The Dawn of Serenity

			      Chapter 16



	The sight awaiting Shing when he entered Minako's cell was more
than anything he could have ever imagined. Three of the Queen's Lords 
circled around Minako; one General in a precarious situation involving 
a chair. It seemed as if Minako had pushed him with great force, 
knocking the big man off his feet and flat on his back. This action 
requiring strength he knew she hadn’t possessed at the time of their 
last meeting. Jadeite and the other fair-haired lord wore looks of 
utter perplexity that Shing had to blink twice to make sure wasn’t an 
optical illusion.

	Almost immediately, Jadeite noticed his presence, and swiftly 
all emotions left his pale face as  He stomped towards Shing, his 
stride  so fierce he was afraid Jadeite was going to hit him, but the 
General only grabbed him tightly by the arm and led him to Minako's 
cell door. It was then Shing noticed Minako's expression.

	She stared down at the man sprawled at her feet, her eyes blank
and glazed over like a doll, shut off until wanted again. It was like 
she was simply a husk, and Shing found himself wanting her to do 
something, say something, anything, to break this awkward feeling 
within his heart. The look on Lord Nephrite's face was one Shing would 
never forget.

	The floored Shitennou stared up at Minako as if she was some 
terrible monster ready to consume him whole. His eyes were wild and his
breath came out ragged as if the air were sucked from his lungs.

	Jadeite was quick to defuse the tense situation by reaching for
Minako. Her expression didn't change in the slightest, and her feet 
seemed to move as if she’d never used them before. It frustrated 
Jadeite to no end as he led her back into her cell, quickly picking up 
Shing's bucket and supplies on the way, thrusting them into his hands. 
Shing was surprised when Jadeite gently eased her down upon the ragged 
bedding, however. His hand lingered upon the skin of her arm for a
moment longer than he intended. Even Shing understood the bewildered 
look in the Shitennou's eyes -- it was awe.

	True to his nature, though, Jadeite re-assumed his trained 
demeanor; his expression unreadable as he  once more turned to face 
Shing – stoic and poised.

	"Care for her," he barked, before storming  out of  the cell.
The doors slammed resoundingly in his wake, leaving Shing to his charge. 

+++++

	"What the hell just happened?" Jadeite exclaimed, once more 
bursting into the room. Zoicite was kneeling beside Nephrite, who had 
managed to sit up by the time Jadeite returned. Jadeite joined them on 
the floor, his hands gripping Nephrite's shoulders. "What in the name 
of the Queen happened?" he repeated, gently shaking him.

	"She's so powerful..." Nephrite muttered, reaching up to grab 
his pounding head. 

	"I knew it!" Zoicite proudly proclaimed. "I told you it was 
possible!"

	"No, not her -- the leaders of Serenitas, they're so strong. 
All three of them have left their mark within her mind, but the last
one...she's stronger than I thought."

	"What did she say, did you find out anything? What happened!"
Jadeite impatiently shook him again, and Nephrite found the action did 
nothing for the pressure inside his head.

	"Will you stop that!" He swatted Jadeite’s hands away and 
growled irritably. 

	"Nephrite, tell us," Zoicite now urged.

	"Her mind is locked tighter than any I've ever encountered. 
The Order itself is protecting her."

	"Then she is-"

	"It would seem that way, but -- no, no that doesn't necessarily
mean she's Venus. She said they themselves didn't know if she was 
either, but they've been watching her, guarding her, just in case."

	"And you believe them?" Jadeite asked, arching an eyebrow at 
Nephrite.

	"I...I don't know," he answered honestly.

	"Great…" Jadeite began to go on one of his pacing rampages 
again, and angrily threw his eyes up at the monitor. Minako was barely 
visible as his servant Shing tended to her, but the sight of a strand 
of her hair was enough to get his blood boiling. He jumped to the 
control panel and punched at a few controls. The lights in the 
Interrogation room flicked out, and the picture on the monitor turned 
black, mirroring their mood. With a sigh to calm himself, Jadeite 
finally turned back to face them. "Did you learn anything about 
Serenitas at least?" he probed.

	"No, and we won't get any information out of Minako either. 
She doesn't know where Serenitas is. The Order has found a crafty way 
to hide it from those living there. It's brilliant really."

	"Oh yes, brilliant all right!" Jadeite yelled. "Somehow I can't
find myself impressed with their flashy talents at the moment. What do
you think, Nephrite? You got much closer to her  than any of us have. 
Do you think she's Venus?"

	"Well…" Nephrite sighed and slowly rose to his feet, brushing 
off invisible dirt from his fine uniform. He stared at the  blank 
monitor, but he could only see the visions of his quest haunting his 
vision. "I saw things -- flashes of images and voices scattered 
throughout her mind. They weren't enough to piece together the puzzle,
but there was this feeling...like some ominous power was looking over 
my shoulder the entire time. And the truth of what we've seen 
concerning her abilities cannot be ignored. We can put off saying this 
forever and make excuses but…I think it's very possible that she is 
Venus, yes."

	The weight of Nephrite's words oppressed the others, pushing 
them into a momentary silence while they reflected on their warped 
memories. It all seemed so surreal after years of living in peace, and 
they realized they had grown complacent in their dark reign. That 
something like this could be possible would never have crossed their 
minds a hundred years ago, but lately, things didn't seem as set in 
stone as they once thought.

	"What are we supposed to tell Kunzite?"

	"Honestly, why are we afraid to tell him in the first place? He
is our brother and has never betrayed us." 

	"I don't know. I only thought..." Zoicite's brows pulled 
together as the answer seemed unclear. "I mean, Kunzite knew Venus the 
closest."

	"But they never had a relationship. Kunzite used her to get 
close to the kingdom during the Silver Millennium," Nephrite continued.
He knew it was the truth, but somehow the memory didn't seem quite 
right, as if he was leaving out an important part. 

	"Maybe there's a way we can salvage all this," Jadeite 
suggested, and they could tell his mind was racing with ideas, as his 
blue eyes grew darker.

	"What do you have in mind?" Nephrite questioned.

	"If our assumption is true and this woman is Venus, then our 
guess at who stopped the Soldiers in the tunnels might be correct as 
well. Our Soldiers obviously cannot deal with a Senshi at this time,  
and it would take months to construct another version. But...what 
better to fight a Senshi than a Senshi?"

	"You mean -- you plan to turn her?" Zoicite's eyes grew wide 
with disbelief.

	"Why not…? It is an option we've never considered attempting 
with an Underling before, and we know the other techniques are 
pointless. If we can get her on our side and she does turn out to be 
Venus, then we'll have a wildcard up our sleeve if any other Senshi 
decide to show up."

	"The Order did say the only way she would betray them was if 
she forgot her dreams, her wishes..." Nephrite reflected.

	"Then maybe there is some hope," Jadeite added.

	"But they're the Sailor Senshi," Zoicite emphasized.

	"And…? The Sailor Senshi was far from flawless. They might have
spent their whole lives around the princess, but they could never 
compare to her. We might have a chance."

	"But this is going to take a lot of energy, especially if she 
is a Senshi. It will not go unnoticed," Nephrite offered.

	"I know," Jadeite agreed and gravely added, "We'll need 
Kunzite's help."

	"Well, we'll need to come up with a good way to approach him. 
He won't like it that we've kept this a secret for so long," Zoicite 
said.

	"No, I imagine he wouldn't." Nephrite cringed at the commanding
voice, and as one, the guilty party turned to face their final member. 
Kunzite stood with one hand on the hilt of his sword while the other 
was propped up on the threshold. He stared at them with icy 
relentlessness, and Nephrite found himself wishing he were facing his 
mysterious dream walker instead of him.

	"Oh, Kunzite..." Jadeite muttered.

	"What is going on?" Kunzite raised a brow at their apparent 
disarray.

+++++

	The cell was silent save for the sound of dripping water Shing 
could never quite seem to locate. He stood where Jadeite had left him, 
staring at his ailing friend. She sat with her back to the wall, a veil
of golden silk covering her pale face. He was afraid to approach her, 
even though he wasn't sure why. Something was changed about her, 
something foreign and ancient he didn't understand. The Generals too 
seemed to fear her, which made him most unsettled. Who exactly was his 
new friend?

	"Shing…?"

	Every worry he had harbored within his heart at that moment 
seemed to fade away as she called to him, and before he knew it, he was
poised before her. Bravely he reached out and brushed her hair from her
face, and was relieved to find her eyes shimmering once again. 

	"Are you okay, Minako?" She didn't answer for a while, and he 
watched as a shiver passed through her like a gust of wind stirring a 
pile of dying leaves. 

	"Who am I?" she whispered. Before Shing could stutter any sort 
of reply, she launched herself at him, enveloping him in a desperate 
embrace. He froze as if Medusa was smiling at him, unable to comprehend
the sensation of her body pressing against his. 

	"Who am I?" she repeated, her voice wispy with phantoms of an 
unknown destiny. When a small, bitter cry escaped her trembling lips, 
Shing finally found his courage and wrapped his arms around her. He 
held her, listening to her cries as her tears broke against his small
shoulders -- her sorrow seeping beneath his skin and into his heart.  
He closed his eyes, praying with all his might for his dreams to come  
true. 

+++++

	Outside the cell, the atmosphere was just as harsh. Three 
speechless friends looked like their hands had been caught in the 
cookie jar, and their silence was doing nothing to aid their cause. 
Kunzite was a patient man, but he felt he had been patient long enough 
with his fellow soldiers. For two weeks, he waited for them to come and
speak to him about their mysterious plans, and he felt hurt by their 
evident lack of faith in him. They could trust him, couldn't they? He 
tried to think back to a reason for their closed lips, but could only 
remember times of fellowship and loyalty. The friend in him wanted to 
believe that their silence was for good reason, but as he stared at 
their shameful faces now, the commander in him began to suspect 
something was not right.

	"The Queen will notice, just as I have, the Soldier Youma 
disappearances as the news flutters through the rumor mill of this 
palace, so I can no longer protect you. I think it's time that your 
secret plans come out in the open," he continued, hoping to break their
silence.

	"You...you knew?" Zoicite practically squeaked.

	"There is little you three can hide from me, you should know 
that by now. We are friends…aren't we? Which makes me wonder – what 
horrible plan have you been leaving me out of for so long?"

	"Kunzite, please..." Nephrite finally stood and faced him, as 
Kunzite expected him too. Out of his fellow Shitennou, Nephrite was the
most responsible, and Kunzite knew he treated Jadeite and Zoicite like
little brothers. "There is much to explain."

	Kunzite nodded and dropped his threatening posture, and slowly
made his way towards the others to stand in their midst. He noted that
their sagging shoulders had lifted a little in response, but there was 
some awkwardness left hanging over them.

	"Go on," he urged.

	Nephrite knew he couldn’t turn back now, and with an 
encouraging intake of breath, he delved into their turbulent tale. 
"Two weeks ago, one of the Hunters brought back an Underling. We would 
have told you straight away, but...there was something different about 
this one. We couldn't risk news of this find getting to the queen 
before we had the chance to interrogate the Underling, so we hid her 
as best we could. Unfortunately, that involved concealing this…even 
from you."

	It wasn't the whole truth, but it made more sense to him than 
any other explanation that they would keep the existence of Minako from
their most senior member. If Kunzite didn't buy his alibi, he made no 
sign to prove it, which somehow made Nephrite feel worse. It was always
hard to tell what Kunzite was thinking.

	"Where is this Underling now?"

	"Behind us..." Nephrite indicated with a nod towards the closed
cell doors behind him. 

	"Well…show me," Kunzite commanded, taking a series of long 
strides towards the entrance to Minako’s place of confinement.

	"There's more you need to know first," Nephrite intervened. He 
knew the next part of their story would either make Kunzite laugh at 
them, or burst into a raging fit, but realized it had to be said. 
"We've kept her existence a secret because while interrogating her, 
evidence was forced upon us that we believe, well..."

	"What…?" Kunzite pressed.

	"We believe that we're holding a possible reincarnation of a 
Sailor Senshi." With these words, the room fell into a deeper silence
reminiscent of a graveyard at night as the three Shitennou stared at 
their leader awaiting his reaction.

	He stared at them as if Nephrite had reached out and slapped 
him across the face. But slowly, as his mind began to work, the corners
of his mouth began to twitch and Nephrite's greatest fear was realized.

	A low chuckle came from deep within the white-haired lord's 
throat, and it wasn't long before a smile traveled to his parted lips. 
Kunzite was too much of a gentleman to laugh mockingly at his friends 
however, even  if at this point it was exactly what he wanted to do
most. "A Sailor Senshi you say…?" 

	"Nephrite's telling the truth…!" Zoicite protested, and from 
the corner of his eye, Kunzite could see Jadeite nodding his head in 
agreement. "Show him the room Jadeite."

	Jadeite quickly punched the controls again and flooded the 
Interrogation room with bright light. Kunzite's laughter subsided a 
little at the burn marks stretching out like grasping fingers on the 
walls, and at the heavy table that somehow managed to land on  its side
on the other side of the room. He simply shook his head though, letting
another chuckle escape from his mouth.

	"This looks like an electrical fire. Are you sure the energy 
field isn't to blame?" It was then Jadeite made a very ugly snort of 
disbelief and pounded a red button on the panel. The door to the 
private cell opened obediently and they watched as Jadeite stormed 
into its dark interior. "What's wrong with him?"

	"We're not joking, Kunzite," Nephrite said seriously, a dark 
line of pressure building over his eyes. "We thought we could do this 
on our own, but, we need your help."

	"Here, see for yourself."

	Jadeite soon returned, and threw his evidence forcefully at 
Kunzite's feet. Kunzite stared at the head possessing a head of copious
blonde tresses quizzically. She moaned quietly, not quite recovered 
after her ordeal with Nephrite, and struggled to sit upright. Kunzite 
watched her pale arms extend and shakily support her weight as she 
lifted her upper body off the ground. Slowly, she lifted her head to 
face her newest oppressor, and the moment their eyes locked, all 
laughter coming from Kunzite's mouth instantly ceased.

	Her blue eyes seared and cut passed his own and delved into his
mind, exploding in a haze of painful feelings the stoic General hadn’t 
ever remembered experiencing before. His heart felt as if it had been 
shocked, and a sudden pressure pushed hard against his chest. He saw 
things, for an instant, flashing across his line of sight. Out of them 
all, he could only catch the glimmer of a sword and the hint of red 
fabric, perhaps a bow. But under the weight of this new and unexpected 
stress, Kunzite could barely think at all.

	Minako seemed to suffer from the onset of a sudden affliction 
as well, for  she stared at him with sparkling wide-open eyes. The 
remaining Lords within the room watched the two of them, knowing 
somehow their unknown fears had been realized from their reactions, 
even if they could not figure out exactly why. It was then they noticed
Minako's lips beginning to move slowly, and they listened quietly to 
her soft whisper – communicating something  that affected them more 
than any dangerous war cry ever could. 

	"Kunzite…"

+++++

	Only if one were deaf would they not find themselves affected 
by the voices outside Minako's cell, and Shing was pretty sure those 
deaf to all else could feel the tension in the air. Curiosity and 
concern for his friend brought the growing boy out of the darkness, and
with surprised black eyes, he watched the scene unfold between Minako 
and the highly decorated Shitennou. Shing had never seen Kunzite before,
but his reputation indeed preceded him, and as he heard Minako utter 
his name, he had no doubt that this was the fabled Hand of the Queen 
himself.

	He was supposed to be the grandest of all the Queen's minions, 
but as Shing stared at him now, he could only see a startled man where 
a towering god should have been standing.

	"See -- it is her!" He heard Zoicite exclaim.

	"Don't be a total twit, Zoicite. She could have heard his name 
anywhere, and who knows how much the Order actually knows about us. It 
doesn't mean anything," Jadeite countered, although he didn't look too
sure himself. 

	"Most of the slaves have never seen us…!" Zoicite argued.

	"If I didn't know any better, you want her to be-"

	"Kunzite…?" For his part, Nephrite's eyes remained locked on 
Kunzite, studying his face and posture, but more importantly, his eyes.
They were the windows to the soul, it was said, and Kunzite's seemed to
be shattered into tiny, splintered pieces. Slowly, he approached and 
put a hand on Kunzite's shoulder. With what little strength he had left, 
Nephrite tried to soothe his friend's mind and could feel the  tension
in Kunzite's shoulder lesson somewhat. "Kunzite…?"

	"Nephrite, follow me," Kunzite quipped and turned on his heel.

	"Put her back in her cage," Nephrite ordered in a contemptuous 
tone before following the quick footsteps of his friend outside. 

	"Where did you find her?" Kunzite demanded once they were in a 
secluded area.

	"Province 21-B… She was with two others, but the Hunter only 
captured her. That tunnel went silent after her capture...Jadeite was a
fool to send Soldiers down there in hopes of finding anything," 
Nephrite replied. 

	"That doesn't matter. Were you here when she did that to the 
Interrogation Room?"
	
	"Yes…"

	"What was it like…?"

	"It was very strong, like an energy field, but different 
somehow. Organic, if that makes sense, as if it was alive. It was 
flowing off her like...like-"

	"Waves…" Kunzite, replied knowingly, his clear eyes staring 
into the darkness beyond. "Was it similar to her power?"

	"I'm not sure. I did not come in close contact with her all 
that much. You are more inclined to know of this one."

	"This is highly unlikely. For almost a thousand years, we've 
kept them locked away. How could one possibly escape unnoticed like 
this?"

	"We have reason to believe there might be another one. The way 
the Soldier Youma died, it was--it was no weapon created by man."

	For his part, Kunzite was taking the news rather well. His 
initial shock from seeing Minako was all but gone, and Nephrite knew he
was pushing his feelings down by engaging his defensive, authoritative
facade. It bothered Nephrite, for a part of him wanted Kunzite to share
in the madness, but he also took strength from Kunzite's resolve.

	"Have you come up with any ideas on how to deal with this?"

	"We've thought we might try to turn her." Nephrite could see 
the utter disbelief, but carried on before Kunzite could shut him up. 
"All of our techniques haven’t worked on her thus far. Before you 
learnt of her existence, I tried to break into her mind to find the 
answers and what I found was the leaders of the Order themselves. They 
are guarding her, but I believe they won't be strong enough to keep 
their hold if we use the crystal against her. If she no longer 
remembers them, she can have no loyalty to Serenitas, then all we have 
to do is try to awaken the possible Senshi within her and bring her 
over to our side. It is a risk, but it might be the only chance we have."

	"I do not disagree with this plan," Kunzite relinquished his 
reservations after giving it some thought. "You should have told me, 
but after seeing her, I understand why. I would have told Beryl 
outright, but now...now with this information, I know it was wise to 
keep it from her, as her rage towards them occasionally blinds her 
judgment. This plan though, it will consume a lot of our energy."

	"I know. That's why we need you now. You're the only one that 
can convince Beryl to let us have the energy we need."

	Kunzite nodded and moved a few paces away from him, his 
calculated mind swarming with scenarios and outcomes. Nephrite knew 
Kunzite was in too deep to back out and betray them, but even the 
grandest of the Shitennou could not turn water into wine when there 
wasn't any water to begin with. It might be a futile endeavor, but 
Nephrite had to hope, for his sanity and the sanity of his friends, 
that there was something to be done. 

	"I will talk to Beryl," Kunzite finally answered. "How soon 
can you do this?"

	"As soon as you give me the word.”

	"You have it."

	"But...you haven't talked to Be-"

	"In this case," Kunzite interrupted, marching back towards him.
"I think it would be safer to ask her forgiveness than permission."

	"I see. For safety and secrecy then, I suggest we do it late at
night when most of the palace is sleeping, so we do not risk drawing 
any  unnecessary attention."

	"Agreed... I will meet all of you back here at fourteen hundred
hours, and then we shall see if we are still bound to play this cycling
game." Kunzite turned and stormed out of the room leaving Nephrite in 
his thunderous wake.

+++++

	Shing was surprised when only Nephrite returned from outside, 
and found the look in his eyes disturbing. There was nothing more to 
be done for Minako, since most of her injuries were mentally induced. 
So he set to work organizing his supplies while the remaining two lords
worried like old maids.

	"What did he say?" Zoicite demanded as soon as Nephrite stepped
over the threshold. 

	"He has agreed to help us, and we'll perform the assimilation
tonight."

	Shing heard the two youngest generals sigh in relief, but his 
own heart sped up within his chest – assimilation…? It was a heavy word, 
and he didn't like what it implied.

	"Is he...all right?" Jadeite asked.

	"I don't know," Nephrite, answered honestly. "He’s hiding 
behind his usual stone barrier, and I just don't have the strength to 
try and break it down right now."

	"Yes, you must be exhausted. You should go and get some rest 
before tonight," Jadeite suggested.

	"I don't know how I would be able to sleep at a time like 
this."

	"I'm sure one of your concubines could do the trick," Jadeite 
proposed with a sly smile. "Perhaps this Irinushka I've heard so much 
about."

	"Perhaps…can you handle everything?"

	"Don't worry, Nephrite, leave it to us." Zoicite nodded, 
patting his companion on the shoulder. "Soon we will be rid of this 
nuisance, one way or another. Even if it doesn't work out, we'll get to
watch her die a horrible, horrible death."

	"No…!" Shing shouted before he could stop himself. He instantly
clamped his hand over his mouth, but the damage had already been done. 
All three heads turned to him at the same time, then the generals 
advanced on him like a famished Cerberus. However, Jadeite grabbed him 
by the collar, and forcefully began to drag him from the room. 

	"You, my dear Shing, have served your purpose. So you are 
henceforth released from my command," Jadeite declared and cast him out
of the room. He quickly reached for the card he had given the young boy
weeks ago, and Shing watched it shrivel away in the Lord's blue energy 
sphere. "I suggest you go back to your former job, and never, ever
speak of what you have heard here. If I even hear so much as a whisper
of this, I will know where it came from. You have seen my vengeance up 
close, Shing, and I swear I will do ten times worse to you than I did 
to her. Do you understand me?"

	"Y-Yes Sir," Shing bowed his head, trying not to topple over as
his whole body felt wobbly and unstable with fear.

	"Good, you are a smart boy, Shing. Now get out of my sight," 
Jadeite snapped, and Shing never looked back.

+++++