Re-Life
Author's Notes: Hello and welcome
back for anyone who's reading this after following the prequel: The Dark
Princess. This story is about the Dark Kingdom, in the first few chapters
there is little or no mention of any part of the outside world. If you
want a happy story about senshi beating the hell out of Youma, stop reading
now because this story has none of that... It can get depressing at times,
or spark anger and an opinionated view. It is not meant for anything
but a glimpse into the life of a singular young female Youma after the
battle of the Silver Millennium was lost. A quick warning, as is my style,
there WILL be at least one chapter through out this
story line, as was warned on the cover page, luckily this is not that chapter.
Oh yeah, and I don't own any copyrights to any characters here except for
the names Alexandrite and Jacinth.
Prologue:
"... If I die here, I'll die battling evil, instead of serving it!"
Alex said fiercely and turned her back on the woman, sensing her growing
anger and impatience.
She knew that she'd made a fatal mistake, and turning
away made it twice as fatal. Now she wouldn't see the blast coming, she
wouldn't even feel it because as she started in the direction of where
she'd seen the high princess hiding she heard HIS voice cry out
her name and turned towards it in time todse knocked to the ground and
nearly knocked out. Her body ached and she felt a weight on her, it was
warm, and something hot was flowing over her and out of her. She touched
it with a weak hand. It was sticky and thick, but liquid. When she brought
it up to her sight level, she saw it was red. Either she or the thing on
her was bleeding. Suddenly she remembered that HIS voice had called
out close to her when she felt the tackle. She gasped and tried to move,
but she hurt too much and the weight was too heavy.
"No! God, please don't be you!" she cried out and
felt the weight move a bit and heard HIS voice. It was weak. She
sobbed and tears fell from her eyes. The pain was either getting worse
or fading now, she couldn't tell anymore. It seemed like both. It hurt,
but she couldn't feel anything... she was floating and tried to stay conscious...
to stay... alive? God no, she couldn't be dying... she had to live, to
be with HIM and to save the people that were going to die soon themselves.
She had to move, she had to speak. But nothing worked anymore, she had
no voice, her mental voice spoke, and she sensed the battle around her,
but she could not see it. All the things around her were dark, nothing
had a form...
A few minutes (or possibly hours, she had no feeling
of time anymore) later, she heard a scream and her mind's eye showed her
a girl that felt sorrow and shock and a broken heart all in one strike
of an instant. She tried to follow the girl's thoughts, to see why she
was so upset, but the girl's mind shut off, like her own had almost immediately
afterwards. She had the instinctive feeling that the whole thing was Beryl
again. Beryl's fault and Beryl's actions. A moment or two later, her floating
mind felt odd and saw a silver light and dancing rainbow visions. She felt
a force wrap around her and her body, rejoining them painfully, but it
felt good too, she could feel again. But she slept and she was apart from
HIM,
possibly forever. She didn't know where or if she'd wake up again, and
she didn't care... She'd failed, the war had had it's disastrous end as
her psychic feeling had predicted, and she didn't want to ever wake up
and remember that it was her fault, or worse, wake up without HIM
to tell her it wasn't...
Chapter 1
Alex woke up from the nightmare for the third time that week.
Why the hell did she keep having such a stupid dream, when she knew that
that
wasn't the way it had happened! She'd fought in the war all right, but
she'd died under the blade of a blond girl with a red hair bow. At least
that's the memory she had upon awakening from the crystal fragment that
Queen Serenity had trapped her and the others in and sent them back to
their Kingdom in, and it's what Beryl kept telling her. Sure Zoisite had
glared a bit under his lashes, but he didn't dare say a word. No one spoke
against Beryl.
She sighed and slipped out of bed in her preferred
state of sleeping: naked, then looked at her ebony encased silver mirror
and admired her body for a few moments. She was only fifteen, but she didn't
look it at all. She would remain the way she was eternally because of the
Youma blood in her veins, forever young and only able to change her strength
and hair length. She'd been reborn with ridiculously short hair that was
in a worse cut than Jedite's, too short at the bangs and uneven in the
back. It made her look like a boy, but a messy boy. It was just now growing
to shoulder length and was straight across, like her father's. Zoisite
had trimmed it for her, but never said why it had been so atrocious or
who had done it.
Alex groaned and brushed her dark gold hair off
her shoulder to rub away a tight muscle. She'd overdone it in training
again... she'd always gotten a vicious edge to her when she got into a
battle and almost never quit the fight unless she'd won or her father had
bellowed for her to show some sort of mercy. She smiled as the tension
died and her dark blue eyes lightened and gained a hint of silver. But
she frowned again as she recalled the dream she'd just had. Who was she
pining for? She didn't have a boyfriend. She was nearly the only woman
who went to bed alone, much to her unhappiness. She'd had suitors, but
she hated them all, they never had what she wanted, and she wasn't sure
if she'd ever find one who did. Because she didn't know what she
wanted.
What she did know, is who she wanted.
She saw him in visions all the time, while she stood boredly in a hallway,
waiting for something to come and annoy her so she could yell at it. All
she saw was his form, never the color of his hair or his eyes, she couldn't
even really tell how old he was. But she knew that he was the one she was
meant to be with. She hated superstitions, she laughed at the cowering
Youma who didn't dare speak above a whisper because something called Metallia
would destroy them, but she believed one old story that Zoisite told her.
Every person was meant to be with another, no one was meant to be alone.
Alex shook her head and walked over to the black
fabric that laid formlessly on the floor next to her bed and picked it
up. It was her dress, the one she'd thrown carelessly down the last night
when she tossed herself nonchalantly on her bed and fell asleep with no
one holding her for the umpteenth time. She frowned and slipped it on just
as a knock sounded on her door.
"Yes, Zoi?" she asked boredly and ran a brush quickly
through a stubborn lock of hair.
The door opened and Zoisite peeked in. "I'm assuming
you're decent, I'd rather not have the same incident there was yesterday."
he said as he walked in and smirked.
Alex stuck her tongue out at him and laughed, "What's
wrong? Never saw a naked princess?"
"Not lately. You okay? You were tearing things apart
last night in the training room."
"If you mean did I hurt myself with over exertion,
no. I'm totally fine. Bit stiff but fine." she growled under her breath
and rubbed the last of her tight shoulder into submission and smiled. "Think
anyone's healed enough to take me on again?"
"You just woke up and you want to kill things?"
Zoisite shook his head and grinned, "I swear you're turning into Daddy's
Little Girl."
Alex swept bits of her hair back into a double braid
to crown the back of her head and frowned. "Hold your tongue before I do."
"Sorry. Speaking of Mal, he wants to see you."
Alex's eyes dropped and her shoulders slumped a
bit, "Not again.... I've told him a million times..."
"Yeah, well now you have to tell him a million and
ONE, move it before he gets impatient." Zoisite frowned and thumbed back
into the hallway outside her door.
"I know, I know, I'm going...." Alex grumbled and
snatched a silver ribbon to tie at the bottom of her braids. She tied it
on in a dangling bow and stormed out past her friend.
******************************************************
It was early and hardly anyone was active yet. Alex
wondered if it was even dawn on Earth and walked calmly up to her father's
chambers. Even he wasn't totally up and doing something, which explained
why Zoisite had been sent... It helped to have her best friend sharing
a room with the guy who usually had the summons for her so early in the
day. Alex frowned at the thought of why they were and made a disgusted
face. She could understand two women together, she'd seen it and tried
it once or twice. But two men was too odd for her to figure out. She shook
her head to clear out the thought and knocked loudly in case her father
had fallen asleep waiting for her.
"Who is it?" his voice grumbled. He was half asleep
but he still sounded commanding. Alex didn't know whether to be impressed
or annoyed.
"It's me, Daddy." she sighed.
"You know how to use a door, brat."
Alex winced, it was bad enough she was called a
brat by everyone else, but from her own father said something about her
behavior. She pushed the door open and pouted a bit, leaning against it
as she closed it behind her.
"Why did you call me, anyway? It's early."
"You were awake, weren't you?" Malachite raised
an eyebrow at her. She was silent. "You know why I summoned you."
Alex winced, "For the love of god, Father, I'm your
daughter, why do you have to summon me like everyone else under you? Can't
you just ask for me instead?"
"I can't show favoritism. It will get the other's
jealous and then you'll have twice the fights."
"You think I'd mind that?" Alex huffed and blew
her bangs out of her eyes, sweeping them back into a style that copied
his.
Malachite had to smirk at that. "Probably not, but
Beryl would. Now you know why I..." he hesitated and smiled, "ASKED you
to come here, when are you going to pick someone? A princess has to have
a prince."
Alex frowned and crossed her arms, slumping even
more against the door. "I don't like any of them." she didn't even bother
to say love.
"I don't care." Malachite said bluntly and frowned,
"You have to be married eventually, people will talk if there's no chance
at an heir past you."
"Father, I'm fifteen! I'll always be fifteen! The
only way I'll be gone is if someone kills me!" Alex yelled in a rage, her
temper was worse than his in certain ways.
His eyes flashed a bit and he frowned deeper, "Like
last time?" her eyes dropped and she sighed. "It happened before it could
happen again."
"I'll stay here this time, there's nothing left
there anyway, the only thing left is Earth, and that's barely worth it
right now." Alex grumbled, playing with a stray strand of hair.
"You're dancing around the subject, I want a clear
answer this time, when are you going to choose?"
Alex gave him an exasperated and tired look, then
sighed, "When I'm in love. When I find someone I'm meant for."
"Not that again!" Malachite snarled, "You're meant
to marry and produce another princess or prince, you know that. Love has
nothing to do with this."
She glared at him directly from across the room,
"It does for me, I'll marry when I'm damn ready! No sooner, got that?"
She stepped away from the door and swung it open, "And I'd appreciate it
if you'd quit bothering me about it!" She walked furiously out the door
and slammed it behind her.
*********************************************************
Alex grumbled and grew angrier with every step, she
was getting sick of being reminded that just because she was ready to be
married and bear children she had to! She walked past a Youma who didn't
move out of the way fast enough and got blasted with a silvered lightning
that drained him a bit, he glared at her and got glared at right back with
eyes that shone more silver than blue or green. He backed away and Alex
went on her infuriated way. She saw Zoisite and stopped for a second to
control her anger before she did the same to him.
He saw her and frowned at her strong aura, "Tad
pissed?"
"You could say that..." she frowned and crossed
her arms.
"Finally got fed up with him, huh? It's not gonna
stop him, no matter who you blast."
"Even if it's every eligible man here?" Alex smirked
with mischief in her eyes as they turned a bit aqua.
"Stop that."
"What?" Alex blinked innocently, "Plotting?"
"I don't mind the plots, it's too common here to
tell one person not to. Just stop with the rainbow eyes, those facets of
crystal you call eyes are getting too reflective. It's scary."
"It's who I am. I always change. Moods, eyes, and
everything else." Alex told him and smiled.
"I can believe that, you're not pissed anymore and
it's only been a minute since you stormed out of there."
Alex laughed and rewarded him with a big grin, "Think
anyone's in the training room now?"
"I think there would be a few men there, yeah."
Zoisite said and winked.
Alex's grin turned dark and a bit menacing, though
her eyes stayed lightened with joy. "Good." She hugged Zoisite and went
on her way.
She barely heard him when she rounded the corner,
"Too bad some of the eligible men aren't from here."
*********************************************************
"Augh!" Alex yelled out in pain as she hit the wall
and slumped down halfway to her knees. She kept her head down for a second
to catch her breath and test her opponent's honor. She'd fought others
who'd attacked her as she laid in a submissive posture. Luckily this one
had more honor than that, he was even kinda cute, but not the one she was
looking for...
She didn't even know this one's name, he was a nameless
boy who'd probably been stolen from Earth before the war and cursed with
Metallia's power in his veins. Dark hair and green eyes, but not as pale
as the others, almost still human looking. It made her smile, he'd make
a good friend, if he survived life with the rougher, more evil denizens
of the darkness. She had a feeling he wouldn't, he was already going over
to her and helping her up.
"You okay?" he asked warmly.
"Yep, I've taken worse from Malachite." she said
and brushed dust off her black dress.
"Sorry anyway, it was a lucky hit."
She had to agree on that one, even Malachite had
to keep on his toes to get a hit on her, she hated anyone coming within
range of her and she kept everyone back during training, even Zoisite.
She didn't want a repeat of her last life. She smirked and grasped his
hand to end the "fight". He was good, but only lucky, if her mind hadn't
been distracted by her father's speech she would have seen that blast coming
before he even thought of doing it.
The boy stopped and turned to face her on his way
out. "Why do you fight in that dress anyway... aren't you afraid someone
will glance up when you jump?"
Alex froze while smoothing her hair. "I never thought
of that... I suppose no one would dare, it's been tried away from the training
hall and everyone brave enough got a hand tatooed on their cheek for a
week." she smirked and brushed her bangs out of her face.
"You don't like the attention?" the boy asked curiously,
wiping sweat off his brow. She'd given him a good fight.
"Not like that... the only guy I'd let peek up my
skirt would be the one I love. And I haven't found him yet." Alex said
roughly and walked out past him just as a slight mark glowed on his forehead.
"What was that?" she asked, spinning on her heel to face him again.
"Nothing." he said, moving his head so his bangs
covered what Alex could have sworn was a black colored mark. He seemed
a little paler to her, but she decided the stress of the day was just getting
to her and she shook it off, giving him a thoughtful look and walking off
again.
"Odd boy...." she mused and went off to explore
the darkness.
**********************************************************
The next day went a little easier on Alex's nerves,
Malachite didn't summon her at all and no one dared get in her path or
even look her in the eye. She even spared a smile when she talked to a
few of the Dark Senshi. Something about a group of warriors called "Hentais"
came up, but a few people called them something else.
"Who are they?" Alex asked.
"Just what I said, warriors. They seduce, I suppose,
from the name of them." a green haired girl said.
"Weird... Why would you seduce the Senshi... they're
female."
Another Dark Senshi laughed, "There are male Senshi,
and there are male people from Earth. How do you think a lot of
warriors were stolen!"
Alex bit her lip and thought, "Good point. Where
are they from anyway? I never heard of them before." All the girls around
her immediatly shut up and looked away, they obviously either didn't know
or weren't allowed to say. "I'm guessing that means they aren't from here..."
"If I knew I'd tell you." a violet haired lady said.
She was a little older than Alex and seemed to be nice, but still as cold
if nto colder than any of the others.
"Well who's in charge of them?" Alex asked.
"You're a bundle of curiousity lately... a man rules
them, kind of, I think. I don't know his name." a brown haired girl said.
"A man? That's just too weird.... Hmmm.... would
anyone know who it was and where they were?" Alex asked.
"Why are you so curious? It's not something you'd
like, you hate men." the green haired one said and laughed.
"I only hate the men around here. I might meet someone
I like." Alex told her and grinned.
A black haired girl laughed at that and smiled,
"Ask your "brother" Zoisite."
****************************************************
"Zoi-chan..." Alex said softly as she came up behind
Zoisite. He spun, automatically knowing she had something forbidden to
talk about, she always spoke that way when she did... She laughed and smiled.
"What did you stumble on now, Alex?"
Alex smiled sweetly and put her hands behind her
back innocently whiel watching her foot trace a line on the ground, "Who
are the Hentais? And where do they come from? And who's the guy that "kinda
sorta" is in charge of them?"
Zoisite's face clouded over in a mix of fury and
despair. "The Hentais are warriors, they're from Nemesis.... That's the
Dark Moon." he tacked on when she opened her mouth again.
"So does that make it our moon?" Alex asked.
"I suppose, it's leader sort of has to obey ours.
I think."
"Does anyone know anything about that place?"
Alex asked, putting her hands on her hips. "Who's the guy anyway, you neve
told me!"
"Only people who've been there know anything abou
it, and I really don't know the guy." Alex could tell he was lying about
the last part, his eyes showed it.
"Do I know anyone who's been there?"
"Yes. I went there once, it was brief and I didn't
talk to anyone really."
"Oh," she frowned, "Anyone else I know?"
Zoisite looked at her then and she thought he was
almost sad as if he was remembering soemthing he didn't want to... "One
other person.... someone you're very close to."
"You mean me, I know that old line, I've used it
to get advice about things I've done. When did I go? How long ago? How
long did I stay? Did I meet anyone? Did I have fun?"
"Enough questions, that's a bad topic." Zoisite
grumbled and ran a hand through what hair wasn't tied back. "Look, you
were there for a while in your first life, it wasn't fun, you hated it.
You met a few people and you only liked some of them. You despised one
of them with every bone in your body and beat of your heart. Okay?"
Alex frowned and her eyes were wide open in shock.
Zoi had never snapped at her like that. "Sorry, I didn't mean to annoy
you... I was just curious."
"Curiousity killed the cat." Zoisite said gruffly.
"I'm not a cat, I'm a Youma." Alex said stubbornly.
"You're a child. More child than woman, and that's
dangerous at your age." Zoisite slanted a glance at her, "It's been
dangerous."
"What do you mean, Zoi-chan? You know more about
the past than I remember."
"You'll find out, I pray to whatever god listens
that you don't find out the way you first did, but you will with your luck."
Zoisite said and started off.
"I've got good luck, Zoi-chan." Alex said in a small
voice.
"That you remember about." he said and kept going
down the hall.
Alex gave a geniune pout and crossed her arms, she'd
gotten her questions answered but even more were raised now. The only way
to get her answers would be to go to the Dark Moon... but there was no
way she was going there, not if Zoisite had said she hated it there. He
also said she would find out eventually, she'd just have to learn patience...
She went to her room and sat in a chair, facing her mirror and stared at
the girl with dark gold hair and bright yellow green cat-eyes.
Curiousity killed the cat........
"What does he know... He never had a cat!"
she said and grabbed her favorite dark green cloak, tossing it on over
her dress, tying it in front to cover her and bringing the hood over her
shining hair. Patience was never her strong suit anyway... it was a bad
thing to inherit, but she didn't get it from her father, he was so patient
it drove her nuts. Well, patient about most things.... he was probably
going to bother her about finding a consort before the day was done. She
smirked and opened her door. If he couldn't find her, he couldn't
bother her...
To be continued......