Out of the Darkness and Into the Light: chapter 7 
by 
Selena
<s2jemeko@atlas.vcu.edu>
rated: PG-13

I have a ton of thank you's to post.  But I think I'll wait until the
next chapter because I want to make sure I get everybody.  I'm not at my
nprmal computer right now so I'm sorry to all those who have made such
wonderful comments about this story.  Chapter 8 is in progress at this
moment.  Hopefully it will be out this weekend.  Thanks for all your
support!

Out of the Darkness and Into the Light

Chapter 7

*******************************

A slim figure cracks open Darien's door and creeps over to his bed. It
stretches out a hand and gently touches his arm. The figure bends down
close and whispers, "Wake up, sleepy head." Darien sits up, inhaling
deeply and grabs her by the wrists.
"Ouch! Darien, let go! It's me!"
He opens his eyes. Beads of sweat drop from his forehead and his wet
bangs fall into his eyes. "Selena?" He asks, letting go of her.
"Well, who did you think it was? Gods! I'll have to remember to never
wake you up again!"
He groans and rests his pounding head in his hands. 'She sleeps like a
log and I can't sleep for more than two hours with these stupid
nightmares!' Then he flops back down and rolls over.
"Now, now! None of that! It's time to get up!"
Darien cracks open one eye and glances at the clock. "I know I said early
but gees…" He grumbles.
Seeing that he still isn't moving, she babbles as she walks over to the
chest of drawers not far from a small window. By the light of Earth, she
pulls out a pair of black pants and a white tunic. "I've always wanted to
see the ocean…and I can't wait to see all the trees and birds again! You
know, I haven't been there since I met you." She hears a faint grunt as
his only response. "Ohhh…come on! If we wait any longer, everyone will be
awake and we'll never go anywhere!" She begs.
He smiles. "Alright." Slowly he crawls off the bed and moves to turn on
the light. Before he can, she runs over to him and encases him in a big
hug. "Thank you so much!" When she puts her arms around him she realizes
that he's not wearing a shirt. Her face turns red and she freezes, not
knowing what to do. 'Oh Gods! What am I doing?!' She thinks at first,
then her mind begins to drift at the warmth of his touch. 'Wow…he's grown
so strong!' Selena slowly lifts her head to stare at his eyes. Even in
the darkness of night, his bright sapphire eyes radiate. They gaze into
her own with such intensity that she remains hypnotized in their embrace.

Darien stands motionless, holding his breath. He reaches and brushes some
stray strands of hair out of her face. His heart races a mile a minute
and he wraps his arms around her waist. 'Why does she have to be this
close? Does she realize what she's doing? Gods, she's so beautiful…' As
if in slow motion his head lowers to meet her lips and she closes her
eyes. His lips lightly brush hers and then he abruptly pushes away to
stand a short distance from her. 'What am I doing?! I can't do this!'
"Selena…" He chokes, trying to keep his raging emotions under control.
"Yes?" She breathes, still trying to comprehend the searing effect he had
on her lips. She felt his kiss, short and light as it was, from head to
toe.
"I'm gonna get dressed now, ok?" She stares at the floor and nods her
head turning to leave, then turns still refusing to look at him. "Oh,
Right." She throws the clothes at him. "Here. I'll meet you in the
gardens." He smiles and nods.
"Selena?"
"Hmm?" She asks, her back facing him.
"Be careful ok? If we get caught, I have a feeling we're not gonna get
away with this one. Oh and you might want to change your dress. It's
still a bit too fancy."
"I will." She whispers and slips out of his room.

****************************

About an hour later Selena and Darien successfully arrive at the shore of
a large beach. The glowing aura surrounding them gently dies down to
welcome the oncoming tide. A light breeze sweeps their hooded, black,
capes in a fluid motion. Darien wears a white tunic and black pants with
high black boots. The gold dagger girds his waist. They pull down their
hoods. "Well, we made it! Look at it! I've never seen so much water! It's
so beautiful!' Selena exclaims, hardly taking a breath between sentences.

"Yes it is." He moves away from the water to take a look around. Seagulls
fly in the sky above and various other exotic birds chirp from the forest
behind them. The sun is just beginning to rise over the horizon,
spreading trails of violet and red clouds. Darien slowly moves around,
uncertain as to how he feels to be back. 'This was the place of my birth,
huh? It was also the place of my torment.' But nothing here speaks of
evil or darkness. Everything glows with life and happiness. 'It is
beautiful. Just like the places in my dreams.' A drop of water falls on
his nose and wakes him. A sparse sun-shower begins to fall.
Selena looks toward the sky, the moon almost gone. A large smile spreads
across her face. She closes her eyes and stretches her hands up to catch
the water in her hands. "Is this rain?!"
Darien can't help but smile at her awestruck face. "Yes. This is a
sun-shower. They're common this time of year."
"It's amazing! All this water comes from the sky and the sun still peeks
through the clouds!" She spins round and round as the tiny droplets fall
onto her cheeks and catch in her eyelashes, each one glimmering as if
they were microscopic prisms. Her long hair flies in the wind as she
dances in the shallow salt water. As suddenly as the rain came, it
disappears. Selena stops and takes his hand pulling him toward the
forest. "Come on! There is so much to see!"
He smiles brightly and lets her guide him.

****************************

As sunset nears, they find themselves in a dark part of the forest.
Darien starts a fire and they both sit before it, their backs leaning
against one another. They had spent the entire day running through the
trees and laying in the grass. Selena holds a large bunch of roses, her
favorite of all the wild vegetation had to offer. She rests her head on
his back and glances at her hand. Selena sees the delicate ring on her
finger made from dried grass. She smiles as she thinks about how he gave
it to her.

She had lain back in the tall grasses of open field, breathing in the
smell of fresh dew and the scents of wildflowers. Idly, playing with
strands of the long grass, Darien took a few strands and gently weaved
them together to make a ring. Her eyes closed and lightly sleeping, she
felt his hand take her hers. She reached up to touch his face and opened
her eyes. There she saw him looking down at her with such brightness in
his eyes. What she saw surprised her. Gone were the haunted shadows and
dark, lurking sadness from his usually cool eyes. Instead there is
security, trust, faith, and…a warmth that had never been there before…
Darien swallowed hard. He was not prepared for her to wake up. All the
sounds of nature faded away and he could only hear the sound of his
heartbeat pounding against his chest and the rush of blood gushing
through his ears. He took her hand, kissed it and placed the ring on her
finger. Then he gently kissed her sweet lips, gradually increasing its
depth and feeling. 'This is right. I've never felt anything so
frightening yet so wonderful at the same time.' They both thought.

"Darien?" She asks, looking up at him.
"What is it?" He replies, staring at the flames of the fire.
"About what happened yesterday…well…it was horrible. I never felt so…"
"Inadequate?"
'How does he do that?! How does he know exactly what I'm thinking? Well,
I guess he ought to. He's one of my best friends. But…what I feel is more
than that…' "Yes. I just feel like I can never be what they want me to
be. I dropped a glass at dinner, my hair is unworkable, and I kept
tripping over the train on my dress."
He smiles, drawing designs in the bare dirt. "Just wrap it around your
neck. And as for your hair, I like it when it's 'unworkable.' You look
like a woodland sprite with your long free curls. Besides, you know I
smashed over 12 of Lita's glasses not to mention the dishes."
She laughs in spite of herself and takes his hand. 'Oh Darien, you're so
good for me.' "You always know how to make me feel better." 'Somehow I
think you always will. You know the real me. You can see through the
darkest part of my feelings and make them fade. But I don't know you.'
"Darien?"
"Hmm?"
"What was your family like? Were they nice people? You never talked about
them before and I was just wondering…"
"I don't know." He interrupts. "I never knew them. When I was little, I
lost my memories. The Queen told me I was born here. Before then, I never
really knew."
She turns around to see the pain and darkness enter his eyes again. She
takes his hands in hers. "You never told me. I'm so sorry."
"He stares at the ground, his mind in a far off place. "You never asked.
It's not that important anyway. My life is different now. I don't need to
look at the past. In fact I never want to again. It was an awful. I was
alone. I experien…saw...so many terrible things. I'm not sure if I could
ever live here again. In a way, I'm afraid to find out who I really am."
He squeezes her hands. "It's so different for you. I never could have
imagined what it was like to have a family until I met you. Selena,
despite all the hard times you go through, I would trade places with you
in an instant. You have so many wonderful friends and a mother who loves
you. Being alone is so different and cold."
She puts her hands to his lips and shakes her head her eyes swelling with
tears. "Shh…I won't ever let you feel alone anymore. I'll always be here
for you." She kisses him in the flickering light of the fire.

*************************

Late that evening, Selena and Darien lay asleep before the fire, her head
resting on his chest. As they had a long time ago, small golden pulses
seep up from the ground and into Darien's body, causing the two of them
to glow.

####### Beginning of Dream #######
"Darien…Darien…" The far off voice beckons. "You have returned. I've been
waiting for you. You have forgotten. You must find them. Your mission is
an important one." A blurry, glowing, golden figure materializes to stand
among the froth in the incoming tide at the beach. Darien slowly
approaches the figure. "Remember…you must! In every color bears the
light. In every stone sleeps a crystal. Find your friends. They will help
you and serve you always."
"No!" He screams loudly. "No more riddles! I want some answers!"
She stops and gracefully glides to sit on a nearby rock. "What is it you
wish to know, my son?"
"Son?!"
"Yes, I am your mother, Endymion."
"Why do you call me Endymion? Is…is that my name?"
She smiles. "Yes. You are my son. I am the spirit of Earth. I have not
seen you since you were born. But now you are a man and it is time for
you to fulfill you duty and take your place as protector of this planet.
I can no longer do so."
She stares at her incredulously. "I don't understand."
"You will, in time. Find your friends. They will explain it to you."
"Please let me see you!"
She looks down. "I am no longer a human. My body is gone, yet I live on.
I exist as the spirit of nature. I am in the trees, the flowers, the
water - everything around you. But my time grows short. It becomes more
and more difficult to speak with you. The strengths of the holy land are
weakening and so am I. Beware! The dark force is rising quickly! They
will not rest until all is destroyed. Don't let that happen!"
"But who…"
"I must go, but when you need me, I'll be here. Look to the beauty of the
nature and I will answer." His vision breaks to see the sleeping form of
Selenity. "Take care of her. She is truly a treasure beyond all compare.
Love is the only thing worth fighting for. Love your planet; love your
friends; but most of all love her. For she is your savior and you are her
strength. Only together will you save us all. I love you, Endymion. Be
happy." With that, the figure dims and disperses into a thousand
sparkling fragments, each slowly fading until they disappear completely.
####### End of Dream #######

Darien awakens and sits up abruptly. Selena jumps up as well. "Darien?
What is it?" He gets up and runs out of the forest toward the shore. She
follows after, screaming his name. Darien runs into the freezing water,
and dunks his head under a few times. Selena cries out when she plunges
into the water. 'It's so cold!'
He hears a faint scream and opens his eyes. A hand grabs his shoulder.
"Darien?! Are you all right?!" Selena asks, as she frantically wraps her
arms around his neck to keep her afloat. He hadn't realized he'd gone out
so far. "Yah, I'm ok." He answers shakily.
"Just don't let go because I can't swim." She breathes, her teeth
chattering from both fright and cold. She buries her head in his neck as
silent tears fall form her eyes. "I…I was so scared. Darien, what…what
happened?"
"Selena, look at me." She reluctantly peers into his eyes.
"I've got you. I didn't mean to frighten you. I just had a bad dream -
that's all."
"Don't let go." She answers in the meek voice of a mouse.
"I won't." He says, seriously in a final tone. "Not ever…"
The coldness melts away and her shivers cease. 'He feel so warm and I
feel so safe when I'm with him. What do you do to me? You're the most
wonderful, mysterious, understanding person I've met. I love you, my
Darien.' Their lips meet in a deep, passionate kiss. She then rests her
head on his shoulder. All of a sudden, she feels his arms tense and she
looks up I alarm. His eyes are clenched shut and his face is a mask of
pain. "Darien?!" He lets out a few ragged breaths. "What's wrong?!" He
screams as a hot, searing sensation rips through his body. Selena starts
to panic. Suddenly his grip around her waist loosens and she feels
herself being pulled under water.
"No!" Fighting to stay above she takes in a lot of water, as she goes up
and down. The water enters her lungs and rushes through her ears. Just as
she is about to give up, a strong yet shaky hand grabs her arm and pulls
her onto the beach. Darien starts to crawl onto the beach with her when
he cries out in pain again and a strong undertone pulls him back into the
water. Too weak to swim, he doesn't fight it. "Darien…" Selena whispers.
When she sees him rapidly being swept out to sea she dives toward the
edge and grasps his hand. What she sees scares her to death…so much so
that she almost lets go of his hand. Every vein in his body is visible
and glowing through his skin, rapidly pulsing in close intervals with
flashes of gold. Everytime it flashes, he cries out in pain. With all her
might, she pulls him away from the water and lays his head in her lap.
She stares down at him in horror. "Darien?! Answer me!"
"Selena!" He cries weakly, tears streaming from the corners of his eyes.
"Help me…" His head whips from side to side and he starts to convulse
with seizures. "No!" He screams in a glass-shattering pitch. "Get out of
my head!" Helplessly Selena tries to calm him.

*************************

A short time later the convulsions had stopped. She runs her hands
through his long silky black hair trying to sooth his restless state. His
head and face burn with a high fever. His lips are colorless and his skin
pale. "Shh…" She whispers. Everything will be all right.
His eyes crack open. They are red and bloodshot. Darien takes her hand
and pulls her down to him. "Get out of here now! Quickly go!"
"No! What are you talking about?! I'll not leave you here."
Suddenly a large hand comes over her mouth and muffles a scream. She
passes out, her body too exhausted and frightened to handle anymore.
Faintly, Selena hears two voices. "Let her go!"
"Shut up! You wait till the master gets here." He laughs and rubs his
hands together, with a wicked gleam in his eyes. "We're gonna have fun
with you two, we are."
She slowly sits up, but dizzy, she starts to fall back. Darien catches
her in his arms. "Darien? Where are we?"
"Hush. It's all right."
"No wait…" She says, sitting up and remembering what happened. "You?
You're okay. And…" She look at their surroundings. They're in an even
darker part of the forest where the moonlight doesn't shine through and
sit in a large cage, designed to trap animals. "Darien?! What's going on
and who is that man?!" She shrieks grabbing on to him.
He holds her close, gently rocking her back and forth. "Selena, I want
you to listen to me. You have to go and get help."
"What?!"
"Shh…He'll hear. Listen, I know you're not strong enough to bring us both
back. I don't have time to explain, but we're both in a lot of trouble.
The only way for us to both get out is for you to go."
"No! I won't leave you!" She whispers, tears falling freely from her
indigo eyes.
He shakes his head in anger and takes her face in his hands. Looking deep
into her eyes, he whispers gently, "Don't argue with me. We both know
that this is the only way. I need you to trust me."
"No! I can't!" She shakes her head violently.
"You have to go." He says, running his fingers through her long hair. "I
have to protect you. I want you to be safe. Nothing is going to happen to
me. I'll be fine. You just have to go and get help. The sooner you go,
the sooner you can come back and get me, ok? And if you can't, I promise,
I'll find a way back to you. Now go!"
"But I…"
"Please! Do this for me. I love you."
"I love you too." She whispers in his ear, tears pouring down her cheeks.
They exchange a long, passionate kiss. Then she raises her hand and calls
out, "Moon Teleport!"
"Here now, what's going on in there?!" The fat, ugly man hurriedly opens
the door to the cage. Seeing the girl gone, he glares at Darien. "You're
gonna pay for that!" He pulls out a long knife.
"Wait!" Calls a cold, familiar voice. "I'll handle this one."
"Master!" The man bows. Darien squints his eyes to see the face of
Demando slowly approaching.

***************************

"Well, I wouldn't have believed it!" Demando exclaims mockingly in front
of a horde of his henchmen. "Our very own rat of the dungeon has
returned!" He slowly strides over to where his men hold Darien at each
side. "And a knight besides! Well, well, so you've moved up in the
world!" He sneers. "I view it as my personal duty to place you back into
your rightful position." He turns back to the fat old man. "You know what
to do. But don't kill him! I want this one alive, but barely. Do you
understand?"
"Yes, master." He gloats.
Darien spits in Demando's face. "Are you such a coward that you cannot
fight me yourself?!"
His eyes glow red and a dark moon appears on his forehead. "Coward, is
it?! You still don't' get it, do you? You may be a knight in title, but
you were born a lowly rat! Ha! You actually thought you could change
things?! What? By living in a palace with the fairest, most beautiful,
powerful creature in existence? You don't' deserve to be near her! Your
scum isn't fit to live. I wouldn't lower myself to touch a filthy rat out
of the pits of hell! You're not worthy. Perhaps someday, you will prove a
worthwhile opponent but I doubt it. You will serve the dark queen. Death
is too mild a punishment for you anyway. I want you to live. In fact, I
hope you're around for a long time because I will have her. She will be
*mine!* I will have everything and you will always be alone and have
*nothing.*
The bald, old man steps foreword. His hands hold a whip with leather
strands intertwined with broken bits of sharp metal in front of his
rippled gut. His mouth curves into an evil smile. He looks as though he
is going to enjoy every minute of the beating to come. "Well now, it
seems as though I have the privilege of dispensing punishment to those
who have disregarded their place in the master's order. He he he. He
approaches Darien and grabs him by the hair. "Don't worry, boy, it'll
only hurt a 'little.' After the first few blows, you won't feel a thing.
I swear it."
Darien's eyes turn to stone as he glares at the vile man. His breath
quickens and his blood pressure skyrockets as hatred flows though his
veins. His muscles grow taut as he prepares to fight his way to freedom.
But the two men holding him back tighten their grasp.
"Quite the spirit he has, eh? I'll humble him quickly." He states flatly.
The air grows stale and the night becomes even darker as several stormy
clouds block out the moon's light.
Darien grinds his teeth in anger. 'Damn it! If only I weren't tied.
Cowards!' In the height of his anger, a warm summer wind blows past him.
"Calm…" It whispers. "Calm…Feel it…let it flow…Don't' fight the power…Use
it…' When he opens his eyes, peace dwells in their depths. He feels at
rest, strong…almost as if…as if he could break his bonds and easily
defeat his enemies. His momentary peace shatters with the first blow of
the whip. As the metal shards rip through his skin, all his dark feelings
of hatred and vengeance return. 'He was right…' Darien thinks hazily, as
he darkness settles upon him. 'I can't feel anything…' Then he falls
unconscious.

****************************

Slowly Darien opens his eyes to see Demando staring at him.
"So, you think you're going to last forever. Oh, but you didn't hear the
screams! You're screams…" He coos sadistically. That's right. You were
unconscious. You only felt the outer traces of pain. But now, you will
feel it's full power. It's strange how the human body can only withstand
so much and it's really too bad that it breaks before the spirit does."
He kicks him hard in the stomach. "Remember that? I thought you learned
long ago. "*No one* stands in *my* way! " His eyes flash with blood and
hatred. "Did you become a knight to exact revenge upon your master…or…was
it something else? Rather, should I say, someone else?" He smiles evilly
and pulls Darien's head up by his hair to see his bloodstained face and
swollen, barely open eyes. "Yes, that's right. I know *everything* about
you. You've become strong, but not that strong. The one person who gave
you your strength proves to be your greatest weakness. But I won't make
the same mistake. I know how strong your feelings are for her. I told you
I would find you. You can never hide!" Demando's eyes swirl with yellow
and red. "Soon, you won't remember a thing." He bends down to whisper in
his ear. "Can you hear the master calling? Yes, down in the depths of
your soul she seeks to claim you. Give in. Let the darkness consume you."
Darien can feel his conscious mind slipping away. All his memories fade.
There is nothing but the blackness of a starless sky in a never-ending
abyss. The pain slowly begins to deteriorate and he surrenders to the
calm of a state hanging somewhere in the realm between life and death.
Demando smiles as he sees and feels Darien's life slowly being drained
from his body. "Don't worry. I'll take good care of her. The most
beautiful jewel in the galaxy, my princess, will love me, serve me, bear
my children, and give me infinite power. And if the time comes when she
no longer suits my purpose, she'll die."
A far-away cry echoes faintly in his ears. "…she'll die…die…die…she'll
die…" Something snaps. Fear, anger, rage, and pure hatred consume his
veins. In an instant his consciousness returns and a hot burning feeling
sears through his body. Demando back way from him as he begins to tremble
and convulse. Streams of golden light flow from every direction,
illuminating the dark forest. "No!" Darien screams. The ground quakes
with his cry and Demando's men come running, fear and shock crossing
their faces. Suddenly it stops and Darien's body falls limp once more.
Demando stares at his form in disbelief. "So it is true. You are the
one." He breathes. "No! You will not interfere!" He turns to his men.
"Kill him!"
"But sir, the orders from the master…she wanted him…"
"I don't give a damn about what she wants anymore! Unless we hand her the
power on a silver tray she'll remain in her weakened state. I'll not let
that thing have the power. I will take it for myself! I'll be damned if I
let this rat take my place! You will all be well rewarded. Now kill him!
And do it now!"
" Oh, I don't think you really want to do that." A low, deadly voice
calls.
Demando jumps. His eyes narrow and he slowly turns to stare icily at the
figure concealed in the shadows. "What do *you* want?" He asks, the black
moon on his forehead beginning to glow. "I thought I told you to stay out
of *my* business!" He hisses. Demando waves to the other men and they
disappear into the darkness of night.
A man, about 22 years old, slowly moves away from where he was resting
against the ancient oak. His gray eyes glitter sharply with a challenge
and his long, white hair blows in the winds of an oncoming storm. He
wears a white shirt and close fitting black pants. Mud-caked, black boots
rise to his knees, and a long sword girds his left hip - a small dagger
embellished with gray, pink, and red stones set in a golden hilt
garnishes his right. He stops and unsheathes his dagger. Playing idly
with its steel edge, he glares at Demando. "It becomes *my* business when
you enter *my* territory and start terrorizing *my* people." Slowly
advancing toward him, he says, "You know, every time I see you, you have
or are about to kill some one. Now usually, that wouldn't bother me so
much because they're your scum, but this is *not* your Neo-Nemesis
district. You can't go around doing what ever you damn well please. Let
him go, Demando!" He says firmly, his grip around his dagger tightening.
The fair-haired man laughs and drops Darien's unconscious form. "You
can't threaten me, Kunzite. The way I see it, your regency comes to an
uneventful finish once this war ends. That means you'll be serving *me.*"
He grins coyly. "I rather like the idea of 'master' coming from your
mouth."
"That is something you'll *never* hear from me!" He grits through
clenched teeth.
"That's what you pray for every night, isn't it? That and for your
pathetic prince to return and save you all. But I'm your prince now! You
will serve me or die. Face it, you don't have enough power to conquer
me."
A sly smile spreads across Kunzite's face. "Good thing I don't travel
alone." The dagger glows brightly. It breaks into two crescent shapes,
each crackling with power and glowing brightly. "Quartz Cryptocrystaline
Blades!"
"Piezoelectric Tourmaline Lance!" A long, glowing, neon-blue lance flies
from the hands of Zoisite, another man with his dirty blonde hair tied
back into a ponytail.
"Vitreous Tremolite Shards!" Hot pieces of molten rock fly from the hands
of Nephrite, a tall man with long, wavy, brown hair and brown eyes.
A fourth display of power comes from Jadeite who is situated in a high
tree. His short blond hair flies in a gust of wind and his blue eyes
glow. "Pyroxenial Axstone Pike!" A glowing green ball with spikes flaring
at every angle sails toward Demando's amazed figure.
He screams in pain with the impact of all four magical weapons. Suddenly
a flashing force field encircles him. Demando disappears with a final
burst of a yellowish-black swirl.
After being frozen in shock for a few minutes, Jadeite approaches the
smoking ground where their enemy had just stood. He bends down and peers
into the crater. Seeing nothing but ashes, he turns, raises a brow, and
asks, "Uh…so does this mean he's dead, or what?"
Nephrite follows close behind. "Well I'm no expert, but I think I'd go
with the 'or what.' Problem is, how the hell did he do that?!"
"In any event, I think we gave him a run for his money." Kunzite says
proudly as he walks up behind them and places his now unified dagger back
into its place. "He'd better think twice before messing with us."
"Hey…uh…I don't mean to intrude on our moment of victory here, but…I
think the kid needs some help." Zoisite motions for the others to help
him.
"Oh right…he he he." Jade laughs nervously. "…I almost forgot about him."

Zoisite rolls his eyes. "Smart…"
Jadeite narrows his ocean blue eyes. "Are you insulting my
intelligence?!"
"What intelligence?! You even have a hard time calling out your weapon -
let alone remembering anything!"
"Oh yah?! I did it perfect this time. It's not my fault they all have
such stinking long names!"
"Oh come on, you guys! Do you have to start this again?!" Nephrite asks
already exasperated.
Both Jade and Zoe turn to face him. "Shut up!" Then they continue to
argue, swearing at each other, and exchanging occasional blows with their
fists.
Kunzite's face turns red, his temperature beginning to rise. "Hey!" He
screams. "That's enough! We have a hurt kid here. Let's keep our focus.
You can argue all you want later, when you're both *out* of my hearing
range. God! I have a headache already." Grumbling under their breath,
Jade and Zoe crouch around Darien next to Neph and Kunz.
"Is he alive?" Jade asks.
Zoisite checks his pulse. "Yes…but barely. Not only has he had a major
energy drain, but he's lost a lot of blood."
"Poor kid…" Nephrite breathes.
Kunzite shakes his head. While the others continue to examine him,
Kunzite stands and begins to pace. "What would Demando want with him?
There doesn't seem to be anything special…"
"Oh my God!" Zoisite breathes, his eyes wide.
Kunzite runs over. "What is it?!"
"Look…" Nephrite points to Darien's hand. Small pulses of golden energy
stream up from the ground and vegetation into his hand, causing his veins
to once again glow and show through his skin. Slowly the gashes and
wounds begin to form scar tissue and heal.
All four of them sit in shock and glance at one another. "Well, there's
something you don't see every day." Jade whispers, trying to break the
silence.
"Woah…wait a sec…" Kunzite breathes, the wheels in his head turning. They
all stare at him, wondering what he's thinking. After a long pause, he
abruptly stands. "Quick. Let's get him to the palace!"
"What?!" They all shout in unison.
"Just do it! I'll explain later!" Carefully, Zoisite takes his shoulders;
Nephrite picks up his legs. Some of the glowing energy seeps into their
veins, causing them to glow with the same intensity. "This is too
strange." Zoe breathes. In a flash of light, all five disappear.

********************************

To be continued in Chapter 8…

So?! What do you think?! I worked really hard on this last part. And yes,
I made up the Generals attacks. Since, they're names are of minerals, I
decided to whip out my knowledge from the brief geology class I had. I
tried to use words that intertwined with their names and they're as close
as I can get them. Please, tell me what you thought of this chapter.
E-mail me at s2jemeko@atlas.vcu.edu. Bye…

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