TITLE: For Zoi
AUTHOR: Calicia [email protected]
RATING: PG
SERIES: Sailor Moon
CHARACTERS: Malachite's POV. Also featuring Queen Beryl, the Sailor Scouts,
Molly, Luna, and Artemis.
TIMELINE: Just after Zoisite's death, but before Beryl has finished turning Tuxedo
Mask to the Negaverse's side.
SYNOPSIS: Mourning Zoisite, Malachite promises to do something to avenge her.
But what will he do, and what part will the Sailor Scouts play in it?
NOTES: For Susan, who got me into Sailor Moon. Thank-you!
// indicates thoughts, and ~~ indicates telepathic communication.
I've only seen the dubbed version of Sailor Moon, so that's what I've based my fanfic
on - which means I call the characters Malachite, Rei, Molly, etc., and Zoisite is a
girl. Please don't flame me for that.
This is my very first Sailor Moon fanfic, so please tell me what you think!
DISCLAIMER: Nothing in the Sailor Moon universe belongs to me. There, I said it,
now I'm going to go and sulk g I'm a student (i.e. no money), so don't sue. You
won't get anything.
***
It was night in the Negaverse, and most of Queen Beryl's warriors were asleep as she
continued in her efforts to turn Tuxedo Mask to her side. The only other person aside
from Queen Beryl who was awake was Malachite, lying in bed staring up at the
ceiling.
//Those damnable Sailor Scouts have the Silver Imperium Moon Crystal!// he thought.
//And worse still, that crybaby child Sailor Moon - the Moon Princess! - can actually
use it.// Now *that* had been a surprise, he had been sure he could crush her easily -
after all, the other Sailor Scouts had fallen with remarkably little effort. But she was
able to use the crystal attached to her Moon Wand.
"But we'll get it back, won't we, Zoisite?" he murmured, reaching out beside him -
then he remembered. Zoisite was gone, dead. His student, his friend, his lover had
been killed by Queen Beryl for trying to kill Tuxedo Mask.
Malachite grit his teeth. //If Zoisite had killed him even a week ago, Queen Beryl
would have praised her and rewarded her. But not now, now the Queen kills where
she once would have rewarded. Oh, Zoi, it wasn't you who failed me by disobeying
the Queen; I was the one who failed you! I should have taught you to restrain your
vengefulness when you needed to, I should have not allowed you to seek revenge on
Tuxedo Mask, and I should have done more to persuade the Queen to punish me
rather than you! Zoisite, my love, I'm so sorry.//
Malachite felt a tear form in his eye, and blinked it back. He could not afford to show
any sign of weakness, Queen Beryl was capable of using her power to look anywhere
in the Negaverse. She mustn't think that he, her chief general, was weak. It could
mean his life - the life that he had been willing to give for Zoisite, but no other.
//Zoi, Zoi, I promise you. I will never forget you, and I will do something to avenge
you. I promise you, my love.//
~~Malachite!~~ Queen Beryl's voice sounded inside his head. ~~I want you here.
Now!~~
"Right away, m'Queen," he said, and teleported to the Queen's throne room. Queen
Beryl looked at him coolly when he appeared.
"Is something wrong, Malachite?" she said.
"No, m'Queen," he lied. If she guessed that he was lying, she said nothing about it.
"Malachite, what are you doing to retrieve the Silver Imperium Moon Crystal?" she
demanded. Malachite tried not to let his jaw drop open.
"M'Queen, it's been less that half a day since the Sailor Scouts got it," he said.
"So?" Queen Beryl replied. "I want that crystal, Malachite! Get it, while the Sailor
Scouts are still shocked over the loss of Tuxedo Mask." She looked steadily at him as
he bowed and teleported away.
***
//The crystal. How can I go about getting the crystal?// Malachite thought, sitting in
the same place where he had sat with Zoisite so many times since the two of them had
first met. //Zoi, I miss you, what should I....of course! Sailor Moon can't resist helping
when her friends are in trouble, Zoisite proved that when she trapped Molly and those
other people at the carnival. Sailor Moon gave up her Rainbow Crystal to save them!
Zoi, my love, you've just solved my problem for me!//
***
Moment's later, Malachite teleported into the shadows at the foot of Molly's porch.
//It was this girl Molly whom Zoisite said that Sailor Moon was the most concerned
with that time, so she's the one I'll target.//
He strode up the stairs and knocked on the door. Molly's mother opened it.
"Can I help you, er," she looked puzzled, and more than a little startled. Malachite
smiled at her.
"Good evening," he said smoothly. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but is Molly there? I'm
a friend of," he racked his brains for the name Nephlite had used when he had
pretended to be in love with Molly, "of Maxfield's.' //I hope that's it.// "I have a
message for Molly." As he spoke, he used some of his power to make Molly's mother
more amenable to his request.
"Of course," the woman replied. "Molly! There's a friend of Maxfield's here to see
you." Smiling, Molly's mother walked up the hall as Molly ran to the door.
"You're a friend of Maxfield's?" she asked.
"Yes, I am. Do you mind coming with me for a minute? It's to help Maxfield," he
added.
"Sure," Molly replied. "Mum, I'm going out for a minute." Before her mother could
reply, Molly had shut the door and followed Malachite out onto the street. Malachite
looked down at the girl.
//She's so trusting, just like Zoi used to be, before she became a warrior for the
Negaverse.// Malachite looked away from Molly, trying to suppress thoughts of
Zoisite. //I have work to do. I can't afford to be distracted.//
Malachite and Molly walked silently to the river, each wrapped up in their own
thoughts. Malachite barely noticed when they passed a sad looking girl with long dark
hair. He did notice when Molly stopped to speak to the girl.
"Rei?" Molly said. "What's wrong?"
"Oh, it's Darien," Rei replied sadly. "He's gone."
Malachite's head whipped around at Darien's name. //Who is this girl, and what does
she know about Darien - or Tuxedo Mask?//
"Gone? What do you mean gone? Did he dump you or something? Stand you up?"
Molly asked.
"I guess," Rei replied. "He's just....gone. I don't know where he is." She hung her
head. "Don't worry, Molly, I'll be alright. What are you doing out so late?"
"Oh, I'm just with one of Maxfield's friends," Molly said. "What are you doing out so
late, Rei?"
Rei looked at Malachite sharply, a gleam of....recognition? in her eye.
//No, that can't be it.// Malachite thought. //This girl has never seen me; she thinks
Darien is a normal boy. A boy who, apparently, she was dating, and has now left her.
She knows nothing. And even if she knows who I am, so much the better. I * want*
Sailor Moon to interfere this time.//
"Molly," he said softly. "We have to keep going."
"Oh, yeah," Molly said. "Well, I'm sure Darien will turn up, Rei. It's not like him just
to leave, or anything."
"Maybe," Rei said softly.
//Not likely,// Malachite thought, before heading back along the river. Molly hurried
to catch up, and neither noticed Rei watching them thoughtfully, before hurrying off
in another direction, her sadness replaced with a mixture of alarm and concern.
***
"Where are we going?" Molly asked. Malachite barely paid her any attention; instead
he paused and looked around. This place would do, it was open without much chance
of the Sailor Scouts sneaking up.
"Have we stopped now? Why have we stopped here? Is Maxfield coming?" Molly
rattled off the questions, and Malachite clenched his jaw. This girl might have the
trustingness that had initially attracted him to Zoisite, but she certainly had none of
the charm Zoi had possessed either before or after she had joined the Negaverse!
Suddenly he blinked. For a moment, the girl had seemed to grow taller, and her hair
had become long and coppery.
//It was your imagination. You were comparing Molly to Zoisite, what did you
expect?//
"We're stopping here," was the only reply he gave, as he scanned the area with both
his senses and his power for any sign of the Sailor Scouts. Molly sighed, flopping
down on a bench opposite the river. Suddenly Malachite noticed a black cat sitting
near a tree.
//That cat. Sailor Moon always has a black cat with her!// He spun around, and saw a
white cat slinking across the ground towards Molly. //And that white cat has been
with the Scouts ever since Sailor Venus showed up!// Reaching out with his power, he
lifted Molly easily and held her above the river. The girl screamed, and fought against
the invisible power holding her in midair.
"Where are you, Sailor Moon?" he called out. "Do you want me to drown your
friend?" Molly screamed louder. "Show yourself! And Sailors Mercury, Venus, Mars
and Jupiter!"
"Mercury Bubbles!" a voice called out from behind him. Almost disdainfully,
Malachite took Sailor Mercury's power as she tried to use it. It shone like a bright ball
in his hand.
"Didn't you learn last time?" he asked, tossing the power back at her where she stood
with the other four Scouts. Mercury blinked and stumbled, blinded by her own attack.
Sailor Mars caught her friend, preventing her from accidentally falling into the river.
//Shame,// Malachite thought, surveying the five Sailor Scouts. //If Mercury drowned,
it would save me the trouble of killing her.//
"What do you want?" Sailor Moon demanded, casting a nervous glance at the terrified
Molly, still suspended over the river.
"The Silver Imperium Moon Crystal, of course," Malachite replied. "Give it to me,
and I won't drown your darling little Molly. I won't even kill you and the other
Scouts."
//This time,// he added silently.
"Jupiter Thunder," began Sailor Jupiter. Malachite abruptly dropped Molly in the
river, directing his power to a shield just as Jupiter finished.
"Crash!"
Malachite absorbed Jupiter's power just like he had absorbed Mercury's, and sent the
attack back to her. Jupiter crumpled in a heap.
"Molly!" screamed Sailor Moon. Malachite fished the girl out of the river, and she
hung back in midair, coughing up the little water she had swallowed.
"See what happens when you girls distract me?" he chided. "Poor little Molly nearly
drowned." His face grew hard. "The Imperium Crystal, Sailor Moon. Now." Sailor
Moon reached up for her moon tiara, and Malachite quickly used his power to
suspend Jupiter over the river as well.
"I wouldn't do that," he advised Sailor Moon. "I'd drop both of them. Molly might be
able to swim, but Sailor Jupiter?" He shook his head in mock sadness. "I'm afraid
not." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sailor Mars slowly help Sailor Mercury to
sit, then begin to sidle around the fight, obviously intending to do something without
him noticing. He nearly stopped her, but paused.
//What better way to avenge Zoisite, then making sure Queen Beryl doesn't get the
crystal this time?// he thought, then banished it. //I shouldn't think that. Zoi wouldn't,
she'd dedicate herself to getting the crystal.// In the few seconds it took to come to
this decision, however, Mars had disappeared.
//Drat that girl!// Annoyed, Malachite brought Molly and Jupiter back to the bank,
flinging them into Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus, and making both girls fall in a heap
next to Sailor Mercury with Molly and Jupiter on top of them. He quickly made a
shadow dome around them. With those five safely confined, he slowly turned around,
looking for Mars.
"Venus Crescent Beam Smash!" he heard Venus cry out, but her attack was harmless
against his shadow dome. Sailor Moon tried her Moon Tiara, but it had as little effect
as the Crescent Beam. Malachite slowly began to contract the dome.
"Give me the crystal, Sailor Moon, and you can all escape with your lives," he said.
"No!" Sailor Moon replied. "Mars! Where are you?"
Malachite turned back to looking for Mars. "Yes, Mars, where are you?" he said,
echoing Sailor Moon. "Your friends are about to die."
//Just like Zoisite,// a thought forced it's way into his mind. He shook his head. //No,
not like Zoisite! Zoi died for no reason, these girls will die so I can get the Silver
Imperium Moon Crystal!//
//Still, as you thought before, making sure Queen Beryl doesn't get the crystal so
quickly would be a fine way to avenge Zoisite,// the voice said, refusing to be
banished. //Or do you want it to seem that you were able to get the crystal swiftly
because Zoi wasn't around?//
//No!// He growled silently, and stopped contracting the dome. //Hurry up, Mars. I
won't stop you. Not this time.// He watched the five girls trapped inside the shadow
dome, one unconscious, one a terrified heap, one unable to see, and the other two
standing there, furious with their helplessness.
//Hurry *up,* Mars,// he thought. "What are you waiting for, Mars?" he called out
aloud.
"I am Sailor Mars, Champion of Justice, and Love...."
"Can we skip this this time," Malachite said clearly, not turning around. "Do what
you have to, Mars, I'm not going to stop you."
//I hope Queen Beryl wasn't checking on me at that moment.//
There was a stunned silence as all the Scouts except for the unconscious Jupiter stared
at him in amazement. Then,
"Mars Fire Ignite!"
Malachite staggered and fell as the Mars fire hit him in the back, and the shadow
dome blinked out of existence.
"You're moon dust!" he heard Sailor Moon call out, albeit a little uncertainly.
"Not this time, Sailor Moon," he replied, pulling himself painfully to his knees.
Before any of the Scouts could do anything, he teleported back to the Negaverse.
***
"Would you like to explain your failure, Malachite?" Queen Beryl asked in a
deceptively sweet low voice.
"I underestimated Sailor Mars, m'Queen," he replied. "I thought she didn't matter, so
long as I had her friends. It won't happen again."
"See that it doesn't," she said. "Have you forgotten so quickly the price of failure? If
you can't carry out a simple task, I will deal with you the same way I dealt with
Zoisite."
Malachite carefully didn't let his anger or resentment about Zoisite show. "Yes,
m'Queen, I remember and understand," he said simply, before he was dismissed and
teleported away.
***
//I did it, Zoi, I did it,// he thought later, kneeling at Zoisite's grave with a simple
cherry blossom, Zoi's favourite flower. //I avenged you, my love, even if Queen Beryl
doesn't realise that that was what I did. Oh my love, I'm sorry. I'll never forget you, I
promise. My love.// He placed the cherry blossom on the silent grave, imagining Zoi
as he remembered her best - long coppery hair tied back in a ponytail as her head
rested against his chest. He knelt by the grave a moment longer, before standing and
walking away.
~FINIS~
AUTHOR: Calicia [email protected]
RATING: PG
SERIES: Sailor Moon
CHARACTERS: Malachite's POV. Also featuring Queen Beryl, the Sailor Scouts,
Molly, Luna, and Artemis.
TIMELINE: Just after Zoisite's death, but before Beryl has finished turning Tuxedo
Mask to the Negaverse's side.
SYNOPSIS: Mourning Zoisite, Malachite promises to do something to avenge her.
But what will he do, and what part will the Sailor Scouts play in it?
NOTES: For Susan, who got me into Sailor Moon. Thank-you!
// indicates thoughts, and ~~ indicates telepathic communication.
I've only seen the dubbed version of Sailor Moon, so that's what I've based my fanfic
on - which means I call the characters Malachite, Rei, Molly, etc., and Zoisite is a
girl. Please don't flame me for that.
This is my very first Sailor Moon fanfic, so please tell me what you think!
DISCLAIMER: Nothing in the Sailor Moon universe belongs to me. There, I said it,
now I'm going to go and sulk g I'm a student (i.e. no money), so don't sue. You
won't get anything.
***
It was night in the Negaverse, and most of Queen Beryl's warriors were asleep as she
continued in her efforts to turn Tuxedo Mask to her side. The only other person aside
from Queen Beryl who was awake was Malachite, lying in bed staring up at the
ceiling.
//Those damnable Sailor Scouts have the Silver Imperium Moon Crystal!// he thought.
//And worse still, that crybaby child Sailor Moon - the Moon Princess! - can actually
use it.// Now *that* had been a surprise, he had been sure he could crush her easily -
after all, the other Sailor Scouts had fallen with remarkably little effort. But she was
able to use the crystal attached to her Moon Wand.
"But we'll get it back, won't we, Zoisite?" he murmured, reaching out beside him -
then he remembered. Zoisite was gone, dead. His student, his friend, his lover had
been killed by Queen Beryl for trying to kill Tuxedo Mask.
Malachite grit his teeth. //If Zoisite had killed him even a week ago, Queen Beryl
would have praised her and rewarded her. But not now, now the Queen kills where
she once would have rewarded. Oh, Zoi, it wasn't you who failed me by disobeying
the Queen; I was the one who failed you! I should have taught you to restrain your
vengefulness when you needed to, I should have not allowed you to seek revenge on
Tuxedo Mask, and I should have done more to persuade the Queen to punish me
rather than you! Zoisite, my love, I'm so sorry.//
Malachite felt a tear form in his eye, and blinked it back. He could not afford to show
any sign of weakness, Queen Beryl was capable of using her power to look anywhere
in the Negaverse. She mustn't think that he, her chief general, was weak. It could
mean his life - the life that he had been willing to give for Zoisite, but no other.
//Zoi, Zoi, I promise you. I will never forget you, and I will do something to avenge
you. I promise you, my love.//
~~Malachite!~~ Queen Beryl's voice sounded inside his head. ~~I want you here.
Now!~~
"Right away, m'Queen," he said, and teleported to the Queen's throne room. Queen
Beryl looked at him coolly when he appeared.
"Is something wrong, Malachite?" she said.
"No, m'Queen," he lied. If she guessed that he was lying, she said nothing about it.
"Malachite, what are you doing to retrieve the Silver Imperium Moon Crystal?" she
demanded. Malachite tried not to let his jaw drop open.
"M'Queen, it's been less that half a day since the Sailor Scouts got it," he said.
"So?" Queen Beryl replied. "I want that crystal, Malachite! Get it, while the Sailor
Scouts are still shocked over the loss of Tuxedo Mask." She looked steadily at him as
he bowed and teleported away.
***
//The crystal. How can I go about getting the crystal?// Malachite thought, sitting in
the same place where he had sat with Zoisite so many times since the two of them had
first met. //Zoi, I miss you, what should I....of course! Sailor Moon can't resist helping
when her friends are in trouble, Zoisite proved that when she trapped Molly and those
other people at the carnival. Sailor Moon gave up her Rainbow Crystal to save them!
Zoi, my love, you've just solved my problem for me!//
***
Moment's later, Malachite teleported into the shadows at the foot of Molly's porch.
//It was this girl Molly whom Zoisite said that Sailor Moon was the most concerned
with that time, so she's the one I'll target.//
He strode up the stairs and knocked on the door. Molly's mother opened it.
"Can I help you, er," she looked puzzled, and more than a little startled. Malachite
smiled at her.
"Good evening," he said smoothly. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but is Molly there? I'm
a friend of," he racked his brains for the name Nephlite had used when he had
pretended to be in love with Molly, "of Maxfield's.' //I hope that's it.// "I have a
message for Molly." As he spoke, he used some of his power to make Molly's mother
more amenable to his request.
"Of course," the woman replied. "Molly! There's a friend of Maxfield's here to see
you." Smiling, Molly's mother walked up the hall as Molly ran to the door.
"You're a friend of Maxfield's?" she asked.
"Yes, I am. Do you mind coming with me for a minute? It's to help Maxfield," he
added.
"Sure," Molly replied. "Mum, I'm going out for a minute." Before her mother could
reply, Molly had shut the door and followed Malachite out onto the street. Malachite
looked down at the girl.
//She's so trusting, just like Zoi used to be, before she became a warrior for the
Negaverse.// Malachite looked away from Molly, trying to suppress thoughts of
Zoisite. //I have work to do. I can't afford to be distracted.//
Malachite and Molly walked silently to the river, each wrapped up in their own
thoughts. Malachite barely noticed when they passed a sad looking girl with long dark
hair. He did notice when Molly stopped to speak to the girl.
"Rei?" Molly said. "What's wrong?"
"Oh, it's Darien," Rei replied sadly. "He's gone."
Malachite's head whipped around at Darien's name. //Who is this girl, and what does
she know about Darien - or Tuxedo Mask?//
"Gone? What do you mean gone? Did he dump you or something? Stand you up?"
Molly asked.
"I guess," Rei replied. "He's just....gone. I don't know where he is." She hung her
head. "Don't worry, Molly, I'll be alright. What are you doing out so late?"
"Oh, I'm just with one of Maxfield's friends," Molly said. "What are you doing out so
late, Rei?"
Rei looked at Malachite sharply, a gleam of....recognition? in her eye.
//No, that can't be it.// Malachite thought. //This girl has never seen me; she thinks
Darien is a normal boy. A boy who, apparently, she was dating, and has now left her.
She knows nothing. And even if she knows who I am, so much the better. I * want*
Sailor Moon to interfere this time.//
"Molly," he said softly. "We have to keep going."
"Oh, yeah," Molly said. "Well, I'm sure Darien will turn up, Rei. It's not like him just
to leave, or anything."
"Maybe," Rei said softly.
//Not likely,// Malachite thought, before heading back along the river. Molly hurried
to catch up, and neither noticed Rei watching them thoughtfully, before hurrying off
in another direction, her sadness replaced with a mixture of alarm and concern.
***
"Where are we going?" Molly asked. Malachite barely paid her any attention; instead
he paused and looked around. This place would do, it was open without much chance
of the Sailor Scouts sneaking up.
"Have we stopped now? Why have we stopped here? Is Maxfield coming?" Molly
rattled off the questions, and Malachite clenched his jaw. This girl might have the
trustingness that had initially attracted him to Zoisite, but she certainly had none of
the charm Zoi had possessed either before or after she had joined the Negaverse!
Suddenly he blinked. For a moment, the girl had seemed to grow taller, and her hair
had become long and coppery.
//It was your imagination. You were comparing Molly to Zoisite, what did you
expect?//
"We're stopping here," was the only reply he gave, as he scanned the area with both
his senses and his power for any sign of the Sailor Scouts. Molly sighed, flopping
down on a bench opposite the river. Suddenly Malachite noticed a black cat sitting
near a tree.
//That cat. Sailor Moon always has a black cat with her!// He spun around, and saw a
white cat slinking across the ground towards Molly. //And that white cat has been
with the Scouts ever since Sailor Venus showed up!// Reaching out with his power, he
lifted Molly easily and held her above the river. The girl screamed, and fought against
the invisible power holding her in midair.
"Where are you, Sailor Moon?" he called out. "Do you want me to drown your
friend?" Molly screamed louder. "Show yourself! And Sailors Mercury, Venus, Mars
and Jupiter!"
"Mercury Bubbles!" a voice called out from behind him. Almost disdainfully,
Malachite took Sailor Mercury's power as she tried to use it. It shone like a bright ball
in his hand.
"Didn't you learn last time?" he asked, tossing the power back at her where she stood
with the other four Scouts. Mercury blinked and stumbled, blinded by her own attack.
Sailor Mars caught her friend, preventing her from accidentally falling into the river.
//Shame,// Malachite thought, surveying the five Sailor Scouts. //If Mercury drowned,
it would save me the trouble of killing her.//
"What do you want?" Sailor Moon demanded, casting a nervous glance at the terrified
Molly, still suspended over the river.
"The Silver Imperium Moon Crystal, of course," Malachite replied. "Give it to me,
and I won't drown your darling little Molly. I won't even kill you and the other
Scouts."
//This time,// he added silently.
"Jupiter Thunder," began Sailor Jupiter. Malachite abruptly dropped Molly in the
river, directing his power to a shield just as Jupiter finished.
"Crash!"
Malachite absorbed Jupiter's power just like he had absorbed Mercury's, and sent the
attack back to her. Jupiter crumpled in a heap.
"Molly!" screamed Sailor Moon. Malachite fished the girl out of the river, and she
hung back in midair, coughing up the little water she had swallowed.
"See what happens when you girls distract me?" he chided. "Poor little Molly nearly
drowned." His face grew hard. "The Imperium Crystal, Sailor Moon. Now." Sailor
Moon reached up for her moon tiara, and Malachite quickly used his power to
suspend Jupiter over the river as well.
"I wouldn't do that," he advised Sailor Moon. "I'd drop both of them. Molly might be
able to swim, but Sailor Jupiter?" He shook his head in mock sadness. "I'm afraid
not." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sailor Mars slowly help Sailor Mercury to
sit, then begin to sidle around the fight, obviously intending to do something without
him noticing. He nearly stopped her, but paused.
//What better way to avenge Zoisite, then making sure Queen Beryl doesn't get the
crystal this time?// he thought, then banished it. //I shouldn't think that. Zoi wouldn't,
she'd dedicate herself to getting the crystal.// In the few seconds it took to come to
this decision, however, Mars had disappeared.
//Drat that girl!// Annoyed, Malachite brought Molly and Jupiter back to the bank,
flinging them into Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus, and making both girls fall in a heap
next to Sailor Mercury with Molly and Jupiter on top of them. He quickly made a
shadow dome around them. With those five safely confined, he slowly turned around,
looking for Mars.
"Venus Crescent Beam Smash!" he heard Venus cry out, but her attack was harmless
against his shadow dome. Sailor Moon tried her Moon Tiara, but it had as little effect
as the Crescent Beam. Malachite slowly began to contract the dome.
"Give me the crystal, Sailor Moon, and you can all escape with your lives," he said.
"No!" Sailor Moon replied. "Mars! Where are you?"
Malachite turned back to looking for Mars. "Yes, Mars, where are you?" he said,
echoing Sailor Moon. "Your friends are about to die."
//Just like Zoisite,// a thought forced it's way into his mind. He shook his head. //No,
not like Zoisite! Zoi died for no reason, these girls will die so I can get the Silver
Imperium Moon Crystal!//
//Still, as you thought before, making sure Queen Beryl doesn't get the crystal so
quickly would be a fine way to avenge Zoisite,// the voice said, refusing to be
banished. //Or do you want it to seem that you were able to get the crystal swiftly
because Zoi wasn't around?//
//No!// He growled silently, and stopped contracting the dome. //Hurry up, Mars. I
won't stop you. Not this time.// He watched the five girls trapped inside the shadow
dome, one unconscious, one a terrified heap, one unable to see, and the other two
standing there, furious with their helplessness.
//Hurry *up,* Mars,// he thought. "What are you waiting for, Mars?" he called out
aloud.
"I am Sailor Mars, Champion of Justice, and Love...."
"Can we skip this this time," Malachite said clearly, not turning around. "Do what
you have to, Mars, I'm not going to stop you."
//I hope Queen Beryl wasn't checking on me at that moment.//
There was a stunned silence as all the Scouts except for the unconscious Jupiter stared
at him in amazement. Then,
"Mars Fire Ignite!"
Malachite staggered and fell as the Mars fire hit him in the back, and the shadow
dome blinked out of existence.
"You're moon dust!" he heard Sailor Moon call out, albeit a little uncertainly.
"Not this time, Sailor Moon," he replied, pulling himself painfully to his knees.
Before any of the Scouts could do anything, he teleported back to the Negaverse.
***
"Would you like to explain your failure, Malachite?" Queen Beryl asked in a
deceptively sweet low voice.
"I underestimated Sailor Mars, m'Queen," he replied. "I thought she didn't matter, so
long as I had her friends. It won't happen again."
"See that it doesn't," she said. "Have you forgotten so quickly the price of failure? If
you can't carry out a simple task, I will deal with you the same way I dealt with
Zoisite."
Malachite carefully didn't let his anger or resentment about Zoisite show. "Yes,
m'Queen, I remember and understand," he said simply, before he was dismissed and
teleported away.
***
//I did it, Zoi, I did it,// he thought later, kneeling at Zoisite's grave with a simple
cherry blossom, Zoi's favourite flower. //I avenged you, my love, even if Queen Beryl
doesn't realise that that was what I did. Oh my love, I'm sorry. I'll never forget you, I
promise. My love.// He placed the cherry blossom on the silent grave, imagining Zoi
as he remembered her best - long coppery hair tied back in a ponytail as her head
rested against his chest. He knelt by the grave a moment longer, before standing and
walking away.
~FINIS~