While Endymion and his generals were playing pool and gossiping about the most powerful women in the world, a strong evil was approaching the dark side of the moon. Twelve beings circled each other warily, baring sharp teeth and pawing the ground in warning. "Enough!" a voice echoed through the room, effectively stopping all noise. The forms drew back in fear, cowering in the darkness encompassing them. There had been thirteen of them, but the one whose laziness invited the Emperor's rage on himself did not live to regret it. The remaining twelve wouldn't soon forget that. "Zhu!"
A large, unwieldy creature ambled forward, grunting slightly as he lowered his head in the semblance of a bow. A light blue Chinese character - hai, the twelfth earthly branch - flashed on his forehead as his body began to change. His limbs grew longer and his body moved upright. His snout shrunk into an upturned but distinctly more human nose. He bowed more deeply, short pink hair curling around his head. A single pink lock, slightly grayer than the rest, was left long so it could hang down his back in a tight braid. "Emperor."
"There's a strong energy coming from the palace in the country they call Japan. Get it." The Emperor knew that Zhu was the least skilled and least ambitious of his warriors. Nonetheless, he was loyal almost to a fault, and never wasted a step. Every action of his returned the most efficient results.
"Yes, Emperor." Zhu backed away from the shadowed ruler until he was standing only slightly in front of the other creatures, then vanished in a portal bound for Earth. The emperor retired from the room, upon which the hissing and low growls resumed.
Nephrite woke up with a hangover of doom. He wasn't quite sure how much alcohol he'd consumed the previous night, but it certainly must have been a lot. Stumbling into the bathroom adjacent to his room, he splashed cold water on his face and remembered the conversation that had prompted his drinking. He immediately wished he hadn't remembered. Even though he didn't know anything about battling the senshi in the 20th century, he didn't doubt for a second the words of his prince.
After an ibuprofen and a shower, he made his way to the gardens. It was the most open space he knew of, and Jupiter would most likely be somewhere nearby. He still couldn't help wanting to see her, no matter how she might respond. "The stars know everything." His body stiffened as a familiar power slammed into him, filling his mind with more images and knowledge than he could process at once. It was similar to when he'd first transformed into Nephrite and an entire previous lifetime's worth of knowledge entered his mind, except with a hundred times the force. The information was crushing him mentally and would have entirely suffocated him if not for a gentle touch on his arm.
"Are you OK?"
Nephrite gasped, his connection with the stars broken. Falling to his knees, he took deep gulping breaths of air. The images still swarmed around in his mind, but at least no new ones were being added.
"Nephrite?"
The general looked up at the girl who had unknowingly saved him and shakily climbed to his feet. "Thank you, Sailor Jupiter. I was trying to read the stars, but I had underestimated their power. If not for you, I might not be OK." He gave her a weak grin. A part of him never wanted to take his eyes off her slightly flour-dusted face, but the part of his mind that was sorting through the information from the stars had flagged something as important that he really needed to look into further.
For her part, Jupiter just nodded warily. "How can you read the stars during the day?" It wasn't that she doubted his ability; rather, she still couldn't get over the fact that he looked exactly like the first enemy she'd helped vanquish and therefore couldn't overcome the need to doubt his motives. At least she hadn't been around when Jadeite attacked, so his presence wasn't as awkward as Nephrite's. As a result, even though Serenity told them to listen to the shitennou, she still had her doubts. After all, they'd been seduced to Beryl's side more than once before - who was to say they couldn't have been yet again?
Nephrite chuckled. "The stars are always there, Sailor Jupiter. During the day, the sun's overwhelming brilliance prevents us from seeing them with the naked eye, but they're still in the sky. I'm reading the power they give off, which depends on their relative positions. Thus, the presence of other stars cannot dilute my readings, only change what I read." He stupidly looked into her bright green eyes as he spoke, and fell in love all over again. However, the previous night's discussion pushed its way into his mind and he recalled the pained expression on Jadeite's face when he mentioned Mars only remembering his betrayal in the Silver Millennium alongside the empathy exuding from Endymion as he described the senshi's encounter with Beryl's generals in the 20th century. Still, Endymion had given him some hope. He'd said that Serenity had given the senshi fair warning about listening to the shitennou's explanations, so maybe... well. Just maybe.
"I should be going back to the kitchen; my cake should be almost done." Jupiter looked down, unable to keep looking at Nephrite's deep coffee brown eyes and the way his long, wavy brown hair gave him a wild type of beauty. Turning, she was about to run when a single word stopped her.
"Makoto..."
The way her given name sounded from Nephrite's deep voice inexplicably brought tears to her eyes. Sailor Jupiter froze, unable to move away from or turn to look at him. A wave of deja vu flowed over her as somewhere in her memories of another time and place, another Nephrite breathed her name with the same tone of adoration, though without the tinge of pain and sorrow unmistakable in the way he'd spoken this time. A light breeze picked up, blowing the wisps of hair that escaped her ponytail around her face and the ends of her back ribbon brushed lightly against her legs.
Nephrite almost rested a hand on her shoulder, but pulled back just short of actually touching her. He was afraid that if he did, he wouldn't be able to hold himself back from pulling her into his arms. The words came before he could even think them over. "I love you."
Somewhere inside Jupiter, a leak sprung in her armor and silent tears began falling down her face like a spring shower, each tear coming faster than the one before it until it was virtually a downpour. Without speaking a word, she ran towards the labyrinth Mercury had designed and she had cultivated. She had always found comfort hiding in their comforting branches.
Nephrite watched her go, a thousand knives ripping his heart to shreds at her cold response. Trying to take his mind off the pain, he went back to processing what the stars had told him and immediately forgot entirely about Jupiter. An evil was headed for Earth. It was entirely possible that this was eons old information the stars had passed to him, but he didn't want to take the chance. Nephrite felt for the switch on his earpiece and shuffled through a couple channels before reaching the one assigned to the shitennou. "Jadeite, we need to talk."
"I'm in the dining hall with Endymion and Venus; why don't you come get breakfast as well?"
"Just meet me by the training grounds after you're done. Bring Endymion and Venus as well; they should hear this." Nephrite remembered the blonde beauty who'd managed to win Kunzite's heart and her ruthless enforcement of senshi training back in the Silver Millennium.
Nephrite chose to walk around the main palace buildings, passing by the fountains on the north side instead. His apartment in New York was arranged to maximize feng shui, so it hadn't escaped his attention that the grounds were constructed to match the senshi's elements with their strongest direction. This meant that Mercury's water faced north, Jupiter's wood faced east, Mars's fire faced south and Venus's metal faced west. He wondered how the shitennou were going to fit into this wonderland that the senshi had helped Serenity and Endymion build - indeed, he wondered if they even deserved to fit into it. His actions in the Silver Millennium made him feel like the Bible's Adam, who was tempted by Eve and the snake to partake of the forbidden apple and consequently banished from the Garden of Eden. The only difference was that he was allowed to return, and welcomed with somewhat open arms.
When he arrived at the training grounds, Nephrite closed his eyes and concentrated. Now wasn't the time to wonder about belonging; now was the time to work on saving the planet. Genbu was connected to Mercury and symbolized full yin - unsurprisingly, his powers were similar to hers, though the way he called on it was entirely different. The shitennou pulled their power directly from Earth; their bodies were mere conductors. Selecting a bale of straw that Mars probably used for archery practice as his target, he closed his eyes and raised his right hand to eye level perpendicular to his face. Only his ring finger curled into his palm, held down by his thumb. A few ancient words fell from his lips and he felt the earth's magic coursing through him, entering through his feet and gathering at his fingertips. Finishing his spell, he opened his eyes and swiftly extended his hand so it was pointing at the unfortunate straw. Starting from the tips of his now entirely outstretched fingers, a wave of power surged forward, liquidifying and gathering the air as it went by. Ultimately, a potent mixture consisting mainly of liquid nitrogen slammed into the defenseless block of horse feed, freezing it instantaneously.
"Impressive, Nephrite, but was it really necessary?" Jadeite's voice broke Nephrite's concentration and the energy stopped flowing out of his hands.
"What happened to his eyes?" Venus questioned. Indeed, Nephrite's normally brown eyes had turned entirely black and seemed to be glowing from within.
"His eyes turn black when he pulls power from the Earth. They'll change back pretty quickly." Jadeite walked over to the block of ice that had been Nephrite's victim and tapped it lightly with his boot, shattering it into a million icy fragments. "Solid."
"Did you call us here just to show off?" Endymion smiled at his friend. He would've made a crack about inviting Jupiter to watch, but he didn't want to explain that joke to Venus.
Nephrite blinked and his eyes returned to their normal color. "I consulted the stars today - something evil is headed for Earth. It has an animalistic signature that I can't quite identify. I can't tell when this occurred, but I believe it's worth treating as an imminent threat." Turning to Jadeite, he added, "You should check to see if you can still use your powers, and if you have the stamina to use it. I'm feeling a little lightheaded after a small, unmoving target. Our minds may have memories of the Silver Millennium, but our bodies certainly aren't trained with the same stamina - we're going to have to work on that."
Jadeite raised an eyebrow, but focused on a grassy field where Jupiter probably practiced her martial arts. Seiryu symbolized new yang, so his powers were based on creation. Jadeite's powers were similar to Jupiter's in that they were also linked with wood, though the similarities ended there. Closing his eyes, Jadeite also brought his right hand perpendicular to his face. His pinky was held down by his thumb, index finger almost touching his nose. Whispering an ancient spell, he brought his hand down to his waist, turning it so his palm faced down. He opened his eyes and his hand at the same time, pushing down before curving it until his palm faced up. It appeared as though he were trying to raise something very heavy, which he in fact was as the minerals collected in the field and solidified into a few dozen wooden stakes, rising several feet above the earth. Releasing his power, Jadeite turned to Nephrite, his normally multi-hued blue eyes now a solid, bright blue color. Venus would swear they would've glowed like the afternoon sky on a sunny day if they were in the dark.
"You're right. I used to be able to make a couple hundred of those - certainly enough to build a large fence. That can't even keep a cow out."
"Zoisite's not going to like this - he never liked meditation training in the first place." Nephrite's words were almost prophetic, as Venus was informed through her earpiece that a foreign presence was approaching the South Gate.
"I think he's here, actually. Zoisite is south, right?" she asked, after relaying the information to the three men. "What?" she added, seeing their surprised faces.
"Do you- do you remember?" Endymion knew his question was also on the minds of his shitennou. If Venus had any memory of the shitennou before they helped Beryl wreak havoc on the Silver Millennium, then there was a chance any or all of the senshi could remember the true personalities of the shitennou. That would make any form of reconciliation easier.
"I did some studying on the internet. Zoisite is guarded by suzaku of the south and Kunzite is guarded by byakko of the west, right?" Venus flashed the three men a dazzling smile. "I'm not just a ditz, you know - I have enough brains to be the leader of the senshi. We'll discuss the danger Nephrite saw after I grab Mercury and retrieve us a Zoisite." She retreated from the training grounds, mouth set in a hard line. That had been a difficult lie. She certainly didn't remember as much of the shitennou as Endymion and Serenity clearly did, but she was fairly certain she remembered more than the other senshi. That was to say, she remembered Kunzite and- well, it wouldn't do to think of that now. She connected to the senshi on their communicators and told them of Zoisite's arrival.
The man she assumed to be Zoisite still managed to surprise Venus. She knew he was probably from Europe, but she hadn't expected him to look, well, like he did. The Zoisite she remembered was very outgoing and flamboyant; this man almost looked meek in comparison. As far as he knew though, he was merely a normal human facing two Sailor Senshi - anyone should be meek in that circumstance.
"Sailor Venus, Sailor Mercury." The blond bowed lightly in a greeting. "My name is Zerek Furste; I come from Sweden-"
"Have you had weird dreams?" At Zerek's surprised nod, Venus added, "You're not the first. I'll let you in, but you have to be searched for weapons and bound just in case." Zerek silently agreed as Mercury finished her initial scan and gave Venus and the guards an all-clear signal. He was relieved no one noticed the bug placed on his clothes.
"You're from Swedish nobility, aren't you." Sailor Mercury's tone indicated she was making a statement, not asking a question. Venus raised an eyebrow. So far, none of the former senshi or shitennou had been reborn as royalty or nobility of any sort, though most had made a name for themselves separate from their former lives.
"My father is a duke - Carl Furste. He is the third in line to the crown after my two uncles."
Mercury nodded. "I remember reading about his visit to Berlin when I was studying in Germany. His contributions to the science community are highly lauded."
Venus was silent during the walk through the palace grounds. For some reason, she couldn't shake the fact that there was something wrong. Zerek didn't feel right - he didn't feel like he belonged here with them. Still, if he bore no harm, then they may learn something new from him even if he weren't Zoisite. She was concerned about what Nephrite had brought up about a danger approaching Earth, and if Zerek really were an enemy, she'd rather have him next to her than attacking from who knows where.
Upon entering the room where Serenity and Endymion were waiting for him, Zerek immediately kneeled with the grace of one accustomed to such acts. He still managed a glance around the room, observant eyes noting four senshi and two men he didn't remember meeting before. "Your majesties, I am Zerek Furste of Sweden. After many dreams involving your majesties and the senshi, I felt obligated to make an informal trip here to discuss them in person. I ask that your majesties keep my trip here a secret, as there would be quite an uproar in Sweden if it were reported that I was having dreams odd enough to compel me to visit Crystal Tokyo."
"We're glad you came, Zerek." Serenity smiled at the man she vaguely recalled studying about. When learning about all the leaders and important people in the world, she had been a lot more interested in studying about royal families than about members of parliaments and legal procedures. Their lives had always sounded so glamorous.
"I think this belongs to you." Endymion had been standing at the door when Zerek walked in, and now presented the man with a rough, uncut blue crystal.
"That's not possible; I've never been here before, your majesty." Zerek looked at the crystal, uncertain why the king would make him such a present. It couldn't possibly be an attempt to frame a robbery or something, right?
"Take it."
At Endymion's insistence, Zerek gently picked up the stone. "Thank you, your majesty." When he looked back up, he discovered the four senshi and two men had all gotten into attack positions, directed at him. "What's wrong?"
"Could we have made a mistake?" Serenity muttered to no one in particular, a quizzical look on her face.
"Do you feel... nothing?" Endymion's expression was unreadable. There was despair, fear, and something entirely indescribable all mixed into one on his face.
"I feel like I'm being ambushed - was this some sort of setup?" Zerek looked ready to bolt, even though he'd be reduced to dust before he even set foot outside the door.
"There's another one?" Venus seemed to be speaking into thin air, and Zerek was about to question the sanity of the people in the room when she relaxed her stance minutely. "You guys keep an eye on this one. There's apparently another guy at the South Gate - I'm going to go get him." As soon as she said this, Zerek's face paled and he began speaking rapidly in a language they could only assume was Swedish.
Mercury raised an eyebrow, picking up scattered snippets of his conversation with her limited Swedish. Careful eyes noted a harmless mic that her scan hadn't been looking out for. Understanding dawned on her. "You're a body double!"
Zerek's nodded, finishing a statement into his mic and sighing. The senshi lowered their arms and the shitennou removed their hands from their swords, though tension still hovered in the air. "My name is Isak Larsson. You must understand, Sailor Mercury - with Lord Zerek's odd dreams and your powers being of unknown magnitudes, we couldn't take the risk of his coming here by himself."
Venus and Mercury excused themselves to retrieve the real Zerek, and reappeared with him several minutes later. The real Zerek Furste was probably the most at ease of the shitennou so far upon meeting Serenity and Endymion. He'd actually already met them once, when they had visited with the Swedish royal family. At the time though, he hadn't connected them to the people he was trying to protect in the dreams he was just starting to have. There was a clear difference between Zerek and Isak, not the least of which being that Zerek carried himself with a confidence that Isak lacked. "Your majesties, I am Zerek Furste. Isak wouldn't let me come unless he checked the dangers first. I deeply apologize for the deception."
"Entirely understandable - thank you for coming despite the dangers you feared. Now, the crystal Endymion gave Isak I believe is actually your's." Serenity motioned towards Isak, who had bowed and retreated to the back of the room when Zerek entered. He now approached Zerek and placed the blue stone on his outstretched palm.
Zerek had felt a power calling to him from Isak as soon as he'd entered the room, and now he knew why. It wasn't Isak - rather, it was the crystal Isak had been holding. Warmth erupted in his body, starting from the crystal in his hand, and he murmured, "Zoisite." A sparkling green light covered him head to toe, dissipating after his clothes were changed into that of a gray uniform with emerald green piping. Poor Isak was left backing away from his lord in shock and terror. Memories erupted through Zerek's mind and before he even got to the part where he and his companions carried out the miserable task they'd taken upon themselves, he passed out.
"Wh- wh- what did you do to him?" Isak all but shrieked, catching Zoisite's limp body before it could fall to the floor.
"We'll explain it to him." Endymion nodded at Jadeite and Nephrite. "Venus I think has some important news to discuss with the rest of you."
I always thought Sailor Moon was heavily influenced by mythology and the like, so why not take it to the next level with the astrology and mythical creatures and stuff? Yea...