I've never posed any of my writings to anywhere before, but this time
Kamui.. ah.. encouraged.. me to post it. It's set in the time of the
Silver Millennium. A lot of the backstory might make more sense if you
were familliar with Neo-Silver Moon MUX (
www.nidlink.com/~kitty/neomoon/ ) but it makes enough 
sense to stand alone. I'd encourage you to visit anyway, because it's
great for inspiring stories. ^_^' Just so I don't totally confuse you,
some of the 
minor things you should know are:
Yaezakura is the name of Zoisite's kingdom
Elysia is short for the Golden Elysium, which is the empire on earth
kurayamikoku (Kurayami country) is Beryl's kingdom

That's all, I think. Umm.. enjoy? *crosses fingers* I hope anyway..

Oh, and yes, my placement of spoken things is a little odd. They look
nicer
that way. ^_^;

-- 
  |\      _,,,--,,_  ,)          Kitty Kat
  /,`.-'`'   -,  ;-;;' President of Project C.U.R.E.
 |,4-  ) )-,_ ) /\    http://www.nidlink.com/~kitty/
'---''(_/--' (_/-'"Never underestimate the power of an intelligent
blonde. We can't be stopped with conventional weapons."


The Fall of Elysia
                - Kittykat, Aug 23-Sep 7, 1998

        Bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun, just beyond the
shadow of
the great castle lay a beautiful garden. Seemingly every tree, shrub,
and flower in existence could be found there, and rumors of it spread
far beyond it's home country of Yaezakura. This was the private domain
of Yaezakura's prince, and as a result, few outside the palace had ever
seen the marvel.
        Today, the dimming sunlight outlined a single visitor to the
garden,
Prince Zoisite himself. He was sitting in the bowed branch of one of his
beloved cherry trees, lost deep in thought. It had been a month since he
had left the palace of Elysia to return home. Six weeks since Kunzite
had vanished without a trace.
        For two whole weeks, Zoisite had tried to hold onto the hope
that
somehow his mentor would show up, but the whispers and quick glances he
was given by the palace court began to wear on his nerves. The love he
shared with the older Guardian had never been common knowledge, though
the rumors had always abounded. Even his fellow Guardians Nephrite and
Jadeite had not known for certain. Suspected yes, but never any definite
proof.
        Finally, Zoisite had been unable to stand it any longer. He took
his
leave of Prince Endymion and the Emperor, returning to his home country
for a small measure of peace. He rarely left the garden anymore. His
meals were brought to him, then left on the ground as the prince never
bothered to notice when they arrived. They were usually eaten cold.
        This evening, as the sun through out it's last dimming light,
the slim
blond thought for the seventh or eighth time that day about the garden
and Kunzite. He had always wanted to show it to his white-haired mentor,
but duty always prevented any visits to Zoisite's homeland. He sighed
wistfully, glancing down at the tree branch serving as his seat. It was
just the right size for two, but it would never have a chance to hold
two unless Kunzite could be found once more.
        That train of thought was depressing, leaving the young prince
to sit
in misery again. Who can tell how long he might have sat there like
that, if someone had not entered the garden.
        She knew just where to find him, it was his favorite place in
the whole
array. Her footsteps made no noise as she walked, full of grace and the
dignity that only comes with royal breeding. As she got closer, her
steps slowed and the lovely face acquired a sad cast to it. Although in
her late thirties, the Queen's beauty was still famed across the
continent. People would have killed to melt away the sadness from her
eyes. Today however, her sadness was not for herself, but for her young
son.
        "Zoisite?" the gentle musical voice called. "A letter just
arrived from
the palace." She paused, glancing down at the piece of rice paper and
ribbon that she held in her hand. With a quick breath, she continued.
        "Endymion-sama has requested that you return to the palace. He
says..
that they have found Prince Kunzite."
        Her words provoke the first reaction anyone has been able to get
out of
the young man for weeks. In the blink of an eye, he has vanished from
his wooden seat and appears standing just in front of his mother.
Grabbing the paper from her, he scans it's contents swiftly with shock
clearly displayed across his face.
        Whirling, he dashes across the garden as fast as he can run. The
plain
green garment he wears does not impede his progress as royal armament
would, yet still he quickens his steps. Behind him, Queen Opaline
watches the vanishing figure with a sense of flickering hope. Zhara
above, she prayed, let him find what he wants so desperately.

        Startling several of the horses by his abrupt arrival in the
stables,
Zoisite called out with increasing anxiety for the stablemaster. When
the old man finally appeared, the prince wasted no time in ordering his
horse saddled and ready for the ride to the capitol. Slowly, the old
stablemaster moved to obey his young lord's orders when a soft but
commanding voice intruded.
        "Take one of the airships, they're faster."
        Standing in the doorway was Queen Opaline, cool and collected as
her
position so frequently demanded of her. How she arrived at the stables
so quickly was a mystery, but one that her son felt no desire to explore
at this time. He did not question her, but simply nodded and left to
prepare the great floating ship for it's journey. Opaline was the one
person he would obey without a second thought.
        Scarcely an hour later, the crews were assembled and everything
was
ready to go. The prince could barely contain his desire to be off,
pausing only to give his mother a brief hug before the captain cast
anchor and the ship was away. On deck, Zoisite looked out from the bow
of the ship and wondered what awaited him once he arrived in Elysia.

                                     - * -

        The journey took three hours, covering a broad expanse of land
and
ocean that would have taken weeks or even months to cross on horseback
and sailing ship. Zoisite silently thanked his mother for her wisdom in
insisting he take one of the airships. Before him, he could see the
faint outline of the palace. A nagging feeling was brought to the front
by the sight. Something seemed amiss.
        It wasn't until they neared the city itself that he saw what had
been
pestering his subconscious. Much of the capitol lay in ruin, destroyed
by some incredible force. Looking ahead, the source of the damage lay
hideously apparent. Surrounding the Emperor's palace and spreading out
in every direction like a thick carpet of ugly worms was an army.
        Zoisite turned to the ship's captain, squaring his shoulders and
appearing every inch the royal prince he was. "Captain, without a doubt
you have seen what awaits us in Elysia. This ship would not stand a
chance. Therefore, I am ordering you and your crew to return to
Yaezakura and inform the Lady Opaline of what you have seen here."
        The man's eyes widened, and he protested. "But Prince, our job
was to
see you safely to the palace. We cannot abandon our duty!"
        Emerald green eyes gazed calmly at the man for a moment, then
the soft
voice said, "You have seen me as far as you can. From here, I am on my
own. Go."
        As he spoke, Zoisite had slowly been drifting off the wooden
planks of
the ship's deck and into the clear sky. Now, he gathered strength that
very few knew he possessed and pushed the ship away, speeding out to the
horizon and beyond. It was the first time he had ever used telekinesis
on any object larger than himself. To his surprise, it hadn't been very
difficult at all.
        For a moment, the slender blond looked out at the invading army
once
more, then teleported directly to Emperor Endymion's throne room. He
left behind him only a few pink cherry blossoms to scatter to the wind.

        Apparently some sort of war counsel had been in session, for
Zoisite's
unusual method of entry caused over thirty heads to snap up and gape at
him in surprise. He ignored them, turning his attention instead to the
Emperor and his son, Prince Endymion.
        "Heiga, Prince, as you requested, I have come. Where is
Kunzite?"
        Neither of the dark haired men responded, instead glancing
uneasily at
one another. Zoisite was about to repeat his question when a voice
raised itself to say, "Outside, with them."
        Whirling to face the newcomer, Zoisite's mouth dropped open as
he
beheld his fellow Guardian, Nephrite. The auburn-haired young man looked
as though he hadn't slept in a week, dark circles clearly visible under
his eyes. His hair and clothing betrayed no signs of being untended to
for a long period of time, so Zoisite had to conclude that something had
pushed Nephrite to the point of collapse. 
        Slowly, Nephrite made his way across the throne room to where
Zoisite
and the two Endymions stood. Wearily, he leaned against the wall and
silently regarded his younger compatriot. "Kurayamikoku is attacking."
he stated flatly, with none of his usual suave diplomacy. "That army you
must have seen when you arrived is composed of youma summoned from
Helios only knows where. They absolutely reek of black magic."
        For a moment, Nephrite faltered. The energy drain and stress of
the
past few days was wearing on him. He took a minute to recover, though
not much short of a month of rest could help sufficiently. "In addition,
Kunzite and Jadeite are out there leading that army. I can't reach
either of them; some powerful magic has them totally in it's grasp."
        Blink. Zoisite stared at Nephrite, mouth agape. "Wh-wha?" he
stammered.
>From behind him, a tired yet firm voice said, "Jadeite disappeared about
a week after you went home. Neph here was sequestered in his rooms
pouring over ancient magical books."
        Zoisite turned to look at Endymion. The prince still looked
royal,
though the strain of the siege was beginning to show even in his
brilliant blue eyes. "Elysia cannot hold out much longer." Endymion
stated, catching and holding the smaller man's gaze. "Nephrite is too
weak to continue holding them off. Your help is needed, Zoisite of
Yaezakura."
        For several seconds, all the short blond could do was blink.
Then he
shook his head vehemently. "If the Neffie couldn't stop them, there's no
way I can. He's got twice the power that I do."
        "Asleep you mean."
        Both Endymion and Zoisite looked at Nephrite, who continued.
"While
you're asleep, sure, I've got that power. But while you're awake,
Kunzite alone can stop you, IF you were trained. You always were so
stubborn, never letting anyone teach you. Did it ever occur to you that
you could have teleported directly here instead of taking that airship?
I can see from your face that it didn't. You don't think magic, you've
crippled yourself."
        Zoisite whined quietly, "I'm NOT as strong. Everyone knows it,
you've
told me yourself that I'm a pathetic, worthless little-"
        Smack! The sound echoed hollowly across the throne room. For a
moment,
no one moved. Then slowly Zoisite brought his hand up to touch the cheek
where Nephrite had slapped him.
        "Self-doubt is your greatest folly. If you cannot overcome that,
then
Elysia is doomed."
        Not even the flicker of eyes betrayed any movement from the
young
blond, then his eyebrows creased into a frown. "You want me to do
something?" he asked in a dead calm voice, "Fine. But I'm not doing this
for you."
        Without a sound, he was gone. The Emperor and Endymion looked
around
vainly to discover where Zoisite had vanished to. Nephrite concentrated
briefly, then said in a quiet voice, "He's outside, about three stories
up and a hundred feet out."
        Endymion looked towards the front of the castle where Zoisite
was, if
you went through several hundred tons of solid rock. He actually
looked.. worried. With one swift movement, the prince knelt down long
enough to scoop one of Zoisite's cherry blossoms from the floor.
Endymion regarded it quietly for a long moment, then said softly, "I
hope you can do it, or we all die tomorrow."

                                     - * -

        Several hundred feet up in the air, a lone figure drifted. The
strong
eastern breeze caught long blond hair, whipping it back and forth and
pulling it from the confines of it's hairband. The young man paid little
attention, merely reaching up and brushing a few errant strands from his
face. His eyes were closed, his face peaceful for now, though gradually
a look of intense concentration spread across the elegant features.
        Below him and a couple thousand yards away from the palace lay
the
armies of Kurayami. The massed body appeared much like a fat slug in the
lessening light, soaking up what sun it could before night. And yet,
there was an unstilled feeling in the air. If you looked at the army for
too long, it would begin to affect you as well. Radiating, pulsing, an
immense aura of hate, death, and evil. This was, in an attempt to fend
of fear, the reason Prince Zoisite's eyes were shut.
        Around him, barely visible to normal sight, a ball of brilliant
green
energy gathered. He worked by instinct alone, having no training in the
magical arts like Nephrite had. Fueling his power was the lone thought,
to show Nephrite just what he could do. And indeed he could.
        The power was raw, untapped, before Zoisite melded it to his
will. It
took only a matter of seconds to accomplish, but the result was
impressive. Around the palace of Elysia appeared a shimmering,
half-visible shield of incredible power. Though only barely able to be
seen by the normal eye, to a mage such as Nephrite or the Cibolita High
Magus, it was blinding.
        Zoisite took a few minutes to relax, as he had no intentions of
appearing in the Throne Room in the condition Nephrite was in. Once he
was certain he could stand properly, a cherry blossom swirl appeared and
then he was gone.

        Cool, dignified, and in control. This was the face that young
Prince
Zoisite displayed to the assembled people. Inside, he could barely
stand. You don't pour that much energy into something without feeling
the effects. Had Nephrite not been so drained himself, he would have
seen though the facade. As it was, most of the advisors simply gaped.
Endymion showed just the tiniest hint of a smile, and Nephrite flat-out
smirked.
        "See, I told you you could do it."
        Zoisite stuck his tongue out. Nephrite simply chuckled. Endymion
looked
out the nearest window and commented, "I don't pretend to understand a
thing you four do, but that's impressive even to me."
        To the amazement of everyone present, Zoisite actually blushed.
        If Nephrite hadn't been so weak, it was obvious that he would
have
doubled over in laughter. As it turned out, he had to sit down on the
floor while the mirth subsided. Zoisite made nasty faces at him the
whole time. Eventually, Nephrite stopped laughing and took a more
serious note.
        "Zoisite, if you are to defeat Kunzite, you must become a better
warrior."
        Zoisite gave Nephrite a startled look. "But, I don't want to
defeat
Kunzite. I want him back here..."
        The auburn-haired guardian shook his head. "The only way to do
that is
to drag him back here unconscious. You can't handle it at this point, so
I will have to teach you, and quickly. You will face off against Kunzite
while I duel Jadeite. If we can distract the army's leaders, with any
luck, we will have a chance."

        Five hours later, Zoisite was wondering how in Zhara's name he'd
gotten
talked into this. Nephrite had 'killed' him nearly two dozen times so
far, barking out orders on correcting position and form each time. With
each new defeat, Zoisite's patience grew slimmer.
        In mid-swing, Nephrite halted. He shook his head and looked at
his
trainee. "I see the anger building in your eyes. That always has been
your weakness. You let the anger free to lash out at will. Harness it.
Become cool and rational, yet know that I am your enemy, and only when I
am dead will you be free of the fury that drives you."
        Again, Zoisite tried to follow orders. Forcing his temper down
to the
blackest pit in his mind, the blond once more focused upon Nephrite's
sword. In his hand, he shifted the crystal sword ever so slightly so
that it just felt 'right'. Across from him, Nephrite watched warily.
Something in those green eyes had changed, and it was frightening.
Zoisite didn't even look human anymore.
        The two opponents faced off, then Zoisite was in motion.
Nephrite only
barely managed to bring his sword up in time. "He's fast. I didn't even
see him move." he thought, parrying each blow with less and less of a
safety margin. Then, Zoisite moved again with speed that Nephrite's eyes
had trouble following, with his sword having no time to react. The look
in those green eyes was death, far beyond any sort of rational thought.
Desperately, he screamed, "ZOISITE!"
        With the razor sharp tip of Zoisite's crystal sword less than a
millimeter from Nephrite's heart, it stops. Blue eyes stay locked to
green for what seems an eternity, tense ears hearing the nervous
pounding of a heart throbbing in true fear. Then, finally, some sense of
rational thought returns to Zoisite's eyes. He backs away, sword falling
from his hand and vanishing back to wherever he calls it from. Nephrite
watched him for a minute until assured he wasn't going to loose his
sense again, then let his star sword fade away.
        "Well, maybe you're better than I thought." Nephrite commented.
It was
a measure of Zoisite's self-control that he didn't hit the auburn-haired
guardian, or perhaps he was just too tired.
        Turning away from Nephrite, Zoisite took a few steps across the
room
and looked dejectedly out the window. His shield was still in full
force, but beyond it the army was still there. He was turning back to
start another match with Nephrite when he heard a startled oath from the
dark-haired guardian. Completing his turn, Zoisite gave Nephrite a
puzzled glance. "What?" he asked.
        For a moment, Nephrite did nothing, then he crossed the few
yards to
Zoisite and grabbed the small blond's arm. "What the hell is this?" he
asked, pulling Zoisite's arm and forcing it's owner to look at it.
        Zoisite looked blankly at his hand, not seeing whatever it was
that
Nephrite was, then he drew in a sharp breath. He was becoming
transparent, fading away. Gaping, all he could do was stare. Nephrite
released his arm and looked at him accusingly. "That shield stunt was
harder than you let on, wasn't it?" When he got no response from the
stunned blond, Nephrite snapped his fingers in front of the dragon green
eyes. "You're useless if you're powerless. Go to bed, we'll see what we
can do in the morning."
        Wordlessly, the petite blond shook his head and stumbled over to
the
window. Pointing a hand out at the enemy army below, he murmured a few
archaic words that Nephrite had never heard before. Whatever they were,
their effect was obvious. The transparency was completely reversed, and
Zoisite nearly glowed with energy. Nephrite stared at him slack-jawed,
which only prompted a slight grin from the blond. "How in Helios's name
did you do that?" the astonished guardian asked.
        "There are some things that aren't taught in textbooks,
bookworm." came
the reply. Green eyes closed again with a brief grimace of
concentration, then Zoisite pointed his other hand at Nephrite. Before
the startled guardian could ask what Zoisite was up to, he felt a wash
of raw magical energy bathe him in it's power.
        When Zoisite broke off the connection, Nephrite was feeling
stronger
than he had in weeks. While the latter tried to figure out just what
Zoisite had just done, the little blond just smirked. "It's called,
transferring power from one person to another. I just improvised and
pulled the power from a lot of people." He paused and added
reflectively, "It feels like your mind is in multiple pieces."
        Nephrite shook his head slowly. "That sounds like dark magic to
me.."
he murmured. Zoisite shrugged. "If it is, I can't tell. Though..." he
added thoughtfully, "I've only had to use it twice."
        The auburn-haired man nodded, then took a deep breath. "Well,
since you
seem to have solved our problem of being completely exhausted, are you
ready to battle Kunzite?"
        There was no response for so long that Nephrite considered
asking
again, then he heard the soft words, Zoisite's voice barely above a
whisper, "Yes... I am."

                                     - * -

        In the east, a faint glitter of light heralded the first
stirrings of
dawn. On the battlefield, soldiers and demons alike turned to their
leaders for instructions. Everything they tried had been unable to
penetrate the shield surrounding Elysia's castle, and they were by now
quite frustrated. Kunzite was in his tent attempting to write out battle
plans when a young soldier entered.
        "Lord Kunzite-san, your presence is requested on the field.
There are
two warriors here from the castle."
        The white-haired man looked up in silence, then slowly rose and
pushed
away the paper and ink. He strode past the private without a second
glance, heading out to where a small crowd had gathered around the
intruders. They parted as Kunzite approached, revealing auburn and gold
tresses. The smaller, the blond, stiffened imperceptibly as he
approached.
        "Ho, Kunzite! How nice to see you again. Enjoying your break
from
duty?" the darker-haired of the two called out merrily.
        Kunzite frowned, fragments of memory stirring in the depths of
his
mind. Shortly, a name attached itself to the images. "Nephrite."
        The man grinned. "So, you remember my name. Anything else, or is
that
the extent of your memory?" he quipped. He was starting to get on
Kunzite's nerves. The far too cheery exterior could only point to
someone who was quite nervous inside. Kunzite wondered why.
        At that point, Jadeite appeared and glanced at the blond and
brunette.
"Zoisite, Nephrite... what are you doing here?" he asked. The two
exchanged glances, then the tiny blond, Zoisite, said tentatively "We've
come to offer a duel."
        Jadeite allowed one slim brow to raise, then replied coolly,
"Yourself
versus me, and Nephrite versus Kunzite?" The blond shook his head. "I
will battle Kunzite." he stated.
        It was hard to tell who was more surprised, Jadeite that Zoisite
had
proposed that, Nephrite that Zoisite had actually gone through with it,
or Zoisite that he'd actually said it. Kunzite just shrugged and stepped
back. "So be it." he stated calmly.
        The first strike came so fast that none of the spectators had
seen
Kunzite launch it. However, Zoisite simply wasn't where he had been
anymore. He reappeared behind Kunzite, throwing a tightly leashed
fireball at the white-haired man. The flames struck Kunzite's
ever-present shield, which held.
        After Kunzite's first blow, Jadeite had taken the opportunity to
throw
the nearest set of large boulders at Nephrite. Fortunately, the latter
had seen them coming with enough time to dodge. And thus, the battle was
begun.

        Neither side got anywhere, each sending less and less powerful
attacks
as they were slowly worn down by the endless duel. Their uniforms were
in tatters at this point, as weariness interfered with battle reflexes.
Finally, a lucky shot sent Zoisite crashing into a nearby tent where he
took several seconds to orient himself. He would have been dead; yet
Kunzite's attention was elsewhere.
        The sight of the beaten young man surrounded by a halo of golden
hair
had triggered the memories again. Overwhelmed by the mental flood,
Kunzite could do little but stand and watch as Zoisite got back to his
feet and aimed for him once again. One particularly strong memory
permeated into his mind just as the tiny blond gathered strength for
another fireball, then Kunzite stammered quietly, "Zo... Zoi-chan?"
        No sound came from the assembled youma, no noise at all. Then:
"Kunzite-sama?"
        Confused green eyes met his own pale lavender, the uncertainty
showing
for the first time since they had started the duel. Kunzite took an
involuntary step forward, strong memories urging him on. "Zoisite..
where have you been? I missed you.." he whispered.
        Zoisite needed no further invitation to banish his weapons and
dart
forward to tightly embrace the much taller man. Kunzite gently stroked
the tangled golden curls and hugged him gently. "Shhh..." he murmured
softly.
        Caught up in the embrace, Zoisite never even saw Kunzite's arm
move nor
the accompanying energy blast that rendered him completely unconscious.
The last image he saw was Kunzite's smiling face, and then the world
went black.

                                     - * -

        His first clear thought was that his head hurt. His second, that
it was
quite dark. After several tries, Zoisite managed to get his eyes open.
Or, at least, he thought they were open. It was still just as dark as it
had been before he mustered the energy to look around.
        Scarcely two minutes after getting his eyes open, Zoisite became
aware
of a dim light that appeared somewhere off to his right. He managed to
work his way into a sitting position, though the effort was extremely
tiring. By now, the light had approached close enough for the tiny blond
to make out the outline of a tall man holding up the source of light-
his glowing hand.
        "Kunzite-sama..." Zoisite breathed softly.
        The white-haired man smiled gently and sat down next to Zoisite.
"Ah,
you're awake now. How are you feeling?"
        "My head hurts." came the muted complaint.
        "I'm truly sorry about that, Zoi-chan. I didn't want you to get
hurt in
all the fighting. But everything is fine now."
        For some reason, the phrasing of 'fine' didn't sit well with the
slim
blond. He looked up at the smiling face above him, and asked very
quietly, "What happened to Endymion and Nephrite?"
        A shadow of darkness crossed the tanned face, and he frowned.
"Elysia's
prince escaped to the Moon, but we will follow soon. Nephrite is with
the Queen as we speak, and I must bring you there as well, now that you
have awoken."
        The first stirrings of fright crept into Zoisite's breast, and
he
looked up at Kunzite fearfully. In response, Kunzite leaned over and
kissed him gently. "There's nothing to fear, beautiful one. Here, it
isn't far."
        Lifting the young man into his arms, Kunzite concentrated
briefly and
teleported away. He arrived in an enormous cavern, and set Zoisite down
on the ground. Already in the room were a dark-haired man and a woman
with flame-red hair. Zoisite recognized them both.
        "Nephrite.. Beryl!"
        The woman stepped forward, smiling, though there was something
about
her eyes that truly frightened Zoisite. She stopped just short of the
two newly-arrived young men, and examined them.
        "So, you have woken. Do you understand where you are? Elysia has
fallen, and the earth is now mine. Even now, we are readying our forces
to launch an attack on the Moon, to take back Endymion and rule the
universe."
        She paused in her speech as the fright in Zoisite's eyes grew
noticeably worse. It was rather amazing that he wasn't shaking yet. She
smiled and tipped his chin up so he would look directly at her.
        "Now now cousin, I won't kill you. All I wish is for your
cooperation.
I need good generals to lead my army, and blood relatives should get
first priority, mm?" she cooed.
        Zoisite blinked. He really hadn't been expecting that. "Wh-what
do you
mean?" he asked, not really grasping things yet.
        "Just this," Beryl replied, "I will give you a choice. You can
either
remain here and serve me, or you can die. I do not really wish to kill
my dear cousin, so it would be preferable if you simply joined me."
        Behind him, Kunzite leaned close to whisper softly, "Stay with
us,
Zoi-chan. Then you and I can be together."
        The decision wasn't really that hard. Kunzite or death, and
Zoisite had
risked death many times before for his love's sake. Turning to look up
into the gentle lavender eyes, Zoisite whispered softly, "I choose you."