Aneena Notes 1.) I would like to thank everyone who wrote me to tell me what they thought of my story, I really do appreciate it. 2.) Again, I would like to hear what everyone out there thinks of my story. (Although, no rude comments, because, well, they're rude.) 3.) Those Wacky Characters: All Sailor Moon Villians are the property of all those wonderful people who bring us Sailor Moon. All other characters by the property of yours truly. 4.) Thank you and I hope that you enjoy "The Life Beyond Death" Chapter I. THE SAILOR MOON FAN FICTION "THE LIFE BEYOND DEATH" CHAPTER I: TEMPTATION *************************************** Jadiete was no stranger to silence, or darkness. When he'd been imprisoned within the crystal locked in an eternal sleep he'd known those things well. That doesn't mean that he ever learned to like them. "You hate the darkness don't you, Jadiete?" A woman's voice whispered through the silence. Still unable to speak, for his lungs had been compressed to long from that Jadiete said nothing. Even if he could speak he probably wouldn't have spoken anyway. There was something about this woman's voice, something familiar, something evil. "That's alright. You don't have to answer me, I know that you do. Queen Beryl was wrong to lock you away. She was angry and allowed her emotions to lead her. I would not have locked you away, I know the power you wield and the power you are capable of wielding. Join me, Jadiete. Together we can rule this world and the next." The woman's voice was seductive, like a tender caress. But there was something evil within that beautiful voice, something which promised a price to that power that she promised. A price that Jadiete knew he was not willing to pay. "So, that's how it is." The voice spat. It was suddenly full of anger and hatred. "You will not join me." Jadiete shook his head and felt his pale blond locks drop across his forehead. "Fine, I'll except that...for now. I have not freed you completely from your eternal sleep Jadiete. Your soul, your mind, your spirit are free, but your body is still frozen within that crystal of eternal sleep. Only when you submit and give yourself into my service will you be truly free. Soon you will beg me to except you as my humble servant." With that the voice was gone and Jadiete was left alone once more in the shapeless darkness. *** "Nephrite." Nephrite looked up from the floor on which he sat. He'd sat on that floor for what seemed like hours. He had only had the silence for company for so long, could he now be imagining that someone was calling his name? "Nephrite..." Not a voice of the imagination, this was the soft, seductive voice of a woman. "Who's there?" Nephrite asked his gaze darting around the dimly lit chamber. The room seemed to have no walls, yet Nephrite had found it impossible to walk outside the light cast by the small candle that sat on the floor in the middle of the chamber. "Nephrite..." the woman's voice whispered again. Strangely enough, it sounded like Molly. "Molly? Is that you?" He asked quietly. "No...but it can be. I can give you the woman you love once again." Nephrite narrowed his eyes at the darkness from whence the voice seemed to originate. He knew this voice, if only he could remember... "It doesn't matter who I am, Nephrite. I just want you to know what I can do for you." "Do tell." Nephrite muttered placing his head into his hands. "I can give you back the woman you love. I can give you a normal life, a life outside of the Negaverse. A world in which you will know only happiness with this woman you love so much." Nephrite narrowed his eyes in suspicion. By the stars, this offer was far too good to be true. Far too good. "What is your price, woman? What is the payment you will ask of me for such an existence?" "That's what I like about you Nephrite. You were always the wisest of them all, the most intelligent. I like that Nephrite. I respect your abilities and your power. Help and I will give you the life you desire." Molly. A life, a love, a home. A life guiding each day by his actions and the stars...and love. A life without the hate and vindictiveness which had guided his life in the Negaverse. His life... Then Nephrite remembered what he could not remember before: his life was over. He remembered dying in Molly's arms, fading away and becoming one with the stars...until he was snatched away. Snatched away from a peace that was rightfully his by...her. By this woman who hid in the shadows whose name he could not remember. "Forget it. I'm dead I don't have to bend to your rules woman." Nephrite said, his voice filled with loathing. "Oh, but you do Nephrite. I own your soul. I own you all. You will submit to me. But for right now there are some people for you to see." The darkness closed in on Nephrite and as the candle flickered and died. *** "This is not happening. This is NOT happening. THIS IS NOT HAPPENING!" Zoycite screamed into the darkness. She was alone, but this wasn't hell. It was far worse than that. "Focus. Yes, that's what I need now. I have got to focus and not flip out here." Zoycite took a deep breath. It didn't help. She was very close to hysterics. Far too close. "I've just got to relax." "Yes, relax Zoycite." Zoycite leaped to her feet at the sound of that soft female voice. "What do you want from me!?!" "Ahh...you know me don't you, Zoycite? You remember me where the others can not, so you know how powerful I am. You also know how futile resistance to me is." "I...I don't want to help you. I won't help you...I know what you're planning to do." Zoycite stuttered. "Oh, but you will Zoycite. You will. But first I have a business proposition for you...about Malachite." "Leave him out of this. He doesn't remember anything, he doesn't know you." "And you will not tell him Zoycite, neither will you tell the others what you know about me." "Malachite...The others...oh dear lord...you couldn't...you didn't..." "Oh, but I can and I did. I have grown powerful behind your wildest imaginings Zoycite and soon the Earth shall know of my power and regret the day that they betrayed me." Dear lord, she's gone mad, Zoycite thought as she starred into the darkness around her. "You will be my helper Zoycite, you will try and sway the opinions of the others to me. They will help me, or I will sentence you to a fate far more painful than death and far more horrible than Jadiete's eternal sleep." I have no choice, Zoycite realized as the darkness closed in on her and she bowed her head in defeat. *** "Hmmm..." Malachite looked about the small room in which he lay upon a bed of soft down pillows. "This is odd." His head felt clouded and it seemed that he couldn't think a single serious thought. It was incredibully frustrating to say the least. "Where would you like to go?" A voice said breaking the peaceful silence. "Hm? Where would I like to go?" Malachite asked as he sat up and scanned the room for the source of the voice. He tried to think to focus on the voice's words, but it was like grasping at straws. For some reason, Malachite couldn't seem to remember where he or even how he had gotten here. In fact he couldn't remember much of anything except his own name. "Yes. Tell me where you would like to go and you shall be there?" The voice said, it's tone automated, almost mechanical. "Stranger and stranger..." Malachite muttered. Unable to think of anything else to stay he involunterly mummered his reply to the voice's quary. "I wish to be with my love, Zoycite. Where ever she is is where I wish to be." Yes, Zoycite. He seemed to remember a Zoycite. A beautiful woman with honey blond hair. He remembered as being someone he loved deeply, but also someone who was unfailingly cruel to others. Yet he also seemeed to remember her as being kind, loving, but extermely tough woman who had worked alongside him for as long as he could remember. Everything suddenly seemed so confused, so hard to grasp. But regardless, he knew that he loved this woman and wanted to be with her....no matter what. "Are you sure?" The automated voice asked. Malachite shook his thoughts away, realizing that the voice had been repeating the question for some time. "Of course." "It is dangerous. There is much danger in this life beyond death." Malachite rolled his eyes in annoyance, "Danger? The voice of some machine is warning me of danger? What danger? And a life beyond death? Really." His thoughts were beginning to become less clouded and he suddenly found it easier to put together a coherent thought. Still, he voice either did not register Kunzite's question, or it deigned not to answer it directly. "Five...four...three...two...one... Travel complete." "What? I haven't moved." Malachite spat, confused. "Your destiny awaits you Malachite. We have arrived at your final destination." With that everything was suddenly black as pitch and Malachite was lost in it. *** "LET ME OUT OF HERE!!! DO YOU HERE ME?!?! I SAID, LET ME OUT OF HERE!!!!!" Rubeus pounded his fist against the wall of the cage that held him. It was small, no bigger then six feet in any direction and Rubeus had never cared much for enclosed spaces. "DAMN IT ALL!!!!! I WANT OUT!!!" In his anger, Rubeus tossed yet another energy blast in the direction of the bars of the cage to no effect. Inside this worthless cage, his powers seemed to be useless. "I will set you free Rubeus." A woman's voice whispered. Rubeus' eyes narrowed and he ceased pounding on the wall. "What?" He asked, his voice flat. "I said that I will set you free." Again the woman's voice, seductive and soothing. Damn voice sounded firmiluar. Too damn firmilar. Yet he couldn't seem to place it. Although, it did sound a lot like that bitch Esmeraude. Rubeus growled, his teeth cletched. "What the hell do you mean by that? How the hell did I get in here in the first damn place?" "I brought you here." "Oh, you did, did you." I'm gonna kill this little bitch, Rubeus thought to himself as he starred into the darkness that surrounded the cell. "Yes. I am far more powerful than anyone you have ever met. I can help you." "Oh?" Rubeus said, yawning. "I can help you get your revenge." How does this bitch know? How the hell does this stupid little bitch know that...oh shit. It was at that moment that Rubeus, like Nephrite, realized that he was dead. Yet, in the same way it had helped Nephrite remember what was most important, it drove Rubeus just a litte bit crazy. He laughed. "Great. That's just great. I'm dead, this is hell and that must make you...hm...Satan?" "This isn't hell Rubeus. But it will be your hell if you do not allow me to help you." "You're threatening me now?" His voice held a note of disbelief "Not threatening, just trying a little obvious persuasion." "I'll bet. How the hell can you threaten the dead, babe? I really don't see anything that you can hold against me." "But I have something you want.." "That I can get on my own. I wouldn't take any pleasure out of having it done for me. When I take my revenge it will be through my own means and when I'm done with her...maybe I'll move on to you." "Insolent fool." Rubeus laughed as the darkness engulfed the cage in which he stood. *** "Damn, my head hurts something fierce." Sapphiro muttered, groaning as he pushed himself to his feet. "Your brother is in grave danger." "Wha..." Sapphiro began, but he was instantly cut off by the automated disembodied voice which had just spoken. "Your brother is in grave danger. You must act quickly." "I don't understand." "Not yet...but you will." *** "Dimand..." Esmeraude mummered. She sprang to a sitting position and scanned the darkness. Where was she? "You are about to launch a grand endever, my dear." A woman's voice said from nearby. Esmeraude grimaced. Her entire body was sore, presumably from some half remembered battle with the Sailor Scouts. Esmeraude pushed herself to her feet cautionously. "What endeaver would that be?" "Why the business of conquest...both yours and mine. If you help me I'll give you the one thing you desire most." It was funny, but Esmeraude couldn't remember what that should be. Everything in her was conflicting feelings. Disturbingly evil thoughts, mixed with a deep seated desire for the Prince of her king- dom. But there was something else, some half remembered memories and desires. The woman appeared not to notice her inner turmoil. "Yes, Esmeraude Prince Dimand shall be yours." The soothing voice added quietly. Esmeraude forced an empty smile in the darkness and prayed that this woman did not discover her doubts. *** Dimand laughed quietly from his place on the soft, comfortable couch. He had been awakened hours earlier by the sound of trickling water that came from a bathroom several feet away from where he lie. The room seemed comfortable enough, but as far as he could tell there seemed to be no way out of the damn thing. It was strange that he should end up in such a place after everything that he had suffered and forced others to suffer. He could sense that there was something wrong about this place, something gravely wrong. He prayed that he was wrong, but knew he was not. This place was evil. It was the evil of the woman who had imprisoned him here. An evil that he seemed to know intimately, yet could not remember. If only he could remember... *** The woman laughed, her voice deep and throaty. "My plans are coming together nicely. Now for the final touch..." *** Meanwhile on Earth, a young girl of seven played alone on a playground in a small park. The little girl giggled as she ran to the top of the slide and waved to her mother from the top of it just before she disappeared down it. The slide was made of plastic and covered to keep the sun from shining directly upon it and making it to warm for the children to slide down. Many children liked to stop in the middle and stay there until their worried parents came to look for them. Maxi Stevens was not one of those children. When Maxi did not reappear at the bottom of the slide, Mrs. Stevens began to worry. After a few moments passed she dashed to the bottom of the slide. "Maxi? Maxi, sweetheart?" But Maxi wasn't inside the slide. She wasn't anywhere on the playground. "MAXI!!!" Mrs. Stevens screamed as she collapse onto the sand at the foot of the slide. "MAXI!!!!"