Title: Minako's Song Author: Jade Hunter Disclaimer: The song and the charactors do not belong to me. "talking" [thoughts] _emphasis_ <> ######################################################### Senshi Venus frowned as she searched for the Princess all over the castle. Her orange heels clicked on the marble floor as she rapidly increased her pace, gaining an insight as to where her wayward charge might be. She made her way to the Teleportation Room and immediatly began to hack into the system. She may not be the best at hacking, but one did not have the intelligent Senshi Mercury as a close friend and not learn a few tricks. "Ah hah!" she crowed as she found the coordinates of the last teleport. She was sure it was no coincidence that the coordinates happened to be at the fringes of the forest close to the castle where the Prince of Earth, Endymon, lived. She quickly set the coordinates for the teleport, and stepped into the portal that formed. It took a her moment to adjust herself to the denser gravity of the blue planet, and then she was off. Using all the skills that she had learned as leader of the Senshi, Venus tracked her Princess to a clearing. Her slightly easy-goining attitude melted away as she witnessed her innocent Princess snuggled in the arms of the dark and handsome Prince. Rumors of the Prince and his many affairs floated through her mind, helping her push down the feelings that welled up when she sensed the love enamating from the two. "Princess! Did you come here again!? Come on, we're going home," she scolded, taking a firm but gentle hold of her liege. ***** "It must be tough having a princess so full of curiosity," Kunzite couldn't help but say. Kunzite had known about the continued meetings of the Prince and the Lunarian who had stolen his heart. Being the leader of the Guardians, he accompanied the Prince on these journies, even as he continued to discourage Endymon when they had a moment's peace. He was extremely worried about the rumors of the Dark Queen Metallia's escape from the Void. If that was true, then the Prince needed more guarding than ever. And since the Prince would not be swayed into staying away from the Princess Serenity, he had no choice but to follow. He had been wondering if the Princess' guardians, the legendary Sailor Senshi, were adaquate enough for their job if their Princess managed to escape so easily when the blonde woman dressed in an extremely short skirt charged out of the bush and took hold of the aforementioned Princess. He couldn't help smiling slightly as he witnessed the petite woman scold her Princess for running off to Earth. Her toned muscles, easily seen because of her revealing attire, and the graceful way she moved was proof that she was indeed one of the legendary Senshi, gifted with powerful Magic. She didn't seem inadiquate at all. He had made sure to move the couple carefully away from the point where Princess Serenity had landed, as to lose dangerous people. If this Senshi had managed to track the Princess from there, despite all his attempts to erase the tracks, then she was worthy of her reputation. He wondered what it would be like to face her in battle. Those thoughts promptly fled and were replaced by more appealing ones as she blushed prettily, and teleported away with Princess Serenity in a flash of golden light. Open that door The time remaining Is being drawn away Lift up your eyes Stare straight ahead Give me one last kiss And walk away "We shouldn't do this," Venus whispered as she and Kunzite met in a fierce embrace. "Especially now when the threat of the Dark Queen is so real and the peace between our kingdoms so strained." "The marriage of your Princess to our Prince will change that, and the combined forces of the Earth and Moon Kingdom can surely defeat the Dark Queen," Kunzite assured her, and then stole a gently kiss. "But no one but the Queen, the Princess, the Prince, your Generals and my Senshi know of the impending union. This is treason in the eyes of the people," Venus protested as he came in for another butterfly kiss. Kunzite pulled back slightly and gazed into her eyes, "Then tell me to walk away." "I can't," she breathed out as tears welled up. "I can't." Their eyes met again, and their lips soon after. In their minds, there was no threats of war, no Dark Queen. In their minds, there was only each other, and the love they shared. Truly So much That the wind is biting My spirit is restrained Our paths divide apart, I know It's destiny, the stars have decided The one that you chose The white route The future looms ahead Don't lose your way Kunzite glared as best as he could in his beaten state at the red-haired witch that imprisoned him and his fellow Generals. They too were glowering at the witch. If he wasn't mistaken, it was Lady Beryl, one of the many whom had been enamoured with his Prince. Unlike the other women who had weeped or sought more welcoming company, it seemed that she had turned to the Dark Queen. "What do you want with us?" he asked in a dangerous tone. Beryl merely laughed, ignoring the warning in his voice, "I want you to become the Generals." Nephrite growled, "What are you getting at, witch?" Slapping the auburn-haired General in the face, Berly answered smugly, "I want you to become _my_ Generals." Her expression turned to one of complete rage as Jadeite began to laugh. She backhanded the blonde General, and glared at them. "I am Queen Beryl, of the Negaverse, and you will show me proper respect," she hissed. "Yeah, as much as you deserve, you ugly toad," Zoicite, ever the sarcastic wit, snorted. Shrieking in uncontrollable rage, Beryl shot a wave of Dark energy at them, making them writhe in pain. "You _will_ become my Generals, willingly or unwillingly!" she declared, and blasted them with more Dark energy. Kunzite's eyes widened in horror as the energy began to seep into his skin. He could feel the Darkness penetrating his own Magic, and begin to infect his blood. The pain was overwhelming, and as he fell into unconsiousness, he made a silent vow. **I will never forget you Minako.** *The sea spreads out wide The wind comes blowing this way It may be a little cold But start running forth Do not forget About yourself The one I love the most Even though it's hard From here I look out And see the desert daybreak Kunzite, leader of the Dark Kingdom Generals, laughed as he saw his army battle with the Lunarian army. Cries of pain came from allies and enemies alike, but he pain both no mind, searching for a worthy opponent. "Looking for me?" Venus asked, stepping out from behind a cluster of warring soldiers. His eyes fell on her slim form, and he found a smile tugging at the corner of his lips for unknown reasons. He changed it into a smirk, and cockily gestured for her to make the first move. "I was looking for a worthy opponent," he said, sneering. "I suppose I will have to settle for you." Her deep blue eyes narrowed in anger, and her stance changed slightly, from defensive to offensive. He smirked again as he braced himself for her attack. It was almost too fast for him to see, her Cresent Beam attack, if she hadn't had to call out the name, he wouldn't have had even that one precious moment to realize what was happening. But she had called out, and he had that one moment to dodge to the side, rolling back up to his feet. The one hint almost hadn't been enough; the attack was swift and deadly, the nick on his right arm was bleeding proof. "Maybe I should be saying that," she mocked as her eyes took in his wound. He noted that she didn't seem hateful towards him, not in reality. It was a mask, but for what? She was his enemy, as he was hers. Snorting mentally at his hesitation, he materialized his Dark Sword and lunged. Open that window The time of yours Is beginning now Close the lids of your eyes I wanted to have One last kiss at night Remember it She had tamped down her emotions, and was depending on her Senshi side to pull her through his battle. Her Wink Chain Sword clashed with his, sending sparks flying from the sheer power in the two opposite swords. "You won't win," she snapped as she parried his blow to her side. He smirked in the most condescending manner she had ever seen and replied, "Oh? The only way I'll fail is if you kill me." <> The memory was unexpected, but it showed her what she needed to do. If only she had ordered him to walk away, then this wouldn't hurt her so much now. His betrayal wouldn't cut so deep a wound. She was not one to repeat her mistakes. She learned from what few she made, and eventually became better for it. "I will take you up on that invitation," she hissed at him. "I don't make the same mistake twice." Truly So much That the sky crumbles down I am crying in my heart Our paths are separate from each other It's destiny, the stars have decided The one that I chose The blue route The future looms ahead Don't forget about it The tears she had been repressing all through their fierce battle were now leaking out. She took labored breaths as she tried not to let the sobs jar her body. Staring up into space, she whispered, "I'm sorry Princess." It had been a mistake to let the meetings continue. It had been a mistake to let it start in the first place. If she could go back... A hiss of pain interrupted her thoughts. Her watery eyes turned to her opponent, who was in the same state she was. Minus the tears. No, she could not expect a Dark Kingdom General to cry. He saw her, and began to laugh, as painful as it was, "Tears? Pathetic." She continued to gaze at him, sadly, until he stopped laughing and stared at her in a confused way. The morning is beginning People are starting to move It may be a little scary But start walking forth The Earth was rising, always a beautiful sight with the swirlings of the clouds and the waves, but now that it was to be her last Earthrise, she felt a pang of nostalgia. Her companion, in life and now in death, turned his lavender eyes to follow her gaze. She could hear his audible gasp, and mentally smiled. Being Earthling, he had never seen an Earthrise. Although it was amazing that this was the Dark General who was gaping at the rising of Earth, it was also comforting. Do not forget About me The one I love the most Even though it hurts From here I look out And see the desert daybreak She tried to smile at him, but she was too tired. Spots were appearing at the corners of her vision, and the her senses were dulling. It wouldn't be long now, and she had one last thing to say. "I forgive you," she whispered. She was rewarded with a widening of his eyes. It was enough for her, and she let her soul be take by Queen Serenity, to be sent to the future. *The sea spreads out wide The wind comes blowing this way It may be a little cold But start running forth Do not forget About yourself The one I love the most Even though it's hard From here I look out And see the desert daybreak Dark Kingdom General Kunzite frowned as he stared intently into space in his quarters. His Generals were now all dead, and he was left to avenge them. By killing the Senshi. His frown deepened as something tugged at the back of his mind at the tought of the irritating yet powerful warriors of Light. <<**I'll never forget you Minako.**>> He blinked in shock, but the faint memory was quickly pushed aside as he felt Queen Beryl calling him. He rose, and swept out of his chambers, heading down a dark hallway. But even as he walked up to the throne room, he felt a sort of discontentment, and felt that he was doing something wrong. <<"I forgive you.">> The voice was not like the last, but it lasted longer, and it lightened his spirits. And somewhere deep inside, a seal was cracking as the repressed memories pushed to surface. ########################################################## ~~~~~Jade Hunter~~~~~ A.N: The song in this fic is a translation of 'Route Venus', the image song of Minako.