| Bittersweet Part Three: But *I* Wanted the Top Bunk! /Damn, this is awkward,/ Mamoru thought uncomfortably as Makoto and Kunzite stared at each other. /Three's a crowd.../ He cleared his throat. With remarkable casualness, he stood and remarked, "I'm going to go make some coffee." Then he fled for the safety of the kitchen. /I must look terrible!/ Makoto thought, embarrassed. She ran her fingers through her tangled hair, hoping to bring some order to the mess. /How come I'm never at my best around him? Oh, well, I guess I'll have to make the best of the situation.../ As Kunzite finally disentangled himself and scrambled to his feet, she smiled at him shyly. "Are you feeling better?" she asked. "Much better, thank you... And you?" he replied gruffly. Her eyes sparkled with the gratification she felt for knowing that he cared enough to ask. "Oh, I feel fine now." Staring at the girl's face, which shone with hope, Kunzite felt guilt welling up in his soul-a different sort of guilt than he was used to feeling. /I have to set this straight,/ he thought, although unwilling to have to destroy the castles she was building in the air. "Sailor Jupiter, you and I have to talk." "It's Makoto," she told him. "My name is Makoto." Kunzite closed his eyes briefly, sighing softly. "All right... Makoto. Sit down." He pointed at the couch. She willingly jumped over the back of the couch, settling happily on the seat. Less eagerly, Kunzite also sat, careful to keep a conspicuous distance between himself and the Scout. "Makoto, I would like to apologize to you for what happened the other day..." He took a deep breath. "I was not myself, and I used you for my own selfish reasons. I don't want you to think that there was something there that was not... For some reason, I don't want to hurt you in any way. Believe me, I would give a great deal to completely erase that entire episode--" He watched in consternation as Makoto's glowing smile turned into barely restrained tears. "Damn it, I can't even apologize without hurting you--I'm sorry." She shook her head slightly. "It's not your fault," Makoto whispered, her throat too tight to do more. "I'm just a fool, that's all." Angrily, she rubbed her eyes, trying to rid herself of the persistent tears. "I knew better--" Her voice cracked on a sob, and she looked away. Kunzite reached out, almost shyly, and touched her shoulder. "Makoto, I truly am sorry," he said, strangely gentle. "I never would have chosen to hurt you like this, believe me. It's just--" He stopped, feeling helpless as he listened to Makoto cry softly, and then surrendered to what he knew was the right thing to do. Scooting down the couch, he tentatively put his arms around Makoto. She stiffened, surprised by the gesture, but as Kunzite did nothing but simply hold her, she relaxed and allowed the tears to flow freely. Kunzite stared silently at the wall as Makoto cried into his shoulder, wishing there was some way of lessening her distress. "I hardly know you, Makoto," he commented quietly, as much to comfort her as to collect his own thoughts. "Until just recently, you and I were enemies, but all that's changed... It seems to me that you're a good girl, and someday somebody is going to be very lucky to have you fall in love with them--I just can't be that person for you, Makoto. I--there was someone else for me, and I'm not ready for a relationship again. I don't think I'll ever be ready for another relationship, and you need to know that so that you can get on with your life." "Why do you keep showing up, anyway?" Makoto asked, her voice muffled by his shirt. He sighed. "I wish I knew. I have no choice--I just know that I'm needed, and then I go." Makoto pulled away from him; he released her from his embrace. "I can't offer you what you want from me, Makoto. I'm not that kind of guy." He looked at her with pain-filled grey eyes. "I can only offer to be--your friend." Makoto brushed away the last tear. "A Negacreep wants to be a Sailor Scout's friend?" she asked wryly, knowing somehow that Kunzite was being completely honest with her. A ghost of a smile tugged at the corners of Kunzite's mouth. "Jadeite assures me that it's a worthwhile pursuit. Friends?" "Friends," Makoto sighed. ~*~ "Wow, this is so totally awesome," Usagi sighed happily, busily attacking her fourth slice of cake. "Who'd have ever thought that a new pastry shop would ever have a grand opening party like this?" Chibi Usa, almost as busy with her own cake, nodded vigourously. "This is fun. I like it here," she pronounced, happily surveying the buffet of free samples. "I want some more." "I agree," Usagi said, still somewhat amazed that she and Chibi Usa had spent the day together without once getting into a single argument. Chibi Usa had been strangely aloof--but docile--since Sailor Moon's true identity had come to light. Not about to question a miracle when it fell into her lap, Usagi was more than content to accept the change in their relationship. "Hey, wow, check out the lady with the green hair." Chibi Usa craned her head to see the tall, elegant woman with vividly green hair who was enthusiastically shoveling cake into her mouth. "She's even worse than you are," Chibi Usa observed, but without any real rancor in her tone. Usagi decided to let the comment slide. "She must really like cake," she shrugged. The woman became aware of all the stares that she was getting and flushed darkly. Looking offended, she stalked to the rear of the restaurant. Chibi Usa sniffed. "She should know better than to stuff her face like a pig in public." Usagi's attention switched gears, and she waved happily at Minako, who had just walked into the restaurant. "Minako! Over here!" "Oh, hey, Usagi, Chibi Usa... Guess I should have known that I'd see you here," Minako said brightly. "I've never known you to pass up sweets, especially when they're free..." All conversations in the room broke off, however, in the face of pealing, high-pitched cackling. "What on earth?" A droid materialized in the midst of the trays of confections, its appearance evoking images of nightmarish, sugar-laden pastries. Quickly, Usagi pushed Chibi Usa down, forcing her to hide beneath a table as frightened cake-lovers screamed and dispersed. Again came the mocking laughter as the green-haired glutton reappeared, floating coquettishly in the middle of the room. "Droid Marzipan, fill this place with dark energy!" she commanded. The frosting-encrusted droid bowed. "As you wish, Lady Emerald." "Stop right there, Negaslut!" Usagi shouted. "MOON CRYSTAL POWER!" "VENUS STAR POWER!" Emerald rolled her eyes, amazed that the two Scouts would have the temerity to transform before her very eyes. Then her eyes narrowed. "*What* did you call me?" she demanded, outraged. "You heard me, Negatrash! I don't know who you are or what you want with this innocent bakery, but I'm here to stop you!" Sailor Moon told her proudly. "Oh, I'm frightened," she drawled. "I am Emerald, Prince Diamond's top officer, and how dare you call me-that-that--" So angry was she that it was impossible to finish the sentence. "Marzipan, destroy them!" Venus and Moon looked at each other and sighed. "VENUS LOVE CHAIN ENCIRCLE!" The overdone excuse for a cupcake hit the ground with a thump; Sailor Moon didn't even dignify the droid by using the moon sceptre. "MOON TIARA MAGIC!" Emerald gaped, astounded that her droid could be so easily destroyed. Then she tossed her hair back proudly. "You may have defeated my droid, but--" Sadly for her, she never got to finish that sentence, because Sailor Moon, heartily sick of being considered inept, took matters into her own hands. "MOON CRYSTAL ELIMINATION!!!!!" Venus looked as Sailor Moon, impressed. "Wow, Usagi, that was really cool," she congratulated her. Sailor Moon smiled proudly. "Maybe I'm not so bad after all," she said smugly. ~*~ "Emerald is dead," Prince Diamond announced abruptly, breaking the chill silence of the Negamoon family's stronghold. "She too has failed you, Your Highness," said Wise Man, hovering in the shadows as always. "Indeed, she didn't even last the length of one battle," Diamond observed. "However, I feel slightly indebted to the Sailor Scouts for ridding me of that harridan of a hyena!" He shrugged philosophically. "At least she's out of my way now." Sapphire's eyes narrowed. "Did you really believe that Emerald would prevail against the Sailor Scouts?" he demanded. Diamond smiled lazily and sipped his wine. "Of course not, dear brother... Emerald was nearly useless to our cause, and was too persistent in her attentions to me. Volunteering for a mission to the twentieth century was the best thing she's ever done for me." "You deliberately sent her on a suicide mission?" Sapphire's eyes glittered with chilly anger. "There was always the off chance that she might actually succeed," Diamond observed, smiling faintly. "In which case, I suppose I could have found some other way to dispose of her." "Is there nothing that you value, Diamond?" Sapphire demanded harshly. "Are our lives mere pawns in your great game of revenge? Have you lost your mind, allowing your generals to waste their lives on futile missions just because they annoy you?" Diamond frowned. "Those are strong words, little brother," he warned him. "Should I be frightened, too? Should I ask to go to the twentieth century so that the Sailor Scouts will conveniently rid you of another problematic minion?" Sapphire exploded. "That will be enough," Diamond interrupted him, no longer as languid as before. "My agendas and my plans are my own, Sapphire, and it is not for you to know what I ultimately have in store for the Sailor Scouts. As for your going to the twentieth century, perhaps some time spent on the front lines will humble your arrogance." "Is that an order, Your Highness?" Sapphire asked. "Yes, it is," Diamond said curtly. Sapphire clenched his teeth and bowed. As he turned to walk away, Diamond called after him, "Sapphire!" "Yes, Your Highness?" "Try not to get yourself killed. You're the only brother I've got--I'd hate to lose you." That being as close to an apology as Sapphire was likely to receive, the younger brother turned back around. "I'll see what I can do," he promised. ~*~ "Usagi did what on her own?" Rei asked incredulously. Minako nodded. "She sure did--didn't even need any help from Tuxedo Mask!" Usagi sighed heavily. "What makes it so hard for you guys to believe that I can manage on my own?" Makoto giggled. "No offense, Usagi, but we've never seen it happen before." Usagi made a face at her. "Usagi, Minako, are you sure that this woman said that she was somebody's top officer?" Ami asked, more interested in potential enemies. Usagi frowned. "I think she said that she was Prince Diamond's officer. Whoever that is." "We can deal with him when the time comes," Rei said confidently, "especially if Usagi's finally getting her act together..." Usagi lobbed a pillow at her, which, surprisingly, bounced off Rei's head. "Hey, stop it, Meatball head!" "So, Ami, how's Jadeite doing?" Minako asked while Rei and Usagi involved themselves in a pillow war. Ami smiled brightly, perhaps the only one unaware of how happy she looked whenever Jadeite's name was mentioned. "Mom sent him home yesterday afternoon. She said that all he really needs is to take it easy for a while, but other than that, he's fine, and a surprisingly ideal patient." She paused and ducked a random pillow. "Guys, be more careful!" "I don't think they care too much about innocent bystanders right now," Makoto remarked, tossing a pillow at the fray. She hesitated. "Did you guys hear that Kunzite didn't go back to the Negaverse?" Minako's eyebrows shot up. "He didn't?" "He moved in with Jadeite--a temporary arrangement, or so Jadeite told me," Ami told her. "I don't know why, though." Makoto grinned. "I talked him into it--Let's face it, the Negaverse isn't the healthiest of atmospheres." Two sets of wide blue eyes gazed at her in shock. "*You* talked *Kunzite* into moving in with Jadeite?" Minako gasped. "But--how?" "I just suggested it," Makoto shrugged. "As his friend--" "As his *friend*?" Minako gasped. "Sure. He and I agreed to be friends." Makoto smiled complacently. "Between me and Jadeite, we're going to get Kunzite used to living in the real world." Minako shook her head, confused. "But I thought you liked--" Makoto's face went slightly brittle, but she smoothed it carefully. "Well, all that was just a misunderstanding," she said, too glibly. "Besides, he isn't that kind of guy, y'know... still misses Zoisite, and all that." Before the conversation could turn truly serious, a pillow thwacked Makoto in the back of the head. This insult could not be ignored, and Makoto dove into the pillow war eagerly, laying about with great skill. Ami and Minako, feeling left out, grinned at each other and grabbed their own pillows to join the fun... ~*~ "Tell me again why you get the top bunk and I have to sleep on the bottom?" Jadeite complained, watching Kunzite taking possession of his half of the bedroom. "Because I can kick your ass," Kunzite replied, covering the awkwardness he felt about moving in with gruffness. Jadeite considered this. "Why don't you take the top bunk?" he asked brightly. Kunzite merely grunted. "So, how come you're moving in with me, anyway? I thought you preferred the Negaverse." /I sure as hell never thought I'd find you on my doorstep like a stray puppy.../ Kunzite swung himself on to the top bunk easily and gave Jadeite a look of death. "It's none of your business." Jadeite put his hands on his hips and glared at Kunzite. "It's my apartment that's been invaded--I think I should at least get to know why." Kunzite flopped back onto his pillow. "Why do you fight with the Sailor Scouts?" he asked, staring at the ceiling. "I've got nothing better to do?" Kunzite propped himself up on one elbow and stared down at his host fiercely. "Is everything just a big joke to you?" He shrugged. "No, of course not... I just spent too many years being serious for Beryl. Consider it all my repressed comments about her hair coming out at last." Kunzite frowned at him. "Seriously. Why do you fight with the Sailor Scouts?" "Because, without Ami, I'd still be in Beryl's eternal sleep," Jadeite told him. "Every time Ami needs me, I will go to help her." The grim expression forbade Kunzite from commenting. Instead, he nodded, understanding completely. "Makoto asked me to stay in this dimension." "What is it with you and Makoto?" Jadeite asked, only more confused by Kunzite's explanation. "Friendship," Kunzite said briefly, now the one who didn't need extraneous comments. "What is it between you and Ami?" Jadeite flushed red, but was saved from reply by sudden emanations from the Negaverse. "Umm.... Why don't we go check that out?" he suggested quickly. "If it's anything important, we can call in the girls." Kunzite, more than willing and ready to change the subject, nodded eagerly. "Let's go." ~*~ After stalling for as long as possible, Sapphire reluctantly departed the thirtieth century Negamoon headquarters for twentieth century Tokyo. He had no plan of attack (reasoning that the four sisters, Rubeus, and Emerald had all had plans that had failed utterly) save to study the enemy before attempting to defeat them. Bypassing the spaceship that hovered just out of alignment with reality, Sapphire transported himself to the coordinates of where Catzi and Bertie had died--curiously enough, they had both been in the same area when they met their untimely demises--wanting to investigate anything that would help him in his battle. Materializing in a conveniently deserted area, Sapphire stopped short, amazed by what surrounded him. He'd never seen such verdant green in his life, or felt such a warm, gentle breeze. Amazed, he stood there, staring at the park--he hadn't realized that anyone could stand to fight in a park--and drinking in sheer beauty of a planet that was still alive. A splash of color attracted his wide, incredulous eyes--in the gold and green dappled shade of a monstrous tree, a bed of flowers nodded in the breeze. Fascinated, Sapphire stepped forward, only to be distracted by the springy grass beneath his feet. Smiling in wonder, he lifted joyful eyes to see the deep blue summer sky above him before walking over to the flowerbed. Kneeling in the soft grass, he carefully touched the petals of a pale pink flower, almost reverently, any mission for the Negamoon utterly forgotten. ~*~ Jadeite looked at Kunzite quizzically. "I give up, I have no clue what he's up to," he confessed, as they watched the blue-haired man carefully examine a rose. He snickered quietly as the aspiring horticulturist pricked a finger on a thorn and looked at the flower reproachfully. "You'd think he's never seen a flower before." Kunzite regarded the stranger from the Negaverse thoughtfully. "I don't think he has." He looked quizzically at Jadeite. "So, he's from the Negaverse, and he's smelling a rose. What do we, as defenders of love and justice, do?" "You're asking me? How the hell should I know? Let's go ask him what he's doing here." Jadeite shrugged helplessly. "Well, you are the one who willingly signed on with the Scouts..." Kunzite observed. "And Makoto grabbed your ear and made you fight Rubeus?" retorted Jadeite. Kunzite made a face at Jadeite. "So I'm a sucker for big, pleading eyes." "A fact which Zoisite exploited shamelessly," Jadeite muttered before thinking. He threw up his hands in defense. "No! Don't hurt me!" Kunzite rolled his eyes. "Come on, let's go see what Flower Boy is doing here." ~*~ Lost entirely in the enchanting fragrance of the flower that had bitten him, Sapphire never realized he had company until someone tapped him politely on the shoulder. "It's part of the plan, I promise!" he yelped, scrambling to his feet. "I'm not slacking on my mission--Oh." He found himself facing two slightly bemused, slightly amused men; one with short, ruffled blond hair and one with long, straight white hair. Both were unfortunately familiar as the unknown allies of the Sailor Scouts, and both carried strange vibrations of energy about their persons. "If that was being busy, I'd hate to see slacking," commented the blond-haired one. "And if I were you, I'd look into getting some stain-removal detergent--Those grass stains are going to be hell, let me tell you." "Who are you?" Sapphire demanded, annoyed to have been caught so unawares, but intrigued that he hadn't been blasted while so defenseless. "Who are you?" countered the blond. "Whoever he is, if he's on a mission, he's even more easily distracted than Nephrite," the white-haired one added, grinning slightly. Sapphire blinked, his studies of the history of the Negaverse suddenly making clear (in part) the identities of his two companions. "I'm Sapphire," he admitted, wondering if it were possible that these two were-- "I'm Jadeite. This is Kunzite." Curiosity smothered the need to be reticent. "How can this be?" Sapphire marveled. "The two of you are supposed to be dead." Jadeite looked mildly offended. "Dead? Hardly! Down and out for the nap from hell, maybe, but dead? Never." He peered at Sapphire closely. "Do we know each other? I can't say that I ever remember seeing you at one of Beryl's conventions... Kunzite?" He shrugged. "Zoisite and I always had better things to do than go to one of those things." "Pity... There was usually some pretty good imported liquor to be had. Nephrite and I had some good times, us and the Doom and Gloom Girls..." Jadeite sighed nostalgically. "The Negaverse never could match the Universe when it came to a good scotch... What could be more fun than one of those conventions?" Kunzite smirked slightly. "Well..." Quickly, Jadeite blanched. "No! Don't answer that! I don't need to know!" Intrigued, Sapphire entered the conversation. "So, were those stories actually true about the lords Kunzite and Zoisite?" he asked, eager to plunder these pieces of the living past for information. "The histories were never specific..." "Don't hurt him!" Jadeite exclaimed, grabbing Kunzite's arm. "Hey, whaddya mean, the histories? We're not that old. Just who the hell are you, anyway?" Sapphire sighed heavily. "I've been drafted, that's what I am. Diamond's run out of real lackeys, so he sent me back here instead." "Back here? What does he mean, back here?" Kunzite asked Jadeite quietly, while Sapphire looked at the pastoral scene with resentment-filled eyes. "I don't know... Who's Diamond?" Jadeite replied. "He's my brother," Sapphire told them, amused by the verbal sparring. For some reason, he liked the pair of Negaverse generals from the past. "Prince of the Dark Moon Nemesis." Kunzite nodded wisely. "That cleared absolutely nothing up for me. How about you, Jadeite?" The other man shook his head. Sapphire grinned. "I'm from the thirtieth century. No one lives on Nemesis right now." "Well, that explains the bit about the histories," Jadeite snickered, his mind skittering away from the thought of the time travel. "Just imagine, Kunzite, you and Zoisite are still hot gossip a millennium from now! Don't hit me!" He dodged away. Kunzite ignored him. "The thirtieth century," he repeated, gazing skeptically at Sapphire. "So, what do you want with our century?" "What does the Negaverse ever want, Kunzite?" Jadeite asked airily. "Total dominion over the Universe, of course... The reasons and methods vary, but the goal is always the same." "Is he always this..." Sapphire searched for the proper word. "Idiotic?" Kunzite supplied. "Yes." "Hey!" Jadeite looked indignant at the insult while Sapphire laughed. "That's not very nice." "I'm not a nice person. Live with it." Kunzite stared at Sapphire. "What are you doing here?" "He's smelling the roses," Jadeite answered. Finally, annoyed to the breaking point, Kunzite punched Jadeite in the arm (not too hard, but enough to mean business). "Okay, okay, I get the point! I'll be good." "Ignoring Beryl's court jester, let's get back to the point," Kunzite continued. "What's the grand scheme this time?" "Revenge against Neo-Queen Serenity, the destruction of Crystal Tokyo, the annihilation of the pathetic human race..." Sapphire sighed unhappily, looking at the park again. "It all seems so pointless here in the twentieth century... I don't want to have to destroy this place." "Then don't," Jadeite suggested practically. "Earth wins hands-down over the Negaverse every time, in every category from most species to best nightlife. Leave it alone... Hell, if you want, you can defect and come bunk at my place. You'll have to take the couch, because Kunzite already has dibs on the top bunk, but it's a good couch, not at all lumpy." "Being stuck in the rock made him go a little nuts," Kunzite confided in Sapphire. "The couch is as hard as a rock." Sapphire looked at them incredulously. "You do realize that I'm here on a mission from the Negaverse, don't you?" Kunzite shrugged. "No, you aren't. It's obvious." "You've got 'I don't want to do this' written all over your face," Jadeite added. "And the couch really isn't that bad, I promise." Sapphire looked genuinely tempted. "You two don't work for the Negaverse anymore," he said thoughtfully. Then his expression changed to a look of surprise as the negative energy vibrations spiked. Before Kunzite and Jadeite's very startled eyes, he disappeared. ~*~ "That, little brother, was one of the most interesting things I've seen in a very long time," Diamond drawled lazily, his mild tone doing nothing to hide his disapproval. "You were spying on me?!" Sapphire exclaimed, recovering swiftly from being pulled forward in time without a warning. "Actually, I wasn't," Diamond corrected him. "I had been under the impression that I could trust you to deal with your assignment unsupervised. Wise Man was the one to suggest that I check up on you." Sapphire glared fiercely at the hovering robe. "I should have known," he spat. "That sneaking, conniving--" Diamond raised an eyebrow. "I should hardly think that you are in a position to be so vehement, little brother," he reminded Sapphire. "Wise Man's loyalties have never been in question." "And mine have?" Sapphire snapped. "Just now you seemed to be extremely cozy with the allies of the Sailor Scouts," Wise Man chastised him. Sapphire flushed angrily, but thought quickly. "I realize that to the observer my loyalties would seem questionable," he said smoothly. "However, with the knowledge that those two always appear promptly whenever there is an entry from the Negaverse, I set myself up as bait in a trap. I've been curious for a very long time about these mysterious warriors and wished to gauge them before embarking upon my mission." "You seemed to be less zealous for that mission than for admiring the scenery," Wise Man snorted. Sapphire gathered his dignity into an impervious calm. "I had to present a fa�ade of innocence. Had they any inkling of my true capabilities, I would be no better off than Emerald or Rubeus," he replied. "And I'm sure you would like Prince Diamond to believe that your wavering loyalty to the Negamoon was nothing but a sham," Wise Man snapped. Coldly, Sapphire ignored Wise Man. "The two warriors who fight with the Sailor Scouts are Lords Kunzite and Jadeite of the Negaverse." This piqued Diamond's interest. "But they're dead, aren't they?" "Apparently not, Your Highness," Sapphire said gravely. "I was attempting to win their trust and obtain information from them. Unfortunately, I was interrupted before I could learn much of any import." His level voice was subtly reproving. "Was sharing our plan with the enemy part of this information exchange?" Wise Man asked sarcastically. Diamond laughed and Sapphire relaxed inwardly. "Wise Man, it has already been pointed out that our plans are pitifully transparent. Sapphire has shared no information that was sensitive to our cause. You are a far better actor than I knew, Sapphire. One would almost believe that you would have defected had I not retrieved you." Guilt prickled Sapphire's conscience, guilt that he kept strictly away from his face. "It was not difficult, Diamond. Jadeite and Kunzite have been made soft by their contact with the Sailor Scouts. They wished to believe that they could turn me from your side, and so I appeared willing to convert." "I should not have doubted you, Sapphire," Diamond observed. Return now to the twentieth century and fulfill your mission." "Yes, Diamond." Sapphire bowed and transported himself away. "I do not trust him, Your Highness," Wise Man announced abruptly. "He was lying." "Hush, Wise Man. Don't slander my brother," Diamond told him. "As you wish, Your Highness," Wise Man replied gloomily. "I merely wished to express my doubts. Clever as your brother is, he has never been as deeply committed to our cause as he might have been." "But he is devoted heart and soul to *me*, Wise Man," Diamond chuckled, a cold, brittle sound. "As long as I am here to lead him, he will follow." "Would that I could be as certain, Your Highness." Home Previous Next |