*Fleur is happily typing until Serenity Sea taps her on the shoulder*
Fleur: What?
SS: Aren't you done yet?
Fleur: Um…nope. I still have to do the disclaimer. You know, all that fun stuff.
SS: So, what are you waiting for?
Fleur: Come on Sea-chan, these things take time. You should be proud of me. I bet nobody else ever thought of making a disclaimer into a 500-line epic.
*Serenity Sea turns pale and fights back a headache* Your disclaimer… is a literal epic?
*Fleur snickers* One…Two…Three—
SS: AARRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!
Fleur: Only kidding Sea-chan. I just wanted to see if you'd scrunch your face up and scream like that again.
SS: Why I oughta—
Fleur: Uh oh….
SS: What is it?
Fleur: Librarian at *Looks at watch* Nine-fifteen. Better book it!
*Fleur and Serenity Sea throw on trench-coats and make a mad-dash out of the library*
Disclaimer: Meh… the author's notes are too long for a fancy disclaimer. So here goes: Sea-chan and I don't own Sailor Moon, other people do.
"I was lost,
and you were found…"
--Sweet Misery,
Michelle Branch
__________________________________________________
Kunzite was in trouble, of that he was sure. If it wasn't bad enough that he had nothing but the knowledge of his name, he was hearing things.
Venus…
The word repeated itself like a mantra, until Kunzite could barely stand it. The abused man put a hand to his head and groaned in agony. "Yes! I get it, I'm on Venus, please shut up…" Thankfully, the voice stopped. He guessed that it had accomplished its mission, and was now lying dormant, waiting for another time to come and torture him.
Kunzite didn't bother to get up, but moved so that he was leaning on the base of a large tree, its bark gleaming almost golden in the gentle sunlight. The tree's leaves were plump and emerald colored, providing him with temporary shelter from the mysterious world he inhabited.
With a heavy sigh (the situation definitely called for one) Kunzite stood up and brushed the dirt off his silver-gray uniform. It had to be a uniform, with its silver buckles and trim. Now if he only knew what kind of a uniform it was. A long cape, lined in purple velvet fell down to his ankles, flowing out behind him as he walked. It seemed almost fluid in its subtle grace. He liked it, very dignified. He was already starting to believe he was a very dignified person. It seemed the voice had no commentary on that thought, as his mind remained clear of its rather painful influence.
Absently, Kunzite lifted his head to see if he could get any clues as to what kind of a place he had been lying unconscious in. After he had looked past the surrounding trees and other such growths, he found himself to be about 50 yards from a large lake that stretched out as far as the eyes could see. A sizeable island stood in the heart of the water, encircled not only by crystal blue water, but also by hundreds of what appeared to be rosebushes.
His thoughts were interrupted when a twig snapped behind him, immediately catching his attention. While many may have missed the barely audible sound, Kunzite instantly whirled, going into a defensive stance. Yet it was not an enemy that was his plight, but a young girl no older than twelve. Even at this juvenile time in her life, her beauty was visible. Deep gold-brown eyes stared at him in obvious alarm, and a head of auburn curls framed her face.
A bit abashed by his behavior, Kunzite relaxed. Sensing she was not in danger, the girl stuttered a greeting. "H—hello." The girl had never met such a tall man before, especially one so handsome. (Give the girl some credit here, she may be young, but she is a Venetian.)
Kunzite let a long silence follow, unsure of how to act with the adolescent in front of him. After a while the girl regained her lost power of speech, "Are you here to see the roses?"
Kunzite decided that, as he didn't know why he was there, he could go with that.
"Yes, I saw them from the woods and decided to get a better look. I really don't know anything about them."
The girl smiled, if it was one story every child on the planet Venus knew, it was about the Princess's roses. "After the palace of Venus was finished—"
"So we are on Venus!" Kunzite all but shouted. It seemed the voice in his head was telling the truth. He didn't say that though, as he realized he was acting odd enough anyway.
"Erm… yes." The girl raised an eyebrow as Kunzite tried to calm his frazzled nerves. He might not know little things like, say, his past—but he was sure that Venus was not his home planet. "Anyway," The girl continued, "They were given to Sailor Venus, the ruling senshi, by Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion. They're supposed to show how love blooms on Venus. It's rumored that every time somebody on Venus finds love, another rose blooms."
"That's a very nice story," Kunzite noted distractedly. "But, for that to be true, one would need to believe in magic."
The girl gave him another strange look. "You are definitely not from around here, are you?"
"Am I that obvious?" Kunzite smiled at the girl's tone. "Well, as it is, I'm not—I'm from someplace very different." Well, at least he thought he was.
"While not everybody here on Venus believes in magic, everybody who has seen the senshi do! They're amazing, and have fought all types of bad guys. The Neo-Queen is the wielder of the Silver Crystal, and is said to be able to destroy an entire planet if she wants to. But she would never do that, she's the one who the senshi protect." The child gibbered on gaily, unaware that Kunzite was having something that resembled a migraine attacking his brain. He knew that almost every one of the odd terms that girl had said were familiar, he just didn't know why. He heard faintly the voice from earlier laughing at him, unwilling to give up any more useful information now that it would be appreciated.
"These senshi… do they lead all the planets?"
"Yup, each Sailor Senshi rules a planet, but the King and Queen live on Earth, which is where everybody used to live before the Queen used the crystal to give all the planets a safe atmoslere."
"You mean atmosphere?" Kunzite inquired.
"Yeah, that's what I said, atmoslere."
"So, you're telling me, that this Neo-Queen Serenity character, used a crystal, to put atmospheres on all the planets."
The girl nodded, all the time thinking that the man she was explaining this to was either from very far away or was just very stupid. "I don't suppose I could actually talk to this senshi of Venus, do I?"
"I don't know, maybe. She likes to walk in the garden, or near the beach on the island, maybe you'll see her there."
"She just walks around unprotected?"
Again with the strange look. "Mister, anybody who runs into her should be worrying about their protection."
Kunzite could only shake his head in confusion.
***
After exchanging names, Kunzite and Mari—for that was the name belonging to the girl—walked around the exterior of the lake until they came to a long bridge. Its wood was dark, and carvings of gods and goddesses were systematically decorating the tall beams. It was very beautiful, but then again, Kunzite was beginning to think that everything here on Venus was. Colorful birds flew overhead, and the clear water easily displayed the marine life that swam below. Mari and Kunzite walked in companionable silence, each left to their own thoughts. It turned out Mari had been on her way to look at the roses as well, and Kunzite decided he'd find no better guide. The fact that he hadn't sent the girl screaming in fright or confusion—possibly even both—still amazed him.
At the end of the bridge Kunzite turned to Mari. "Thanks for taking me this far, I think I'll go off and explore on my own now. You know, try to find this senshi of yours." Mari smiled and said goodbye, before literally running off, through the sand that the bridge had taken them too. Taking off the heavy cloak to drape it over his arm, Kunzite went in search of the only one he could hope would give him some answers.
***
Mina looked at the rosebush in front of her. She had little hope that its roses would ever bloom, for in her heart she knew it was her rosebush. Of course, it wasn't just her heart that screamed the fact; the entire bush was surrounded in a golden aura that signified it as being that of the Princess of Venus. The plant was far off from any of the other flowers, growing in a small clearing that was only yards away from the sand that covered the edge of her island. As the Princess of Venus, she could call much her own; all but someone to love.
It was true that she had the other senshi, along with Serenity and Endymion. All were like a family to her, but none were really hers. While some might have thought her to be selfish, anybody who knew what it was like to truly want somebody to love, could value the gloominess that this trail of thoughts could bring to Mina.
However, being the golden girl she was, Mina reached through the gloom to find the hope that she'd been holding on to for hundreds of years; the one that promised she'd find love. Then, she and the designated love would grow old together, ruling Venus and having children that would follow her legacy. She had it all thought-out, even the songs they would play at her wedding—which would take place in the middle of May and be held outside in the gardens of the Crystal Palace, so she could be at the center of the social Universe.
Mina knew what she wanted. Nothing was unplanned for. Up until this point of time, no surprises had taken place that could change her plans, or put her off course. (I think you can see where this is going.)
I suppose that was why she was so surprised when she turned around to face a devastatingly handsome man—or in this case a devastatingly handsome enemy she had helped to kill.
***
The instant Kunzite saw her he knew she was the one he had been searching for. Her beauty that caused him to gape, and her grace seemed to have rendered him speechless. The angel's long blonde hair was being held up by a thin red ribbon, one that seemed perfect for her—though he felt that it would look just as good if it were a little thicker. Her blue eyes were as fathomless as the sky, and her lips were as red as the roses that she had been gazing at. Now, Kunzite hadn't been thinking those exact thoughts. Actually, he wasn't quite thinking at all. His brain had pretty much shut down at the sight of Mina.
***
Mina knew she should attack him, kill him even. Both actions she was capable of, but for some unknown reason, she could not react. Perhaps it was the way he was staring at her, with no menace in his pale violet eyes, only emotion. What the emotion could be was beyond her…but surely it wasn't that of a killer. However, his very profile brought back jaded memories, even though they seemed as if they could not possibly be connected to the male before her. They were of a man so much like the one she was gazing at now…except he was cruel and a killer. Kunzite. She remembered…he was trying to kill Sailor Moon, and he had shot Venus down with a massive ball of energy when she had stepped between he and her leader.
Just that was enough to make her transform. "Venus… Crystal… POWER!"
Before Kunzite's eyes the woman he had been staring at transformed. The simple yellow gown was replaced by a small white body suit, which covered up to the middle of her thigh with the assistance of a tiny golden-orange skirt. While some may have thought the outfit cute, Kunzite knew better. The woman held the stance of a warrior, and he couldn't say he was that surprised when she took out a long gold chain of what looked to be hearts. (AN: In the manga Venus' Love Me Chain was a belt, I'm going to go with that, as it happens to be more convenient for the story.)
"I mean you no harm!" Kunzite said slowly; he really didn't want to know what the glowing chain Sailor Venus—the woman had to be Sailor Venus—was holding.
"Listen pondscum," Venus threw the insult out only half-heartedly, for some reason, she felt too old to be doing this. "I don't know why you're here, or what you mean by 'no harm' but if you think you're going to hurt me, my people, or Serenity, you're dead wrong."
Kunzite hoped he had just imagined her stressing the word dead. "I don't want to hurt anybody! I don't even know who anybody is! I just want to know what in hell is going on!"
Venus frowned; this wasn't the nasty speech she had been expecting. Still gripping the chain, she rubbed her temple. After a pause, she began to talk in a low voice. "You guys are getting too good at this, for a moment I wanted to believe you." And with that she threw her chain around Kunzite, effectively binding his body's limbs. "I'm going to let the King and Queen deal with you when they get back, but until then, we'll find you some hospitable chambers in Crystal Tokyo's dungeons."
Venus half-wished that Kunzite would fight back; first his words, and now his actions, showed him to be anything but evil. Yet Venus pushed these thoughts away. Over the years her heart had hardened some—she had seen more than any person should have had to. Death, battle, despair—they were all friends to Venus. She didn't want to unleash any more of these "friends" by trusting a man who looked exactly like one of her sworn enemies.
Kunzite, on the other hand, was in awe. The warrior who stood before him was nothing like the angel he had gazed at earlier. She had a stoic professionalism to her, one he didn't feel up to questioning. He resigned himself to the fact that he would just let her bring him to her superiors. Surely they would see that he wasn't evil. At least that's what he hoped.
Yellow light enveloped the two bodies, and in half a moment they were both gone. They left behind them only dust, and a rosebush that seemed to be glowing just a little brighter.
***
Serenity Sea's Ending Notes: Everyone 1B will be up shortly… I have 3 versions of that chapter floating around and I have to make the necessary adjustments on the hard drive version before I can post it. Problem is, they all have different edits on them, so I have to go very slowly. There's also the minor obstacle of "Real Life" and various open stories that I swore I'd work on. Yes, my head's about to explode, how can you tell?
Well. I'm going to leave before I scare you people any more than I already have.