, all the colors,
melding together to make a white so pure...it was like looking into the
heart of heaven itself. He wanted to touch it, to reach out and feel the
power flow through his fingertips. Not even when he controlled the power
of the stars, did he feel this close to such levels of infinite knowledge.
Tentatively, he outstretched his other hand. His fingers barely brushed
the light when a thought came shooting through his brain, "Help Us!"
He jumped back, surprised. That mind call...it seemed so familiar. He
slowly reached out again, and put his whole hand into the beam. And the
thoughts flowed over him like water.
"Come home...." Sailor Moon's voice cried to him.
"Help us...", Sailor Mercury pleaded.
"We need you..." Sailor Mars said quietly.
"You just have to come..." said Sailor Jupiter, a tone of desperation in
her thoughts.
"Please..." Sailor Venus's mind whispered to his.
Then he heard...
"Come back to me..." Molly's voice called softly, heartbreakingly
tender.
"Come back to us..." came softly from Darien.
They wanted him to come home. They needed him. But...why? Molly, of
course, wanted him there to be with her, but the Scouts? Prince Darien?
Did they...did they remember the past? He plunged his hand in a little
deeper, trying to see if he could catch the reason, the answers he needed
in his fingertips.
Then something wonderful, and frightening happened. A pure white light
surrounded his hand, swirling around it like a snake. A purple beam
interjected
the white, and they melded together into a beautiful blue. Then he knew.
He whispered, as he watched the purple and the white float around his
hand, "They have come. The wheel has turned. I know what I have to do."
Without another thought, he leaped into the light itself, plunging in,
and then down...down...and down.
****************************************************************************
"We have company...." whispered the Scout of Love.
No sooner had those words escaped Sailor Venus's lips, then the figure
became more defined. The Sailor Scouts all opened their eyes, and as they
did, the light beam slowly dimmed, and the figure formed completely. He
was still in the tattered remains of his General's uniform, but the wound
in his side was gone, His dark brown curls fell around his face, and
drifted away from his mouth as he breathed quietly.
Nephlyte. Third General in the Army of the Negaverse, minion of
Queen Beryl, and Queen Metallia. Their opponent. Their enemy. And the
answer to their problems.
Mercury moved forward to check his pulse, and his breathing. She looked
over at the others, and said, "He's alive...again." She smiled an odd little
smile at her own pun. The Sailor Scouts quietly grouped around her, watching
silently as she checked Nephlyte over for bruises, and the like.
Tuxedo Mask let out a sigh of relief he didn't know he was holding in. A
nagging feeling of something...something falling into place flickered
through
his mind. His blue eyes narrowed slightly, as he looked down on Nephlyte's
lightly breathing form. That feeling of familiarity struck him again, as
it had a long, long time ago..
...In the doll museum, as he was being dragged through by Raye. That
brief encounter with Nephlyte. The words still echoed through him...
"Have we...met before?" he remembered asking the one then known as
Maxfield Stanton.
"I don't believe so..." came back the gruff answer as Maxfield
disappeared into the crowds. The feeling of de' ja vu stuck to Darien that
day, and he had always wondered why...
A quiet moan disrupted him from his thoughts, as Nephylte blinked his
eyes, and groggily looked around. His eyes slowly focused on the young faces
surrounding him. He felt his heart jerk, as he recognized every single one
of them. Not as they were now, but how he first saw them. Children, babes in
their mothers arms. The Elite of the Moon Kingdom...the heirs to the Royal
Court.
He saw it their eyes, though. They didn't know him. or rather, they
didn't remember who he really was. All they saw was the General who tried
to hurt them. Kill them, in fact. A pain settled in his heart. Really,
what other right did he have then that? What opinion was more fitting?
Should he tell them? NO...no..there must be a reason why they didn't know
yet. Probably because of _Them_. He felt another twinge in his heart, as he
thought of the two who had been so deeply wronged. Had they gone mad? Where
they now? Sailor Mars asked him a question, and he blinked at her, his
thoughts returning to the problems at hand. He coughed once, and slowly
sat up, saying, "What was that?"
Venus and Jupiter looked at each other for a moment, while Mars, a
flicker of annoyance in her violet eyes, asked again, "How do you feel?"
Nephlyte slowly felt down his arms, and the rest of his body. He winced
slightly as he touched his side, but found no wound there. Finding no
other injuries, he replied, "A little disorientated...but fine." He
pretended to eye each one of the Scouts, Tuxedo Mask, and the two Moon cats
suspiously, and managed to make his tone sound dubious, "I don't suppose
you're here to make nice. If you are going to kill me again, I suggest you
get it over with. I'm sure my place in Hell is still waiting for me."
Sailor Moon looked around at her fellow Scouts. Luna nodded her
head, and Mars gave her leader one of her dubious looks. Jupiter and Venus
shrugged in unison. Mercury said nothing, as she slowly moved to stand,
but her eyebrows quirked slightly. A troubled look passed Tuxedo's face,
while Artemis did a , 'Just Ask Him.' look. Moon felt a sigh coming on; so
she had to be the Leader again. Funny, the _one_ job she was assigned to,
and she usually was clueless how to do it. However, she's the one who,
well, Mercury did most of the thinking on this idea, but she helped in the
creativity part...
She shook her head; she was loosing track of what was important here. With
a great sigh, she knelt as delicately as she could by Nephlyte's side,
trying
to disrupt his mistrusting gaze with one of her smiles. She thought she
saw a flicker of something deep within those midnight blue orbs, but she
couldn't be sure. Taking a big breath, she slowly spoke, "We are not here
to hurt you. We brought you here to...to help us. We need..." she paused
for a moment to look again at her companions, "...your help."
Nephylte felt his eyebrow raise. He looked at Sailor Moon, trying his best
to have a shocked face. "You...Want Me...To Help You. " he asked slowly,
then
he laughed, a full hearted sound moving across the forest glade. He wiped
his eyes quietly, then commented, "Surely, you jest." He allowed one of
his best smirks to cross his lips. A flicker of anger crossed Moon's face.
"Yes...we need your help." came the voice of Sailor Mars. Her expression
was one of half hatred, and half need. "You think we brought you all the way
back here to give us guff? We have three other Generals who can do that."
She
stood a step back from the others, glowering at him with her arms crossed
tightly over her chest.
Nephlyte allowed his eyes to narrow with suspicion, but really, it
made too much sense. If they were here, of course his old companions would
be here too. He felt his heart leap slightly, but he allowed his face to
show nothing, as he spoke harshly, "What do you mean, three other
Generals? I thought Jedaite was locked in the Crystal Cavern."
The Scouts all looked at each other, surprise flickering over their
faces. Luna and Artemis nodded slowly, as if some sort of great discovery
had been made. Mercury murmered quietly, "So that's what happened to
him..."
Nephlyte decided to play the act a little farther. He looked over at
Sailor Venus and Jupiter, saying quietly, "Wait...who are you two?
Just...how
long have I been dead anyways?" Questions he knew the answers to. But they
didn't need to know that just yet. Dear Gods, how he wanted to tell them
though, tell them everything...
Tuxedo Mask stepped forward, as he was in the shadows all this time,
contemplating the situation. His voice came out soft, thoughtful, "You've
been dead over a year. In that time, Zoeisite and Malachite were
killed, Beryl was destroyed, and the Negaverse was beaten. Or so we
thought. Those two..." he gestured with one gloved hand, "...are the last
remaining Scouts. Jupiter, and Venus."
Nephlyte looked around again, and his voice still held an iota of mock
contempt, "And so here we stand. So if you defeated Beryl, and you have two
more Scouts...why do you need my help?"
"_Because_..." came a tight answer from Venus, her blue eyes watching him
carefully, "They are..more powerful now. And there's this new guy, named
Erkyte. None of us remember him at all with, well, you Four."
Nephlyte's blue eyes narrowed, more with quiet thought then anger. His
voice was soft, "That's because Erkyte isn't a General. Or he wasn't, the
last time I saw him. He was a Commander, but that was before..." He
stopped, his breathing becoming forced. No. _NO_. It couldn't be. Metallia
couldn't of survived Beryl dying. Too much of her energy was tied up in
that foul witch.
"What? What is it?", came the soft voice of Moon. Her blue eyes and
narrowed slightly with worry. He looked at her, that innocent face. That
beautiful, innocent face. The face he, and his companions, helped destroy.
Oh dear gods, what had they done? What _had_ he done?
"Nothing...nothing...", he muttered, as his brain racked. He knew from
the moment at the beam that he would help the Scouts, and Tuxedo Mask, with
whatever they suffered with. But he needed to make this plausible. Needed
to make it look like he still didn't trust them. Mostly because, they
didn't trust him. He looked at Moon, and continued, his voice low, "If I
help you...I want to see Molly. That's the only thing I ask for. I want to
see her."
Moon met his eyes, and the look there made her pause. They looked so
haunted. Like they were, just before he died. So haunted...so mournful. Like
someone had given him the last piece of pie, and then he realized it was
moldy. 'Nice analogy, Serena...' she thought to herself, ruefully. But the
look was still there, and she had to ask, "You love her, don't you?"
'I've loved her for longer then you can remember,' Nephlyte thought to
himself. He said nothing though, merely nodding his head in response.
Moon's eyes became sharper, and her voice dropped an octave or two, "All
right, the deal. You help us defeat the New Four, and we set up you up with
Molly. You betray us....we destroy you. And we make sure you _never_ see
Molly again." She stuck out one gloved hand to him. He looked at her, then
around to each of the Scouts.
Mars's face was tight with mistrust. Anger. She never trusted him,
but there was a desperation in her eyes. She didn't like him, didn't like
the idea, but there was nothing left to do. And no one else to turn to.
Mercury hugged herself quietly, the loss of so many human lives clinging
to her limpid blue eyes. There was a fear, a fear born of losing to
creatures
with no mercy. Perhaps, no soul.
Jupiter's eyes, too, held a look of anger. But it was the anger of self
reproach. They should be able to handle this on their own, but they
couldn't.
And it was eating her up inside.
Venus's pose said nothing, as her arms were held flat at her side. She
showed no emotion in her pretty features, not even a flicker. But there
was tension in the lines of her mouth, and her eyes were narrowed with
apprehension.
Tuxedo Mask's eyes were shadowed, with quiet worry. But there was a
determination there. He still held himself with that quiet dignity that
showed, no matter how dire the consequences, he would not falter in his
duty. He was still unchanged, the young Prince.
Nephlyte's eyes flickered something deep within; pain. Resounding pain, in
his heart. Artemis, sitting on his haunches, unnoticed as usual, observed
Nephlyte. A half smile worked over his furry face, sometimes being the non
"inspirational" Guardian had it's advantages. Like being able to be
watchful of others. The General seated before them was showing something
very interesting to Artemis. A thought was tingling on the white Moon
Cat's memory. There was something about Nephlyte...he couldn't put his paw
on it. Just this feeling of, ah, de''ja vu perhaps? Yes, that was it.
De'ja vu.
Nephlyte's voice woke him from his ponderings, "Then yes...I will help
you. For Molly, I would do anything." And this, he thought ruefully, was
perhaps the first truthful thing that he had said this night. He took
Moon's slender hand within his own, and shook it firmly.
"Well then..." Luna's voice cut through the silence, "It seems we have a
planning session to attend to. And I suppose we will have to find a place to
stash Nephlyte for the time being."
Nephlyte stood slowly, making Moon rise as well. He looked himself over,
commenting quietly, "Some new garments would be helpful..." He raised his
arms,
the tattered cloth fluttering in the breeze. Jupiter coughed slightly,
trying
to hold back a giggle.
A wry look passed the black cat's features, "I'm sure something can be
arranged."
Mars spoke quietly, "He can stay with me...and I'll get him some of
Chad's clothes to wear. They're about the same size."
Mask added, "And if those don't fit, I have some stuff at home.."
Nephlyte commented, almost to himself, "Why do I suddenly feel like a
lost puppy?" Something akin to laughter entered Sailor Moon's eyes.
Venus's tone was dry, "Try more like a lost enemy..." She swept her
golden hair from her eyes, then looked around, "I have a question..."
The Scouts looked at each other, all preparing their best, 'Oh Mina...'
faces. Artemis and Luna sighed softly, while Mask asked warily,
"Yeeeees...Sailor Venus?"
Venus quietly crossed her arms, and glared at Nephlyte, her tone far
from trusting, "Are we going to let him know who we really are?"
Moon's mouth dropped slightly open, while the other three Scouts looked
at each other. Mask glanced at Venus, then back at the ground, his blue
eyes
thoughtful. The two Moon cats turned, apparently in quiet conference. It
was a good question. Could they trust Nephlyte not to give their true
identities to his old companions? Would he live up to that trust, or with
the information secured in his memory, would he go running back to them,
betraying them, and getting a second chance at glory with the Negaverse?
Nephlyte looked at Venus, their two sets of blue eyes meeting. One was
slowly seeped with sadness, the other with blatant mistrust. The General
spoke softly, the first time his tone held no mocking, "Do you think after
what I did...and what I have just agreed to do, they would except me back?
Even if I did tell them, they would still kill me..." he shook his head
slightly, causing his brown curls to cascade into his face, his tone
darker, "When I made my agreement with you, I called off all ties with the
Negaverse. It's with you, or death, again. Personally, I prefer you."
Artemis chuckled, "Hey, we're one up on death! This will improve our
ratings at home." Luna threw him a piercing look, and he quietly clamped
up his jaw.
Moon looked at Nephlyte, not moving her eyes from his. She spoke
to her fellow Scouts then, "I trust him. I don't think he'll give us
away..." And with that, she allowed herself to detransform. The Sailor Moon
visage faded away to Serena Tskunino, her school uniform slightly rumpled.
Gone was the super heroine, there stood the scared young girl who fought
her fears every time she called out to the Moon. Nephlyte looked at her;
the eyes were the same. Always the same. 'You haven't changed in a
thousand years, my Princess...', he thought to himself.
And one by one, each of the Scouts de-transformed. Raye Hino. Ami
Mizuno. Lita Kino. Mina Aino. And Darien Chiba, the former Prince of the
Realm of Earth. Nephlyte looked at each of them. Each one was wary,
scared. But in him, they saw their last chance. He wouldn't let them down.
Not this time.
He cleared his throat, then said quietly, "We're going to have a
long few days before us. I have a lot to teach you. So perhaps we'd best
turn in for the night?"
Darien murmered, "A wise decision..." The rest of the Scouts
complied; after all, they had school tomorrow as well. With Raye leading
the way, the Scouts, and their newfound 'ally' left the woods. Soon, there
was no other sound, but the crickets chirping.
****************************************************************************
***
Daybreak. The reddened sun was just rising over the Tokyo bay,
making the water look like it was on fire. Birds chirped peacefully,
floating in a multicolored sky. A sound joined them in their grateful
songs to the dawn. The sharp notes of a guitar filled the morning air,
ripping through the peacefulness with an eloquence that few guitar players
could master. And it took them years to learn the ways to make the guitar
sing as mournfully as any singer.
It had taken Erkyte five hours. He had to admit, there was
something odd about that; but the second he touched the instrument, it
felt like he had known how to play for years. Perched on the railing
surrounding the balcony beside the kitchen, he ran his pick across the
strings, his other hand holding down the cords with great accuracy. The
song swept on, out of his hands, and into Tokyo itself. Some of the dock
workers from below turned their heads up to watch him; the young red
haired man in just a pair of jeans, his bare feet hanging over the
railing.
The notes rang on, while the balcony door slid open behind him.
Jedaite slipped out through the door, dressed in black sweats, and an open
white button down shirt. In his grip he held a steaming cup of black
coffee. He turned towards Erkyte, leaning his lanky form on the railing.
His violet eyes glowed with quiet appreciation, as he sipped his coffee.
Erkyte finished the riff, and looked up, slightly startled to see
Jedaite standing there. He grinned sheepishly, leaning the guitar againist
his bare chest, saying, "I didn't think anyone was up...."
Jedaite chuckled, "There wasn't _before_ you started playing. But
I doubt anyone's asleep now." He took another pull of his coffee,
continuing, "You're up early..."
Erkyte's features darkened slightly, as he muttered, "I didn't
sleep well..." He hugged the instrument to his chest, his green eyes red
rimmed.
Jedaite nodded his head slowly, sighing, "Yes...I know how that
is. Couldn't sleep well myself." Dreams of red-haired girls, with smoky
grey eyes flew into his mind, and he shivered slightly. He sighed deeply.
then glanced over at Erkyte, a helpless look working over his face,
"Hey Erk...maybe you could help me. I've been puzzling over this for
a long time, and I don't know how to make heads or tails of it.."
Erkyte looked at the blond haired man, a worried frown etching
over his features. His voice was quiet, "Okay...what's wrong?" A million
little edgy problems entered his mind. Jedaite had lost his powers again.
He wanted to join the scouts. He was having an affair with
Zoeisite...well, all right, that one was a stretch.
Jedaite took a deep breath, as if to steel himself. And then
he spoke slowly, "What...is love?" His violet eyes looked somewhat
questioning,
Erkyte's mouth opened, then closed slowly. Then his eyes widened,
as he contemplated the vastness of the answer, or tried to figure out
_how_ to answer the question before him. He choked slightly on one word,
"What?"
Jedaite repeated the question. Erkyte continued to stare at him,
a shocked look working over his carved features. Jedaite smiled weakly,
saying, "So?"
Erkyte repeated back to him, "So..." Jedaite raised an eyebrow at
him, and Erkyte shook himself out of his dazed state. He put his guitar
quietly back in the case, his thoughts trying to organize themselves. His
tone took a businesslike edge to it, "Right...love. Love is..well...it's
like...if you have two people, and they really...no..uhm.." He moved his
arms, in many complicated gestures, as he stumbled through his
explanation.
Jedaite raised the other eyebrow, and interrupted the other
General, "You have no clue, do you?"
Erkyte opened his mouth again, then shut it. He smiled ruefully,
"Not in the foggiest."
Jedaite laughed, saying dryly, "Yeah, I sort of guessed that..."
There was the sound of the fridge opening, and a pair of
feet moved down the stairs to the front door. Jedaite peeked in, and with
a relieved smile, said, "Malachite's up...and so is Zoey. Mal's
probably..."
Erkyte finished the sentence for him, "The best person to ask...in
this case. HEY MAL!" he called into the kitchen. Malachite stuck his head
through the opened balcony door, his mouth fixed around a doughnut. The
two Generals pulled their leader through the door, and he managed to
unhook his teeth from the sweet pastry.
"What's up?" he asked smoothly, taking a small bite from his
doughnut. White strands of hair fell into his ice blue eyes, as he looked
curiously from one General to the other. He wore the bottom of a pair of
pajamas. Jedaite could only guess who had the top part.
The two looked at each other, then at him. In unison, they blurted
out, "What is love?"
Malachite's mouth, formed around a piece of doughnut, became an
'O' of surprise. He blinked once or twice, then shook his head. He
murmered softly, "I'm sorry...but did you just ask me what love is?"
The two men nodded their heads eagerly. Malachite chewed on the
pastry thoughtfully before answering, "Well...it's like...a power rush. It
fills you up, yet leaves you hungry for more. You feel stronger, but
weaker at the same time. You feel heady, but then you feel sick..."
Jedaite interrupted, "You make love sound like an illness..."
Erkyte snorted, "Forget illness, you make it sound like a
hangover!" Both of them looked disappointedly at the older man.
Malachite shrugged helplessly, saying curtly, "What did you
expect? I'm not the Dali Llama!" He eyed them both for a moment, a
suspious glint in his eyes. As nonchalantly as he could, he asked, "Why
did you want to know?"
Erkyte said quickly, "I didn't want to know...HE did.", as he
pointed at Jedaite. Jedaite gulped as both men turned towards him, waiting
for an answer. He put on an innocent face, and shrugged his shoulders.
Malachite and Erkyte crossed their arms over their chests, and awaiting an
answer, patient smiles on their faces.
"Would you believe...blatant curiosity?", the blond haired man
mumbled. He was saved from any further explanation by a squeal of
excitement from the kitchen. All three men turned towards the balcony
door.
"Gentlemen..." Zoeisite's voice called back to them, "Our problem
is solved..."
Erkyte opened the door, and peered in at her. She stood in the
other half of Malachite's pj's, a section of the paper in her hand, a
triumphant look on her face. He raised an eyebrow, commenting, "I didn't
know we had a problem...Well, beside the whole, 'what is love' thing." He
glanced back over his shoulder at Jedaite.
Jedaite, eager to change the conversation, slipped through the
door. Putting his mug on the table, he moved around the smug Zoeisite to
see what she was reading. His expression became confused, as he said, "All
this says is that midterms are finishing up tomorrow at the schools in the
local area. And something about a carnival at Juuban Middle School."
Zoeisite grinned, "Not just ANY carnival. A city wide school
district carnival. It's held every year right after midterms. Some
sympathetic city council member had it put into action years ago. It's
supposed to be a reward to the 'young people of Japan who excel in
school.'" A dark little smile passed her lips, as she said softly, "What a
better place to attack the Scouts, but on their own home turf, as it
were?"
Malachite and Erkyte slid into the room. Erkyte took the paper
from Zoeisite's hand, and spoke slowly, "Not only that...but I'm sure
Sailor Moon wouldn't want to put all those young boys and girls lives at
stake. She's _such_ a sucker for the people. Why...she'd do _anything_ to
keep them from harm..."
Malachite chuckled softly, "Even give up the Imperial Silver
Crystal..."
Erkyte nodded his head slowly. He looked around at each of them,
"We've got a lot of work to do...this carnival's the day after tomorrow. I
suggest we get cracking..." The other three nodded.
Zoeisite smiled to herself, wrapping her arms around her, "You
know...I just _love_ carnivals...especially when I get to play _games_. I
hope the Scouts are ready to play..." She giggled then, the high pitched
cackle she was known for. Then the four moved their heads together, and
began to plan.