Battle and Betrayal
BY:
Sailor Grape


She sat impatiently, tapping her long, crimson-dipped fingernails onthearm of her carved bone pedestal. Her last few plans had failed, andsome ofher most prized warriors had been brutally slaughtered. Flowing redhairglistened in the eerie light as she cocked her head. In a cloud of thick fog, a man appeared. Standing tall and confidentinhis general's uniform, his silver hair falling perfectly straight, themanbowed grandly to his master.

"What do you have to report, Kunzite?" she asked him.

"I am sorry to report that our last plot to capture the senshi wasterminated." His deep, rich voice echoed in the black abyss. "In thedisaster, Zoisite was killed, as were several of my strongest youmas."

"Zoisite, you say? He never really had the capability to become agreatgeneral like yourself. Now then, another plan must be devised. I havetakenit upon myself to ponder a solution." She paused, her eyes flashingmomentarily in the dim light. "Take Prince Endymion to them. He is nowvoidof all memories of his past."

"Are you sure he is ready to fight?" Kunzite asked.

"Yes, he is loyal to me now. I would like to use him as a ploy, thebaitto trap the senshi. And since they are already aware of his shifty insides,we will adjust our plan accordingly.

"You mean..."

"Hai. He'll win the senshi over once again, and then they'll bedestroyed!" Beryl cackled evilly, her fangs gleaming.



Endymion paced around his chambers, awaiting orders from his queen.Heloathed the slow-passing time. How was he expected to sit around andwaitwhile the senshi were still out there?

As his door flew open, he quickly drew his sword.

"Relax, it's just me," Kunzite said as he sauntered into the room.

"What do you want?" Endymion asked, not bothering to hide hisirritation."I was busy."

"Hai, I can see how pacing across the room is a dangerous task tostop."

"If that asinine comment was all you cam here for..." he growled.

"I wouldn't waste my breath on you normally, but our queen wanted metoinform you of her new plan."

"New pan?" Endymion grew interested.

"Hai. She wants you to reclaim the trust of the senshi."

"And how the hell can I pull that off?"

"By doing so as your alter ego."

"You mean Tuxedo Kamen?" Endymion snorted. "He is good for nothing!I ammuch more powerful in this form."

Kunzite sighed impatiently. "They expect as much from you in thisform.As Tuxedo Kamen, they will be reminded of their old ally who wasdependableand will trust you more easily in that form."

Endymion thought a moment. "Right. Beryl made a good point. I acceptthisplan. Now would you mind getting the hell out of my room?"

"I see your manners are improving," Kunzite commented sarcasticallyas heleft the room.

"It's a shame to be bitter like that. Must be horrible not beingBeryl'sright-hand man anymore." Endymion slammed the door in an angry Kunzite'sface.



Beryl watched the two men exchange insults in her floating orb.'Finallya plan that will rid me of those annoying senshi,' she basked in glory.'Whenthey are all dead, I will rule the universe with my trusty advisor.' Shepaused, enjoying this thought.

She was interrupted as Kunzite returned to the room. "Endymionagreed,"he relayed. "The plan will commence."

"I knew it would." She lowered her eyes menacingly. 'Senshi, yourdaysare numbered!'



"Here we go," Endymion muttered. "Time to act." In a flash, he had changed into Tuxedo Kamen, the knight in shiningarmorto the senshi. He waited silently behind a tree, watching as they defeated a youma.Hewas looking for a good entrance.

As they started walking off, he stepped out of the clearing."Matte!" hecalled.

They turned around.

"Tuxedo Kamen-sama!" Sailor Moon exclaimed, starting toward him.

Sailor Jupiter pulled her back. "Iie, Sailor Moon, he's evil now,"shereminded her friend. "He's not the same."

"But I am!" he interjected, slowly walking toward them.

"It's a trap," Sailor Mercury warned. "It has to be."

"We know how much you cared for him, Sailor Moon, but that man isgonenow," Sailor Venus told her softly.

"Minna, careful!"

The senshi took fighting stances as Tuxedo Kamen approached.

"Don't come any closer," Mars spoke coldly.

He stopped, holding up his hands in defense. "I mean you no harm."

"How the hell are we supposed to believe that?" Jupiter scoffed."You areone of Beryl's minions now."

"I'm not! I escaped her rule and ran away a few days ago. I've beenhiding since."

"I don't believe you," Mercury countered. "You're lying."

"I am not lying," he protested. "I am risking my life just to beheretalking to you now! Every second I'm out in the open gives her a greateradvantage to finding and killing me."

"Then why are you here?"

"I want to rejoin you. I want- I want to defeat Beryl, to make hersufferas she has made us suffer."

Sailor Moon stepped closer to him. She held his gaze. After a minuteshesaid quietly, "I believe him."

"Are you crazy?" Mars exploded.

"Iie! His eyes... I can tell by his eyes. He is telling the truth."

"Are you sure?" Venus asked, shifting her gaze from Tuxedo Kamen toSailor Moon.

"I am sure." She stood in front of him. "So you remember? Our past,Imean? You and I, side by side?"

"Of course," he replied. "How could I forget?"

"I knew you'd come back to me!" Sailor Moon cried, throwing her armsaround him.

He froze, then stiffly hugged her back.

Pulling away, he said," I must go. Tomorrow I will lead you toBeryl, andwe can finally defeat her, once and for all." He turned and started towalkaway.

"Tuxedo Kamen-sama!" He stopped, looking back.

Sailor Moon rushed to him, kissing him gently. "I'm so happy to have youback," she whispered.

"Me too." And with that, he dashed back into the forest, leaving thesenshi staring after him.



He ducked behind a tree and spat in disgust. 'The crap I have toendureto get the job done,' he thought. 'Beryl had better appreciate this.'

He changed back to Endymion, then disappeared in a cloud of blacksmoke.



"How dare she," Beryl muttered in rage. "kissing him like that. Shewillpay." She angrily threw her floating orb to the ground, watching itexplodeinto dust.

Kunzite observed from a distance. 'Damnit, that's the third one thisweek! Endymion had better produce some results, or she will kill usall.'

His boots clicked as he strode down the hallway to Endymion's room.Heopened the door, peering inside the empty room.

"Looking for me?" Endymion asked from behind, causing Kunzite tojump.

"Don't ever sneak up on me!" Kunzite seethed angrily. He tried tocalmdown. "How did the meeting go?"

"As well as, if not better than, expected," Endymion answeredbreezily,stepping past Kunzite into his room. He slammed the door behind him, butKunzite caught it.

"You'd better not screw up," he growled. "Our queen's patience iswearingthin."

"No problem. You don't have to tell me twice."

Once again Kunzite found the door slammed in his face.



Beryl had been waiting oh so long for this moment. The time hadsome. Thesenshi would die tomorrow.

She knelt down, bowing to a hazy black fog. "Queen Metallia, ourstruggleis almost over. Tomorrow is the day we take over the world."

"I am putting my confidence in you, Beryl," Metallia rasped. "If youfail, this will be the end. Either you destroy them, or I destroy you."

"You won't be disappointed," Beryl promised.



The next day found the senshi waiting for Tuxedo Kamen. They stoodtensely in the same clearing that had reunited them.

"This is it," Venus said breathlessly. "The final battle."

"Do you think we can win?" Sailor Moon asked nervously.

"Of course we will!" Mars said impatiently. "We haven't beentraining andfighting for nothing."

"Mars is right," Jupiter put in. "We're prepared for this. Berylwillregret messing with the sailor senshi."

"I have all confidences in her defeat, but we mustn't forget thatBerylis extremely strong," Mercury stated. "We also have to face Kunzite."

"At least we have Tuxedo Kamen-sama again!" Sailor Moon spokeconfidently.

"Hai, that's right" he said, coming up to the group.

"You made it!"

"Of course I did. Are you ready?"

"As ready as we'll ever be," Venus answered.

"Good. Let's go."

Tuxedo Kamen led the group through the forest to a cliff wall, whereagiant opening loomed.

"Beryl is in there?" Sailor Moon asked uncertainly.

He sighed. "Iie. This is just the portal. I suggest we hurry."

They carefully entered the cave. Dark shadows were thrown over themasthey trekked and climbed through the cave.

"I see light!" Jupiter exclaimed.

"Is it getting colder?" Mars asked, shivering?

They approached the tunnel opening and stepped out onto a field ofsnow.

"Nani? Snow?" Mercury asked quizzically.

"Hai. Beryl is that way." Tuxedo Kamen pointed straight ahead.

Wrapping their arms around themselves for warmth, they struggled tomaneuver forward in the snowy abyss.

Mercury clicked away at her computer. "Minna, something is headingstraight for us. Be careful."

The senshi stood tall, determined.

Five youmas approached at warp speed. They stood in midair, gazingtriumphantly down at their prey.

Tuxedo Kamen gasped. "Beryl... She's summoning me."

"Nani?" Sailor Moon panicked. "Don't go!"

"I can't-" his sentence was cut off as he disappeared.

"Iie! Not again!"

"Gomen for interrupting your screeching fit, but we have a job todo,"one of the youmas said.

As if on cue, they all grinned evilly and charged at the senshi.



Beryl smirked, staring into a new floating orb. She found delight inseeing the senshi attempt to attack her best youmas, only to be tornapartand killed off one by one.

She watched the bloody battle, almost in a trance of fascination.FirstJupiter, then Venus, Mercury, and Mars. All four were spread out overthesnow, staining it a beautiful crimson.

Finally Sailor Moon was alone, looking both angry and afraid.

"She has yet to see fear," Beryl murmured. She waved her hands, andaglowing ball appeared around Sailor Moon. The ball flew her out of thesnowand into Beryl's domain, dumping her on the floor.

"That hurt!" Sailor Moon stood quickly. "You! You must be queenBeryl."

"We finally meet," Beryl replied, sizing her up. 'That scrawny girlisthe source of my trouble?'

"Bring my friends back!" Sailor Moon demanded through her tears.

"But I am afraid that is unthinkable," she said with false regret."Theyare strewn in bits and pieces all over the ground. They would be next toimpossible to bring back."

"You witch!" Sailor Moon spat out. "You killed my friends and tookTuxedoKamen." She stopped. "Where is he?"

"Why, he's right here." Beryl moved out of the shadows.

Sailor Moon gasped, her eyes wide.

Prince Endymion was standing beside Beryl, his hand clasped withhers.

"Iie. He-he's good again. What-what did you do!" she screamed,rushing atthem.

Beryl held a hand up, shooting a beam of energy at Sailor Moon andthrowing her back onto the ground.

"What happened?" Sailor Moon whispered, climbing to her knees.

"Nothing. Everything is the way it should be."

"Let me finish her off, Beryl," Kunzite said, appearing next tothem.

"Iie, Kunzite. I'd say this job belongs to Endymion."

"Arigato, my queen," Endymion answered. He leaned over and kissedher.

"It can't be" Sailor Moon moaned, squeezing her eyes shut. At thesoundof a sword being drawn she opened them, just in time to see Endymionlungingat her.

He was stopped by a brilliant flash of light, his sword inmid-swing.

Sailor Moon was holding out a tiny gold locket in the shape of astar.Hope glittered in her eyes as a sweet melody began to play. "Do youremember?This locket represents our love for each other. I know I can get youback ifyou just touch it." She held it towards him.

He froze, unsure of what to do. He tentatively reached a hand out.

"Touch it..."

Beryl watched nervously as Endymion reached toward the locket.

But he had other plans. He swiftly kicked the locket out of SailorMoon'shands, watching it bounce to his feet. "Your sorry attempt to get me tojoinyou will not work. I am, and always have been, devoted to Beryl."

He lifted his foot, brining his heel down sharply on the locket.

Sailor Moon watched in horror as the star locket was ground into afinegold powder that settled onto Endymion's shiny black boot.

She hung her head. "Doushite? We loved each other."

"I never loved you," he hissed. "You are weak and pathetic. I couldneverlove such a person."

She looked up, tears forming. "Then just do it," she wept. "Kill me.Without my friends, without you, I have nothing to live for."

Endymion glanced at Beryl in triumph, then returned his gaze toSailorMoon. "A wise decision. Don't worry; I'll try not to make you suffer toomuch."

He raised his sword, blade down, savoring the moment. "Shine!" heshouted, plunging the sword down into Sailor Moon.

The sharp steel penetrated her skin, passing through her stomach andouther back.

He pulled the sword out, staring in satisfaction at his shiny redblade.

Sailor Moon looked down in shock. Blood flowed out of her stomachandback, pooling on the floor beneath her. Her fuku grew dark, stained withtreason. She slumped to the floor.

"You... You really..." she coughed, blood pouring out of her mouth.Herbreathing stopped, her eyes glassed over.

"And my job is done." Endymion kicked her in the side for goodmeasure."Damn, now I have to get my boots shined."

"We have done it, my queen," Kunzite replied. "The world is oursnow."

"We?" she asked in surprise. "Ours? Why Kunzite, we did no suchthing."

"Nani?" he asked, confused.

"You were of no help to us in this mission. Your usefulness has longsince run out."

"Queen Beryl?"

"I'll see you in the depths of hell, Kunzite." Beryl raised herhands andsent a ball of energy at Kunzite, disintegrating him into dust.

"You and I will live on, Endymion. We will rule the entire universetogether."

"I look forward to being by your side, my queen," Endymion replied,kneeling down and kissing her hand.

'Looks like I won, Sailor Moon,' Beryl sneered silently. She threwherhead back and laughed demonically, relishing her triumphant victory.



END