The Dark Princess
Disclaimer: The original
characters of the Anime/Manga Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon are copyrighted
by Naoko Takeuchi and many American and Japanese companies... this is just
a fan fic so it's legal. ^_^
It had been a month or two
since Kalaberas' visit, much had happened, but it happened so fast that
Alexandrite could barely remember it all. The most significant was that
the war they'd been preparing for since she was three was finally going
to happen... She, of course, was not allowed to participate, though she'd
been helping a lot during the preparations. She sulked and pouted prettily
to her father, Malachite, but he always gave her the same answer:
"You're not to be risked!
There's talk that not everyone's going to come back, and I don't want you
to be one of the unlucky ones!"
"If you've forgotten, my
luck is superb lately." Alex told him, narrowing her eyes. She'd survived
attacks from three Senshi on their homeplanets, a few days of being Demando's
captive, and many other perils that were half-forgotten. It was as if something
were watching her closely and guarding her with all their heart to keep
her safe. Then again, she'd overhead some Youma saying that the Metallia
she'd heard of was that force she'd talked to in Beryl's chamber as a little
girl. That thing was probably watching her and keeping its princess alive
and away from other people.
"Hmph, well she won't keep
me from Jacinth..." she murmured to herself.
"What was that?" Malachite
frowned, glaring down at her.
"Nothing." she amended quickly,
"I was just thinking."
"Thinking's good, just watch
what you think of. Metallia has ears all over..."
"Yes, father." she
bowed and hurried down the hall, trying to run and look like she wasn't
in a rush at the same time. It wasn't working, so she gave up and tore
down the hall like a child.
"Alex!!!" Nephrite yelled
at her as she accidentally slammed into him.
"Sorry, Neph. I didn't see
you." she smiled and stepped away, tearing down the hallway again.
"She wouldn't see a brick
wall in front of her at the speed she's going..." Nephrite sighed and kept
walking.
Jedite jumped out of the
way just as Alex dashed past him, Zoisite was nearby and laughed, knowing
that the only place she'd be going in such a hurry would be where Jacinth
was.
He was adjusting his uniform
when Alex skidded to a stop at the doorway of his room. She almost slipped,
and had to wait a second to catch her breath. She'd never run so fast in
her life. It was worth it to see him before he left.
"Jace!!" she called, he
had his back to her. He looked at her reflection in the mirror and smiled,
turning to her.
"Alex, I thought you weren't
coming." he said and embraced her with a kiss.
"I'd never miss saying goodbye.
Please come back, Jace." she said softly, holding onto his jacket.
"I promise. I won't ever
leave without a goodbye, and I'll always return."
"Good." she sniffled, her
eyes were watering, she wiped them before he could notice.
"Let's go to your garden
before they call the warriors to leave." he suggested and she nodded.
*************************************************************
"It's becoming so beautiful.
Like Earth. Hey, this wasn't here last time." Jacinth said, kneeling to
check a strange flower. "I know this..." his voice deepened with suspicion.
"Kalaberas gave me some
seeds. The flower's dying on Nemesis, she thought I could grow a lot of
them and then send them to her." Alex told him, kneeling to smell another
one. She smiled at the fragrance. "Not everything there is bad, you know."
"Yeah, just the leadership."
Jacinth grumbled.
"Is that anyway to talk
about your uncle?" Alex laughed.
"It's a perfect way to talk
about him, he had no right to take you like that!"
"Yeah, I'll give you that..."
Alex smirked then stood, gazing at the different plants. "I don't understand
it..."
"What?" Jacinth asked curiously,
standing and brushing dirt off his pants.
"All these plants from the
different places grow together so beautifully and they look so nice together.
Even the red flowers from our own soil... Why can't the people be like
that?" Jacinth didn't have an answer, because he wasn't answering... Alex
sighed and touched a velvet leaf from a Martian tree. "There's still a
lot of plants I haven't gotten. From six planets, if you include the moonroses."
"Don't. Those planets will
be destroyed, there won't even be one seed left. Especially on the moon."
"Jace..." Alex stopped,
afraid to ask.
"What?" he took her hand
and looked at her with his gold eyes.
"Could you... take a few
seeds for me... if you go to those planets? Please?"
"Sure. I'll make sure no
one sees me."
"Thanks. I wish I could
come with you... I keep getting this odd feeling that... something's going
to go wrong. That it won't be like anyone could have ever planned." her
eyes
grew distant as the feeling came back.
He frowned and brushed her
hair back from her face. "I promised I'd be with you again. I meant it."
"What if you're killed?
Even Malachite knows some of us are bound to lose."
"If I'm killed I'll send
my spirit to your dreams, I'll never leave there until I'm reborn. I promise
you. I swear, I love you."
"I know. I love you.
But-- this odd feeling... I just think. Jace I want to come with you! It
doesn't make sense why they'd let me learn to fight and then refuse to
let me go to war!"
"I know... but they've got
reasons," he kissed her and smiled. "Come on, they'll be missing me soon."
Suddenly, Alex tensed. "What is it?"
"Alarms... someone's here!"
they ran out of the garden, heading for the source of the alarm.
********************************************************************
Alex and Jace got to a small
group of warriors standing guard at a portal. "Who is it?" Alex demanded.
"Venusians. A band of them.
The idiots are testing our army's readiness." a Youma answered.
"Well they won't last long.
Let's see if we can find any leftovers." Jace smirked and ran down the
hall with Alex. "looks like you get to see battle after all, Alex."
"Sure, if there's any left
when we find them!" Alex laughed and followed her instincts. The largest
Venus portal was on the outside of the palace. Near the main doorway, but
that wouldn't be used, there would be armies at all the larger portals
by now. So they'd come through a smaller one, which meant it was a small
group. Either elites, or very foolish lessers.
Suddenly, they ran into
some, two young girls, about Alex's age. She had feeling these two actually
were
born fifteen years ago. Jacinth drew his sword and Alex stood ready to
blast them at any sudden move. All they did was stare... at her.
As if they knew her, or recognized something.
"We know you..." one of
them said.
"Impossible," Alex told
her, "I've never been to Venus!"
"But you look like Aino
Minako." the other said. "You must have been there. When you were young."
Alex grew impatient with
them. "I've only been to four planets, and yours wasn't one of them.
Enough talking." she readied a crystal with Jupiter's stolen power. "Surrender
or you both die."
"Never." the elder looking
one said and they both tore off down opposite paths.
"Great. I'll take the gutsy
brat and you go after little miss "memory"." Jacinth said, "see what you
can find out about this "Aino Minako" before you kill her."
"Hey! Who's the princess
here?" Alex laughed and they ran down the hall after the lessers.
******************************************************************
The Venusian was fast and agile,
but Alex was just as fast. She chased the girl down hallways and outside,
then suddenly realized where she was going.
"You'll never make it!!
That portal's surrounded!" Alex shouted to the fleeing girl.
"You're just trying to trick
me!" she replied, dashing around a corner.
Alex stopped for a second,
"Stubborn little brat. I think I like her." she smiled and cautiously approached
the corner. She peeked around the corner, then jumped back from a blast.
"All right, that does it!" she jumped out around the corner and blasted
full force at the young Venusian. The girl shrieked and dodged just in
time, but some of it hit her and knocked her to the ground. Alex walked
up to the girl and formed a long crystal sword.
"Please... let me go. I'm
just a lesser, I'm not worth it." the girl said with a look of fear in
her eyes.
"Look, you're a Senshi.
I don't care if you're a peasant of your planet... You invaded and you'll
die." Alex said coldly, ready to kill the girl. "Either surrender or you
die right here."
"I'll never surrender to
you," the girl said bravely, staring at Alex as if she couldn't understand
why a girl who looked like her princess would want her dead. "I swear,
you look just like her, except your eyes aren't as blue, and her hair's
neater. That and you're younger."
"By how much?" Alex said,
grudgingly. She was curious.
"A year or three. Why? You're
obviously not related. She has no sisters, cousins, and you're too old
to be a child of hers. The last time she had a boyfriend was only four
years ago!"
"If you're trying to make
sense of me by figuring out my mother, don't bother," Alex said sternly,
holding the sword over the girl's heart. "My father, Malachite, said she
died when I was born."
"Malachite?!" the girl seemed
overly shocked about that.
Alex hiked an eyebrow. "You
know him?"
"That was her last boyfriend,
she loved him very much, but something happened and she came back from
Earth crying."
Something snapped in Alex.
"Shut up, you're trying to buy yourself time until your friends come. Well
guess what... they're probably all dead by now..." she said coldly, "And
you're joining them." She slashed the girl once then stabbed her, leaving
her to bleed and went to see if Jacinth was all right. He'd gone after
an older one who probably had more sense than to talk her way out of death.
"Jace?" he was alone, a
little wounded, but alive and the girl was no where in sight. "Where is
she? Don't tell me she got away!"
"Nope." Jacnith smirked.
"She's dead, yours?"
"Dead or dying. I didn't
stick around to check." Alex smiled and he raised an eyebrow.
"Afraid of blood?"
"No way!! I just got sick
of her whining and lies. She said Malachite was Minako's boyfriend about
four years ago."
"Really? Hmm... well she
can't be your mother... he said she was dead."
"He doesn't know everything...
remember what he did with Demando."
"Okay.. well do you wanna
talk to him about it?"
"No way... he'll just say
the girl was lying... I'll just have to go to Venus and find out."
"Are you crazy? He said
you can't go to battle!" Jacinth grabbed her arms. "I don't want to risk
you."
"But you're going!" she
held back the tears again. "I know something's going to happen!"
"Alex...." he kissed her
and led her outside, away from the area where she'd fought. She cuddled
close to him and sniffled. They sat at a broken fountain and he let her
lay her head on his shoulder and she would have cried, but warriors didn't
cry.
"I keep getting this feeling
that no one's coming back...." she said softly.
"Look, I promised you I'd
come back."
"Fate's stronger than a
promise." she sniffled again.
"Not stronger than a promise
of Love." Jacinth said and smiled. He urged her to look up at him and took
her hand, the left one. "If-- when I come back... I'm marrying you.
If you want me to..."
This time Alex cried. "Of
course. Just come back quickly!" she held him tightly and smiled.
"Even if I'm only gone a
day, it'll be a day too long."
"Enough with the melodramy.
Jacinth, you're supposed to be with the main army right now." Malachtie
said, coming over to them.
"Why can't I go with him?"
Alex demanded, standing right in front of her father, it wasn't easy, he
loomed right over her. "Father, I love him. I don't want to hear about
him dying!"
Malachite hiked an eyebrow.
"I personally don't care. I'm not even sure why you're still here.
You should be on Nemesis."
"What are you talking about??"
she asked, stepping back with an instinctive fear. She pretty much knew,
she'd suspected it since she'd seen Demando and Malachite talking about
her...
"You're supposed to be there
now, with the prince."
"But I'm not Nemesisian!
I'm Youma! Besides, Beryl would have a fit if you married off her princess!"
Alex snarled, "To say nothing of Metallia!"
"Beryl was all for it, there's
legends about you, kid. And she didn't want you in the Dark Kingdom for
the battle time." Malachite frowned at her and reached to grab her. "I'll
take you to Nemesis before I leave."
"No!!" Alex shrieked and
ran to Jacinth. "I hate that place! And I hate Demando!"
"I'm not telling you to
love him, I'm ordering you to go marry him!"
"What does the Dark Kingdom
get out of this? They're losing their princess!" Jacinth grumbled, holding
Alex protectively.
"I told you, there's a legend
about Alexandrite, she's not to be anywhere near the battle. We'll lose
if she comes. We'll lose if she's anywhere near Beryl." Malachite said
and unsheathed a sword. "Come on Alex, I sent a message to Demando, he's
expecting you."
"Never." Alex said flatly,
clinging to Jacinth, "I'll die before I go to him."
"I hope it doesn't come
to that. Get away from her, Jacinth. You have no rank here. You have to
obey me."
"I don't have to obey anyone
but Alex." Jacinth said dangerously. Alex stepped back and out of the way,
sure that a fight was about to start... She didn't dare watch and slipped
off down the hallway.
************************************************************
Alex couldn't wait half
a day without Jacinth... she had to follow him and make sure he
stayed alive for her. She sulked down the hallways and thought of how to
get into the battle...
"It's impossible... no matter
what I do... they'll know me in a second. and Jeddy'll tattle the second
he sees me!" she sighed and pounded the wall behind her. Suddenly she noticed
where she was... the uniform room. "Perfect!!" she glanced around for any
watchers, then slipped in and grabbed a uniform.
There was only one problem
with her plan... that hair. Only Jeddy and she had blond hair, and it would
be noticed at her length... she formed a crystal dagger and sighed, she'd
miss it, but it was worth it. She closed her eyes and slashed at her hair
until it was shorter than Jedite's. It was still shimmering though, she'd
have to disguise it...
"Eww.... I hope this works."
she coated her hair with a bunch of mud and dust to darken and dull it.
It looked odd, but it was a good disguise, she'd be able to slip into rank
quite easily, but if Jace or Zoisite saw her, would they make her go back?
She'd rather be caught and sent
to her room than off to Nemesis! She gave her hair a quick tousle and ran
down the hall and into the mass of the main army that was to be sent to
the Moon. Jacinth was there somewhere and she wasn't going to let anything
happen to him.
She was curious about those
legends and what they were, she'd find out if they were true, because nothing
was keeping her off the battlefield. She'd just keep away from Beryl...
but nothing was keeping her from Jace. She just hoped she didn't "show"
too well in her uniform. There weren't many girls in real uniforms, and
anything revealing would show a scar or bruise that might remind someone
of her. She was a good fighter, but even she wasn't markless. The order
was given to march, she just hoped as she moved with everyone else that
it wasn't the biggest mistake she would ever make, and if it was, she'd
live to regret it.
Author's note: Well
this is it, guys... the final battle! You'll have to read Chapter 7 to
find out what happens and what that legend was (if I'll put in this one...
*EG*), don't forget to write in comments and stuff to the e-mail addy:
queenalexandrite@hotmail.com
Chapter Seven