Endymion dashed from room to room of the castle, meeting nothing but the
echoes of his footsteps. He turned and walked through a large arch to emerge
outside, into an enormous garden. It was green and gold and violet and red and a
thousand other colors of flower and tree, reaching to a sturdy wall in the
distance. Spinning to admire the scenery in all directions, the armor-clad
prince was treated to a view of an extensive palace, the walls and spires of
which glimmered in the light of the sun. Looking up, he saw the moon; heavy and
full it was visible even during the day. The moon...
    Even as the realization that this had been his palace struck Endymion, he
was running. There was an urgent thing, someone he had to go to at once. Was he
meeting Serenity? No, something told him she was safe in her own palace. This
crisis was his own. His parents? No, he was sure the king and queen were well.
It was someone else, very close to him nonetheless. He dashed to the end of a
hall, towards closed double doors. As he passed he could swear he had seen four
gray uniformed men kneeling to the sides of the corridor, as if they had been
waiting specifically for him. Endymion threw the doors open wide.
    He was surrounded by darkness. To the extremes of human vision in every
direction there was nothing, not even the velvet shadows of a moonless night.
Fear gripped at his heart, but nothing seemed to move, not even his own body. He
was imprisoned in nothing, with no one. Suddenly, he turned. Behind him lay a
single, large crystal, encasing a familiar blonde-haired man. Mamoru looked
intently upon the man's face, his countenance still as death and his eyes closed
as if to sleep forever. "Jadeite?" Mamoru wondered aloud, before Jadeite opened
his eyes and screamed.
    Mamoru's body jerked upright, woken suddenly from a deep sleep. "What was
that?" he asked himself quietly. "Was that a dream?"


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|          Tuxedo America            |
|   Chapter 6: Old Acquaintances     |
|                                    |
|       Started by ColdFury          |
| This part by Gaijin Dan Mastriani  |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Mamoru lifted the box gently from the drawer he'd hid it in and unwrapped
the soft, white cloth surrounding it. To tell the truth, the box's contents were
a disturbing coincidence. He'd never told Usagi about it, and in fact had tried
not to think of it since the defeat of the Dark Kingdom. The dream he'd just
had, however, made him remember. Carefully undoing the latch, he opened the lid
and looked inside.
    "Mamoru?"
    The former prince and future king looked up to see one of his roommates
leaning around his partially opened door. "Josh? I'm sorry. Did I wake you?"
    "Naw, man. I was just on my way back from the bathroom when I saw the light
was on in your room. The door wasn't locked, so I thought I'd see if everything
was okay." Josh stepped through the door, curiosity getting the better of him.
"Hey, what's in the box?"
    Mamoru turned the box to face him. "They're some semiprecious stones. These
two on the bottom are jadeite, a hard jade, and nephrite, which is soft jade.
This one up here is a blue-violet tanzanite called blue zoicite. The last one, a
pink spodumene, is kunzite." No need to mention that the four Dark Kingdom
generals he and the Sailor Senshi had faced - was it four years ago, now? - had
borne the very same names.
    "Hey, cool. Is it okay if I, you know? Pick them up?"
    "It's no problem. Go ahead."
    Josh lifted each in turn, holding them up to the light and glancing through
the clear ones. "Dude, that's weird. They're all warm, except for the jadeite."
    "Really?" Checking the stones with his hands, Mamoru soon confirmed it.
"You're right. That is odd."
    Josh scratched his head. "Well, I can't say I've ever taken geology. Maybe
they're supposed to do that. They all look like really nice gems, though. So,
were these a gift from your parents or...aw, jeez! I totally forgot you don't
want to talk about your family."
    "No. No, it's not that." Mamoru suddenly noticed that he'd directed his gaze
to the carpet rather than Josh, and rose his head to face him. "Something bad
happened. A long time ago. I'll tell you."
    "Are you sure? I mean, if you don't want to, it's cool."
    Mamoru shook his head. "No, this is better than skirting the issue. We see
each other a lot, so the last thing we need to be is afraid of talking to each
other. It was on my sixth birthday. My parents and I went for a drive. There was
a horrible crash. My parents died, but somehow I survived with few injuries.
However, I totally lost my memory. I can still barely remember their faces. I
didn't even know my own name; the hospital workers told it to me. They learned
it from this box. The police say it must have been thrown from the car, like I
was, although it doesn't seem to be scuffed or broken in any way." He reached
into the box and pulled a small index card from under the lid. "See? This is
sloppy handwriting, not that you'd be able to read it anyway, since you don't
know Japanese. But, basically, it's my name and address. Chiba Mamoru, Azabu-
cho, Tokyo. I actually moved back there once I was old enough to leave the
orphanage."
    "God, Mamoru! I never knew you had it so tough! I don't know if I could've
handled something like that. It's got to always bother you a bit, but do you
feel okay nowadays?"
    "Yes. Yes, I do. I still miss my memories, of course, but I've made many
great friends in the past few years. Especially Usagi. It's because I have
memories with her that I don't feel so bad."
    "Guess I should stop making fun of all the love letters she sends you, huh?"
    "I'd like that."

    "Your...highness?" Bloutite genuflected nervously. Hopefully, he'd guessed
correctly.
    "EMPRESS, YOU TWIT!"
    Drat. This didn't bode well for the rest of the conversation. "Of course! A
mere slip of the tongue, my Empress. As you've requested, our technicians are
working night and day to perfect our youma remote-delivery system. They believe
it will be only a few days before our students can use it with no detrimental
effect. Also, I've been working on a plan to eliminate Tuxedo Mask and the
other..."
    "SILENCE! YOU TAKE TOO LONG, BLOUTITE! I'VE ALREADY COME UPON THE METHOD OF
THOSE INTERLOPERS' DESTRUCTION!"
    "My Empress?" No, no, no! If she were to decide she didn't need him...
    "BEHOLD!" A hole in reality opened upon the floor of the room, even darker
than the room itself. From it, a large quartz crystal, big enough to hide a man,
rose slowly and hovered mere inches off the ground.
    "My...my Empress! Is that really what I believe it to be?" The crystal began
to crack.

    "Kelly?" Keith turned back towards his significant other.
    She narrowed her eyes for a second, but the expression soon passed. "I
thought I felt something. I dunno. I guess it's nothing."
    "Okay," Keith shrugged, and they continued on their way.

    "Eh?"
    "What is it, Apollo?" Sally asked the suddenly alert cocker-spaniel.
    He lay back down. "Ach, nothin' I'm sure. Couldn't have been other than me
imagination."

    Mamoru had already carefully repacked and put away his one family heirloom
and moved on with his day by this point, so he could easily be forgiven for
being unaware of the gem to the lower left shaking briefly, then becoming still
once again.

    "My Empress! I must question this course of action! Was he not a subordinate
of your rival, and a failure at that?"
    "SILENCE, IMPUDENT FOOL! HOW DARE YOU QUESTION MY JUDGEMENT! BERYL WAS A
FOOL, AND QUEEN METALLIA A FOOL FOR RELYING ON HER! THAT IS WHY THEY ARE DEAD! I
WILL NOT BE BURNED TO NOTHING BY THE GINZUISHO! AND MY NEW GENERAL WILL SEE TO
THAT! ARISE, WARRIOR JADEITE!"
    He was free, he knew that. Not just from the crystal, but truly. His mind
was clear, his memories unhidden. Beryl and Metallia must surely have been
defeated by that Sailor Moon, as unbelievable as that seemed. But who had
released him from his prison? Had the Senshi decided to show his comrades and
himself mercy? Hearing a voice calling him, he looked up. It was impossible, yet
in front of him nonetheless. "Princess?"
    "DON'T CALL ME THAT! YOU MAY REFER TO ME AS EMPRESS, ONLY! HOWEVER, I AM
PLEASED THAT YOU STILL RECOGNIZE ME."
    Holding desperately to his composure, Jadeite dropped to one knee. "My
Empress, of course."
    "LISTEN WELL, JADEITE. THE DARK KINGDOM YOU KNEW IS DEAD, OBLITERATED BY THE
MOON PRINCESS AND THE GINZUISHO. BERYL AND METALLIA LED YOUR COMRADES TO THEIR
DEATHS. I, HOWEVER, WILL NOT ACT SO FOOLISHLY. I HAVE HID MYSELF FROM THE SAILOR
SENSHI, WAITING UNTIL ALL WAS READY TO OBLITERATE THEM! UNFORTUNATELY, IT SEEMS
THEIR ALLY TUXEDO MASK HAS STUMBLED UPON US, AND MAY BRING THEM HERE BEFORE WE
ARE READY. YOU ARE NOW MY SERVANT JADEITE, AND YOUR FIRST TASK IS TO ELIMINATE
TUXEDO MASK AND THE TWO OTHER ANNOYANCES THAT HAVE BEEN PLAGUING ME BEFORE OUR
PLANS CAN BE OVERTURNED. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"
    "My Empress," Jadeite spoke as he rose to his feet and bowed respectfully.
"I understand completely. And I refuse."
    "YOU WHAT!?" Flaring with power, she sent off a blast that vaporized several
youma that just happened to be in the direction her target, but Jadeite had
already teleported away. The Empress (Queen? Mistress?) fumed. "FIND HIM,
BLOUTITE. AND KILL HIM."

    Jadeite floated above an unfamiliar field in an unfamiliar area. I didn't
seem that he was anywhere near Tokyo, or even Japan. Also, in his rush to leave,
he hadn't had time to properly judge his teleport. Therefore, he was left
without any real clue as to where he'd just came from. "Well, it couldn't be
helped. If the Moon Princess has been reborn, the odds are good of Prince
Endymion having returned as well. I must find him at once; I have much to make
up for."

    Mamoru wandered into his room, shutting the door behind him. Putting down
his books, he collapsed upon the bed. He had to admit, while he had heard that
American public schools were not nearly as challenging as their Japanese
counterparts, obviously the reverse was true for American colleges. Not that
this would have been a problem, normally. He'd come for a good education, after
all. With the "complications" that had shown up, however, his studies were
getting to be a bit much. Mamoru rolled over, to see Jadeite kneeling at the
side of his bed. "Hm," Mamoru thought. "Haven't seen him in a while." And then
his brain woke back up, instructing him to jump off the bed and into a defensive
position.
    "My Prince, I've found you! Please, hear me out!" Seeing that Mamoru was a
bit more patient than Beryl had been, Jadeite was able to continue. "I am indeed
a weak minded fool, for I was lead easily into the employ of the enemy. Though
my thoughts may have been clouded once I became a general of the Dark Kingdom, I
nonetheless accept all responsibility for my actions. I do not expect
forgiveness. I ask only that I might return to your service, in order to work
towards repaying the debt I owe you."
    His service? Mamoru's memories of his life as Endymion were few, and mostly
of rendezvous with Serenity. Yet, there was something about Jadeite's
expression. His eyes were clear and deep, not cold and glassy as they'd been
when they'd dueled that last time at the airport. Mamoru was moved to take his
hand, and remembered. He pulled Jadeite to his feet, and shook his hand warmly.
"Welcome back, old friend."
    "I regret only that I alone of my comrades survived." They stood in silence
for a moment, until Jadeite spoke again. "The Moon Princess Serenity has been
reborn as well, my lord. It was she that destroyed Beryl and Metallia. Having
encountered her bodyguard, I am sure we could locate her."
    "Call me Mamoru, Jadeite. I'm not a prince anymore; that kingdom is long
gone. And I'd rather have an old friend than a servant. As for Serenity..."
Mamoru indicated the picture frame on his dresser, "we've been reunited."
    Having lifted the frame to look upon it, Jadeite nearly dropped the image of
Usagi and Mamoru together once he'd seen it. "But that's...she's..." Turning
back to his master's knowing smile, Jadeite couldn't help but laugh at his own
ignorance. "Sailor Moon was the Princess, under our noses the entire time. Tell
me, did your father appoint as your generals four fools he felt pity for?"
    Mamoru laughed, himself. "They likely matched their prince, who seeing the
same girl several times daily, didn't recognize her himself."
    Jadeite grew silent again. "Tuxedo Kamen. He was you, wasn't he?"
    "They call me Tuxedo Mask here in America, but yes."
    "And I..."
    "Wouldn't have remembered me if you'd known. Zoicite and Kunzite didn't."
    "We failed you greatly. If I were to spend the rest of my life apologizing,
it would not be enough."
    "I'll give you one last order, Jadeite. It's to stop beating yourself up.
Yes, you were swayed by Metallia's power, but she played on your weaknesses and
the doubts in your heart. Doubts like you have right now. But anyone could have
fallen to her, and many did. They, however, didn't get the chance you have. I
forgive you. For everything. And I know Usako will, too. So how about you come
with me and be a good guy again?"
    When Jadeite looked up at his former master again, tears glistened in his
eyes. "Master. No, Mamoru. Thank you. I would like that very much."
    "Good. Then it's settled. You can get a job locally, or if you'd prefer
we'll disguise you as a student. Either way, you're free to stay with me. I'll
just tell my roommates you're an old friend from Japan who needs somewhere to
bunk until he gets on his feet around here. They're good guys; they won't mind.
Now, we'll need to keep in touch somehow, as there's a new enemy that's shown up
and I could use your help."
    "I needed to tell you about that. I know the enemy's identity, but I fear it
will upset you."
    "It's someone from the Silver Millenium, isn't it?"
    "Yes."
    "It's okay, Jadeite. It's important that I know. Who is it?"
    "It...she...she is..." Whatever Jadeite's reply would have been, it was
preempted by a scream.
    "Damn," Mamoru swore, extracting a rose. "You'll have to tell me later.
Let's go."

    Bloutite sighed and placed his face in his palm. "I am a leader of fools."
    "Aw, c'mon, Teach," the young youma, apparently some sort of uprooted
basketball hoop, grinned at his professor. "The plan's so simple, it's gotta
work. It's like this: we blast a bunch of stuff, suck some energy for the Boss
Lady, and make a general mess. The mark we're s'posed to kill comes running out
to see what's all the commotion, like the morally upright doofus he is, and we
blast him. And if any of his good guy friends show up, we blast them too! Easy!"
    "Assuming you survive this mission, Rimshot, you will be attending my next
seminar on the pitfalls of underestimating the heroes." The youma educator
general faded away to watch from a safe distance.
    "Yeah, yeah. You just wait 'til I'm putting this victory in my thesis,"
Rimshot waved off Bloutite's advice. Suddenly, a rose impacted at his feet!
    "Stop right there!" Rimshot rolled his eyes. "The game of basketball is a
time-honored reminder of American ingenuity. Ever since it's invention, it has
brought together men of all races and creeds to play, to have fun, to acquire
scholarships, and most of all to sign lucrative endorsement deals! I will not
allow you to spoil the dreams of athletically inclined students everywhere! In
the name of the NCAA, Tuxedo Mask will not forgive you!"
    Teleporting in over Tuxedo Mask's left shoulder, Jadeite also spoke. "I,
Jadeite, will also not forgive you! Even though I feel rather silly right now!"
    "Oh, that ain't all you gonna feel, sissy boy!" Suddenly dribbling a
basketball with each hand, Rimshot bounced the round projectiles violently
towards the masked and non-masked hero. "Eat this! Double Dribble!"
    Both snappy dressers moved quickly from the balls' paths, but were nearly
caught unaware when the rubberized spheres ricocheted off the nearby buildings
at statistically unlikely angles to fly back towards them. "What's this?" asked
Tux, nearly losing his classy hat, but not quite.
    "Yeah, fools! My b-balls will keep bouncing back at you until you catch the
ball check in a real bad way!"
    Jadeite neatly avoided a hit. "That line single-handedly made me feel better
about making hero speeches, kid."
    "Shut up! You're finished!" Neatly removing the netting from the hoop on his
back, Rimshot tossed it quickly at Tuxedo Mask as he landed from a jump.
Expanding magically, the net fell over the hero, momentarily immobilizing him.
"Yeah, nothing but net! Save your friend if you can, tough guy!" The basketballs
redirected suddenly, flying straight for the caped man's face.
    Teleporting directly in front of his friend Jadeite frowned. "This is
inane." He held out his hand and bounced both basketballs harmlessly off an
energy shield, one smacking Rimshot directly in the forehead. "Would you like to
put him out of his stupidity, Tuxedo Mask?"
    Having extricated himself from Rimshot's net, Tuxedo Mask smiled. "Don't
mind if I do. Charging Cane Attack!" One Rimshot became two half-Rimshots, and
two half-Rimshots became dust, in that order. "Well, looks like we took care of
him. And you didn't even get to meet my two erstwhile allies. Shall we go,
Jadeite?"
    "Yes, but first I must tell you our enemy's identity. I dare not delay such
news longer."

    "It's already too late, traitor." From his vantage point on the top of a
nearby high-rise, Bloutite took careful aim and fired a pinpoint blast directly
for Jadeite's heart. Caught completely by surprise, Jadeite shuddered as the
blast pierced his body, then collapsed. "And now for you, Tuxedo Mask."
    "We don't think so!"
    Bloutite turned quickly, to see Solaris and Nightshadow posed dramatically
behind him. "Hm," he sneered. "It seems to have become crowded up here. I've
done what I came to do; I'll show myself out." And with that, he vanished.
    "Damn. Who was that guy?" Solaris asked.
    "No clue, but he looked strong. He'll be trouble in the future," answered
Nightshadow.
    "Right now, we'd better go help Tuxedo Mask." They leapt to the ground.

    "Dammit! Jadeite, stay with me. You've got to stay awake." Looking up from
where he'd been examining Jadeite's wound, Tuxedo Mask saw his allies land on
the lawn nearby. "Solaris! Nightshadow! Thank goodness! Nightshadow, my friend
here could really use your help right now!"
    "I'm on it." Nightshadow dropped to Jadeite's side and began to apply his
Mystic Healing Art. "I don't understand this. It's not working!"
    Jadeite stirred, and struggled to speak. "Metallia...changed my body...
Healing power...useless..."
    "Jadeite, please," Tuxedo Mask pleaded. "Don't try to talk."
    "Dying...your enemy...Metallia...sister..."
    "Queen Metallia's sister?"
    "No...not Metallia's...made her...sister..."
    "Jadeite? What are you trying to say? Whose sister is she?"
    "Prince...sister..."
    "I'm here, Jadeite. Whose sister is she?"
    "Explain...understand...gems...aaaaaagh!" Jadeite spasmed, and lay still.
    "Jadeite? Jadeite!" Tuxedo Mask shook his old friend's body, but to no
avail. Jadeite faded away in his former master's arms. "Goodbye, old friend."
    Solaris looked back and forth between the spot. "Whoa, whoa. What just
happened here? What was that guy? How do you know him? Who's Queen Metallia? And
what gems?"
    Tuxedo Mask rose slowly. "As you're often mysterious yourself, I hope you'll
forgive me for not saying more than that he was a comrade of mine from a
lifetime ago. Metallia is dead. And if you'll excuse me, I may just have
realized exactly which gems he meant."
    Nightshadow restrained Solaris by way of a hand on her shoulder as Tuxedo
Mask dashed away. "I think that we all have our own mysteries, at least right
now."


Author's notes:
This'll be short, as I'm running late. This chapter was likely too ambitious,
and not completed to my original vision. It reads too much like bad fanfic for
my taste, but hopefully it'll be serviceable and my audience will find it better
than I give myself credit for. In it's current state, it leaves a few things set
up but not done. With any luck, the next author will be somewhat familiar with
the Sailor Moon manga and realize what plot device I'm "borrowing" from it, as
well as what I'd intended as to HER origin. Or he could ask me, assuming he
doesn't want to make something up himself. Which might be better than what I was
thinking, for all I know.

Man, I write stupid author notes, huh?