Studious girl!

[waterfell]

In this corner of the moonlocket space, Mizuno Ami is de-transformed for once, studying in her room and making notes while listening to a Kuroki Mio CD she's conveniently been able to procure in a different dimension. It was probably a gift from the artist

Comments

[shadowedgold]

[Twitch... twitch... That's...]

AAAAAARRRRRG! Turn that stupid music OFF!

[shadowedgold]

[Backs off, all smiles now, and nods.]

There's no way we won't. The princess is going to die, and that's that! [Looks back over, intrigued by the other half of Mercury's words. Her face gets a bit more serious now.] And- Beryl is gone too?

[waterfell]

Ami glances at Venus. "She's gone," she repeats. Her head tilts back slightly to look at the ceiling.

"That was a short while ago. She was taken out before she could hurt the shitennou."

[shadowedgold]

[It's still strange to think that this Mercury works with the shitennou, and Venus suppresses a sudden rise of jealousy. Someday, she and the others will free the shitennou in their own world. Someday. Nods, her face more serious.]

Good. Even though she is the one that freed us... I can't wait till she has her precious prince, and we're free of her too.

[waterfell]

'Works with' is still a moderately relative term for now, but it's been becoming more true. Maybe she should be envied for it after all. More importantly, Mercury is glad Venus has no outright loyalty to Beryl. It'd be a pain to have to kill a devoted slave of the witch. Working with Beryl for the time being, until they can throw her off one way or another, is a little different.

"She should be taken out, prince or no," Mercury says bluntly. She's gotten colder these days. "She was also involved in the past. And what she'll do to get him is unforgivable."

[shadowedgold]

[Gives Ami a curious look, searching. What would Beryl do? What had happened in Ami's world? Venus already knows that Beryl's wrath is something to watch. After all, all of the senshi have been 'punished' at one time or another.]

Mercury-chan... [Tries to figure out how to phrase it.] What has Beryl done?

[waterfell]

There are things Mercury never wants to see again. One is what she's about to describe.

"She used the shitennou as hostages to get Endymion. She threatened to make them kill themselves if he wouldn't come to her. From other worlds, I know if she hadn't been killed then, she would have made Nephrite do it anyway. And he would have awakened in the human world without his powers, exiled from the Dark Kingdom."

It's more than enough, really. Everything until that moment was disrespect and that over-abundant ego. That kindled pure righteous wrath, the same disgust reserved for a chess player carelessly sacrificing their pieces but a thousand times worse because it's real.

[shadowedgold]

[Her eyes are wide in disbelief, even as her fingers curl into fists, trembling. Beryl... would have killed the shitennou...had killed Nephrite... Jupiter would be angry beyond words- not to say that Venus herself isn't. Shaking with anger at the thought, her voice is full of a newly found rage.]

She won't have them. I won't let her! The shitennou will come with us when it's done.

[waterfell]

She fits in well with these dark senshi who somehow have hearts and minds similar to her own, even to that defensiveness over the shitennou. It's a nice feeling, somehow. And Venus' reaction reassures her that it's alright because they don't love Beryl either and can easily despise her for the things she does.

Maybe that's why she almost smiles.

"I don't want to see what I told you, happen," she admits. "So I'm glad you'll stop it."

[shadowedgold]

[Nods, her expression firm. She won't let them be harmed, not for anything. And she won't let Beryl hurt the other senshi either. Her gratitude doesn't extend that far. Looks Mercury in the eyes now, gripping her fists tight.]

I swear by Venus that I won't let her harm anyone; not the shitennou, not the senshi. If I fail in this vow, may Venus itself reject me.

[waterfell]

This is the Venus that Mercury is used to; chillingly serious and entirely focused.

"You're confident," she remarks lightly. No one would make that vow if they didn't have every belief they could uphold it.

[shadowedgold]

[Smirks at Mercury now.]

I'm Sailor Venus. Of course I'm confident. As the leader of the senshi, it's my duty to protect them.

[waterfell]

"The best way to do that is to destroy the princess immediately," Mercury counsels. "That way, you're free to go after the prince. Beryl is useful while she's also putting her power towards taking out the princess, but you don't have any need for her after that. Kill her whenever things change."

[shadowedgold]

[Doesn't voice that she doesn't think killing Beryl will be necessary once the princess is dead. After all, once Serenity is dead, the prince's brainwashing would be broken, and Beryl would be content. Simply nods.]

The princess is our primary target. Even Beryl realizes that.

[waterfell]

Wise omission. This is a girl who's faced fury just for associating with someone who honestly serves Beryl. Someone under her thumb who isn't planning to kill her might not receive that dire of a response, but it probably wouldn't be well-received either.

"And then the prince," she says, continuing the conversation's train of thought. "He was also responsible for all of this for allowing it to happen."

[shadowedgold]

[At that she shakes her head. She has no quarrel with the prince now any wish to incite Beryl's wrath.]

The prince is an innocent. His only crime is the same as ours... being brainwashed by the princess. I cannot go after him when such a decision would label even myself and the other senshi as traitors. When the princess is gone, he can return to life as it was before she awakened him.