(Untitled)

[shadowedgold]

Venus smirked to herself, tossing the clear bag of crystals up and down idly. They were beautiful, shining and glinting in the dim light of the Dark Kingdom, and they were going to be the key to her greatest success to date. After tonight... Well, Beryl would be worshiping the ground she walked on! With a little whistle, the senshi sauntered down

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[illuminedshield]

Blink.

To his credit he recovered well. Mamoru's face set into serious lines, and he stared back at the screen.

"Sailor Venus. What do you want?"

[shadowedgold]

"I'm here to offer you a chance." Her grin widened as she watched him recover, patting the crystals at her waist. "See, taking these from you just seemed too easy. Like taking candy from kitty. What do you say, 'Mamo-chan?"

[illuminedshield]

He needs them. The rainbow crystals form the ginzuishou, even he knows that by now, and he needs the ginzuishou. He can't afford to ignore this. He frowns.

"I'm listening. What's your offer?" Which, of course, he will treat with an overly-generous helping of skepticism.

[shadowedgold]

"A duel. If you win, you get all seven rainbow crystals. If I win?" She paused, a smug look crossing her face. "You come with me to the Dark Kingdom. Willingly."

ACTION!

[illuminedshield]

He rolls his eyes once the view screen shuts off.

Within ten minutes, Tuxedo Kamen is waiting just outside the warehouse, perfectly balanced on the tip of a street lamp. He uses the height to his advantage to watch for Venus' arrival, although he's pretty sure the senshi will teleport here. He stays alert.

[shadowedgold]

And teleport she does, her signature flurry of golden hearts whirling before fading away to reveal her form. The bag of gems is still hooked on her waist, glinting enticingly, and she smirks.

"What, no bag? Joining us with just the shirt off your back?"

[illuminedshield]

"I don't need a bag when I'm not going anywhere," Tuxedo Kamen says.

He smirks. Time for pleasantries is over. His hand plucks a rose from thin air, which soon becomes a multitude of the flowers to cover his next move. Each one is razor-sharp if it hits.

He leaps from the lantern-post in a single movement, cape billowing out behind him as he leads with his cane, flying straight for Venus.

[shadowedgold]

She senses the moment he draws the energy for the attack, jumping to one side and managing to expertly dodge the flying flowers. Then, whipping around quickly, Venus calls for her chain, whipping it straight through the air towards Tuxedo Kamen as he descends.

She won't let him win. The girls are depending on her and she'll be damned it she fails!

[shadowedgold]

She appeared in the senshi room with the usual flurry of golden hearts, but there was nothing normal about her appearance. Two limp bodies fell forward on the table the senshi usually gathered around for meetings, their heavy weight cracking the table effortlessly, and each rolled to the ground between the pieces, helplessly entangled.

[1/?]

[shadowedflames]

It was nothing unusual to feel Venus' presence returning to the Dark Kingdom. To feel a stranger's, however, was nearly unthinkable. Then she recognizes it: the prince!

[2/2]

[shadowedflames]

Mars is in the room in a flash and column of fire, heart pounding with the fear that something's gone horribly, horribly wrong. She has a bad feeling about this, her spiritual sense screaming at her.

She decides it must have been a mistake when she sees the two forms. Clearly, Venus was the victor. But the thrill of triumph is short-lived, even stillborn, as she hurries to Venus' side instead.

"Venus! Venus! Answer me, Venus! Venus!!"

[shadowedgold]

She's only partially aware that she made it back, because it's still burning! She can't tell that there's no physical signs, but she's moaning, whimpering, her eyes tightly closed to ward off the light. It hurts!

[shadowedgold]

As soon as they reach her room, Venus stumbles forward to collapse on her bed. It's so soft, and she's so tired... she almost falls asleep right there. Instead, she weakly tries to tug Mars down with her, just wanting her close for now.

"It- it hurt so much. And now she has that- that terrible weapon. How- What are we going to do, Mars-chan?"

[shadowedflames]

Mars doesn't have to be told twice; she lays down on the bed beside Venus, entwining their hands and their legs, here for comfort and warmth as they face each other to talk.

"We'll figure something out," she promises. "Mercury-chan's so smart, she'll figure out what we have to do to combat it. And Metalia's way stronger than the ginzuishou, right?"

Come on, work with her.

[shadowedgold]

She nods a bit, moving to lay her head on Mars' shoulder, squeezing her hand in an effort to reassure them both. "She saved us... It should be strong enough. I'm just so afraid I'll lose you again, or Mercury-chan or Jupiter-chan. I can't lose you!"

[shadowedflames]

"I won't let that happen," Mars promises, lightly caressing Mars' hand with her thumb. "No matter what happens, I'll be here for you. So try to get some rest, alright? You'll only make this harder and take longer if you don't rest."

[shadowedgold]

She tossed and turned, alone in her bed with nothing but the disturbing memories that plagued her... Flashes, one by one, of time spent with their so called princess, but- something was different. They were all- happy... Things she'd thought she remembered clearly now seemed as if there had been a fog all along that was now being rolled away by the truth... and she couldn't stand it.

Venus left the Dark Kingdom in the middle of the night. She had to find out why this was happening, and she had to find out now, before she was placed under Metallia's power to be healed. If anything, she knew what she always felt like after that happened- in a daze, powerful, and like nothing mattered except for getting more power. If that happened- she might never understand the nightmares that had plagued her rest