Disclaimer: Characters are not mine, but the ideas are.

Much thanks to alizep for beta-ing and VO1 for her prodding.

Chapter Eight – Teardrops falling down my face

Moonlight cascaded through the French windows, bathing the room in a soft, silvery glow. A lone figure stepped out of the shadows unnoticed. The thick carpeting silenced his footsteps as he padded towards the canopy bed. He sucked in a deep breath at the ethereal beauty that greeted him.

Nestled among her fluffy pillows, a small smile gracing her face, Minako was as radiant asleep as when her eyes danced with merriment. She was blessed by the gods he used to worship. Despite being born to mortal parents, she took after the last Queen of Venus, whose fine genes had not been lost in her rebirth.

Adonis filed the serene image into the dossier of his brain. He knew he would be reprimanded for venturing here. 'Don't be hasty, young one', he was advised, but he was uncertain if patience and determination could relieve him of the cross he now bore on his shoulders. Kneeling beside the bed, he touched Minako lightly with his hand. He traced the shape of her mouth, his fingers lingering on her lower lip, unwilling to let go.

Once, he had succumbed to his desire to kiss those lips he had lusted after. She had tasted like peaches and forbidden desires. His nerve endings had flared to life, and in those few seconds, Adonis was walking on cloud nine. When they parted, he had wondered if that was what heaven must be like. To be able to stand before, let alone kiss, the blonde child-woman was a fantasy his other life had never imagined possible.

When he predicted her love fortune, her eyes had haunted him. The blue orbs had stared at him with crazed hope, while distrust and contempt lurked beneath their azure depths. He knew what that look entailed.

He might fancy they were destined by the stars to be together. She would dance out of his grasp before he could catch her. Forever and ever, she would always be another world away from his pitiful existence and unreachable to him.

After Minako had dealt him the killing blow, when he thought he had to make peace with death, Adonis heard voices calling out to him. They were hauntingly familiar, but the warmth beneath their tone had felt like home. Desperate to escape the clutches of eternal darkness, he reached out for the eager calls, his mind determined to seize the light that accompanied them.

When he came to, disoriented from the recent events, he found himself in a strange country where he felt oddly at peace. There he met a young priest whose youthful looks didn't match his age. Adonis suspected he had seen that face a long time ago. Disregarding his suspicions, the priest introduced himself as Helios, and informed Adonis that the sacred land they were in was Elysion. In that sanctuary, troubled souls were healed and relieved of their past sufferings. It was the young Neo-Queen Serenity's desire to grant her enemies clemency by giving them a chance in life again. Acquiesced by her husband, King Endymion, those wishing to serve Crystal Tokyo could rebuild their strength in Elysion. Adonis learnt later the shitennou also visited that land, but he had never once met any of them.

Weeks, months, or years, passed. He began to be fed up with the harmonious environment. The ugly green-eyed monster of jealousy had reared its gigantic head when Adonis realized he was perhaps condemned to an existence of penance in Elysion. Helios advised he must be patient. The priest reminded him not to tempt fate until he was summoned. Life had its own designs. If Adonis believed one wrong turn of the wheels of fate could render different outcomes, he would listen to what his heart told him.

Though unwilling, Adonis backed down. As a firm believer in destiny, he didn't want to invoke the fury of the gods. He had a hunch that he would meet Minako again. He might not win her heart. He knew she would have a soft spot for him. After all, didn't she lament him to provoke the high and mighty Kunzite, his former master?

While restoring his strength, Adonis discovered he could teleport to the world outside of his confines. The gift had surfaced after one of his many hikes around the Elysian Fields away from the temple where Helios prayed. He vaguely remembered running into a dark-haired woman with alluring beauty. They must have conversed, for he could recall entering into a strange argument with her before she was gone. Then a foreign feeling had entered into his limbs. Along with his newfound teleportation ability, his gift to foresee the future had returned as well.

Transformed by this new gift, he wasted no time in looking for Minako. When he achieved his goal, however, he was nothing more than a spirit outside Elysion. His state allowed him to watch over her, but Adonis wanted more. He didn't want to be the invalid unfit to ever touch her.

Helios had cautioned him not to exploit his gifts. The priest insisted they were corrupting his thoughts and increasing his vulnerability. When Adonis demanded an explanation, Helios replied he could not answer that. Not long after, his headaches started. They came in rare intervals and became remarkably severe every time. Once or twice, the pain had been so intense that he passed out. The implications failed to register until later.

When he saw that Minako and Kunzite had a terrible fight on one of many such visits, Adonis followed Minako against Helios's admonition. He didn't know what had propelled him to attempt conversation. When she replied to his noncommittal remark, he was pleasantly surprised. It was a dream came true knowing she could feel his presence around her.

As much as he would have enjoyed their banter, visions begun to appear to him as he studied her profile. There were fragments of her falling prey to an unknown enemy and suffering a gruesome death. There were also disturbing images with ghastly wounds covering her body as she fought to protect those she loved. Why the gods would want to bestow such an abominable fate upon their most beloved daughter was beyond him. As the images faded, he managed a cryptic warning before his headaches assaulted him again.

That had been his worst attack. The bar had melted before him and only the lanky man who dared talk to Minako remained. That mortal Yohji had no right to bask in her radiance. He should have offered a sacrifice to the goddess. Mere mortals the likes of him shouldn't taint her essence.

Adonis could barely recall what became of the man's fortune. His attention had been distracted by the headlights of a car going towards Minako at breakneck speed. 'Now,' a disembodied voice had told him, and in the blink of an eye, he was in an ice cave with Minako standing dumbfounded beside him.

Something, or someone, had then taken possession of his mind. Adonis found he couldn't control his body. He saw himself lifting a hand in her direction. Minako widened her eyes, and she fainted. As if pulled by invisible strings, she floated in mid-air for mere seconds before the ice consumed her. He wanted to scream 'No!' and reverse what had occurred. To his horror, a lazy smirk began to spread across his face as he swiped a hand across the glacial surface. His reflection looked back at him with golden eyes instead of his blue grey ones.

'Who are you? What have you done to me?' Adonis asked. It was awkward talking to himself like that. He had never thought his body would become the host of an unknown entity.

"Don't be afraid, Adonis, I will take over from here," he heard the words come out of his mouth. That was his own voice he heard, only there was now a sinister edge laden with it. "The magic in Elysion has suppressed my powers and made taking this body out of there impossible. But that is immaterial now.

"You and I are one and the same, boy. I am what the mortals might call 'the devil side' of us. When you were sent to Elysion, your soul was split into two and I was driven away. Why do you think you felt like a part of your soul was missing when you were resting in your sanctuary?"

'Don't try to deceive me. My eyes are not gold in colour,' Adonis said. Did this entity expect him to believe it was not an evil force?

His 'dark side' laughed. "Are you certain your memories of the past are intact? You are a Venusian. Your eyes become golden when a Venusian is at his most powerful or when he is in sexual pleasure. Can you deny seeing Minako's eyes turn a different shade when she writhed in the throes of passion in Kunzite's arms?"

Adonis couldn't refute the statement. Only a true Venusian would know what it meant for their eyes to change colours. When Adonis did not speak, 'he' continued.

"I know you snuck into her room because she couldn't see you." 'He' looked at the enshrined Minako and pressed his cheek to hers through the ice. "Isn't this what you have always wanted, the princess for yourself? She is yo– no, ours, now. The ice in this cave contains an enormous energy that can stop aging. No one will think to look here after Metaria and her minions were defeated. Shouldn't you be thanking me that I did this for us?"

'They are all lies. Minako doesn't age the way a mere mortal does with the blood flowing in her veins.' Adonis countered as he attempted to break the hold on his body. 'You are not me. I know who you are and what you are after.'

"Don't try to fight me, boy. It is useless." 'He' replied with a triumphant grin. Almost as soon, 'his' confidence faltered and 'he' took an unsteady step backwards.

'Try to stop me.' Adonis challenged. He concentrated, spreading his strength downwards to slowly take command over his body. 'The dark side' hissed, enraged. 'He' balled his hand into fists to repel Adonis' willpower. Moments of struggle later, Adonis fell on his hands and knees. He could feel his heart drumming against his chest as warmth shot from his head to his toes. Flexing his fingers experimentally, he looked about him as though he had escaped a lifetime of blindness.

"You will regret all the things that happened tonight." his 'dark side' promised before 'he' disappeared.

Pain, like needles, crawled along his skin. Adonis wrapped his arms around his torso as the ache mounted. He gasped. It was like he was dying again. Then it stopped.

Remembering where he was, Adonis flattened his palms on the ice prison, willing it to free Minako. Concentrating fiercely, he offered his life to the gods in a silent prayer in exchange for Minako's release. It seemed hours passed. Sweat coated his forehead. Frustrated, he pounded the ice prison with his fists. It was then the ice began to fracture. The cracks spread all over the surface until the structure broke into hundreds of thousands of pieces.

Adonis caught Minako as she fell. He had wanted to be selfish and prolong the moment. She believed him to be dead. He doubted he could hold Minako in his arms again. Her body was growing colder, and her skin pallid. She could not stay in the ice any longer, nor could he bring her back to Elysion. As much as he disliked parting with her, he had no better alternative.

He had to send her home to be treated immediately.

Swinging her weight into his arms, he teleported to Crystal Tokyo knowing she would be taken good care of. He almost had a run-in with Kunzite before he could say a quick goodbye.

Minako stirred in her sleep. Startled, Adonis removed his fingers and fisted his hand. He looked at her like a lover would, content to watch her sleep. He sighed.

"It saddens me that this is the only way I can see you, Minako," Adonis whispered, unwilling to disturb the quiet of the night. "Isn't it ironic that we have switched roles? It used to be you who would do anything to reach me. Now it's my turn."

He resisted the urge to kiss Minako when she turned to sleep on her side, facing his direction. Boldly, he gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"I need you to do something for me, Minako. I don't know how long I have, but –"

Realising suddenly that a third presence had entered into the room, Adonis froze and attempted to teleport out of the room. A power that was much greater than his stopped him. A firm hand gripped his arm and he was dragged forcefully onto the balcony. The French windows shut with a dull 'thud' as he was pushed roughly against the wall.

Stars appeared in his vision at the impact. He shook his head to clear the dizziness. Opening his eyes, he saw Kunzite before him. The wrath and disbelieve etched in his former master's eyes sent a shiver up his spine. There was no escaping their confrontation. To his chagrin, the headaches began to develop once again. He fought an inner battle to contain the pain.

'Let me take him. You never have the guts to stand up to this man.'

'Get out of my head,' he commanded of the disembodied voice.

"What are you doing in the lady's room at this ungodly hour, Danburite?" Kunzite asked evenly. The threat of death beneath his neutral tone was not lost on Adonis. "You were supposed to be already dead."

The pounding in his head was so intense the words he never would have dared slipped out without his notice. "You were supposed to be rotting in your grave as well, Kunzite. Serenity is a generous woman. You are not the only one to be reborn. And by the way, the name is Adonis. Always was, always will be."

Horror-struck, Adonis was helpless to stop it as his conscious mind began drifting into the chasm. He felt the sneer raising the corners of his lips.

'That's right, give in to me. I will take care of him.'

Kunzite narrowed his eyes. "Why have you come here?"

"To find what I have always wanted: Minako. She was never yours."

Kunzite hissed, his sword materialising in his hand. He delivered the first blow, but the changed Adonis jumped out of the attack range. Their dance continued like this for minutes. The smaller man kept dodging the swipes and blows while Kunzite circled him. They only stopped when Kunzite had his sword pressed against Adonis's throat, a thin trickle of blood rolling down the blade.

"I shall kill you now, but I know Minako will be saddened by your death. Go away, Adonis. Don't you dare show your face here again."

'Adonis' gave a maniacal smile. "You can't stop me, Kunzite. Minako is mine. I will have her whether you like it or not."

Bellowing an aberrant laughter, 'he' vanished.

Flustered, it took a moment for Kunzite to recover. He shook his head, disgruntled. He was becoming slack. Adonis shouldn't have realised his presence. Recent events required him to be at his absolute best. Time to revise his already rigorous training.

He contemplated what Adonis had said. If his former underling was after Minako, he knew the culprit responsible for her coma without guessing. Adonis had wanted Minako since the Silver Millennium. His yearning for her had stopped him from killing Sailor V. If he had come back as the shitennou had, his intentions couldn't be any clearer.

One question remained: where had Adonis acquired his strength? Who had granted it? Power had emanated from the smaller man when they fought. Kunzite felt he ought to have recognized the source of that power. It had sent his blood boiling as he tried to touch Adonis' aura with his own. When dawn arrived, Kunzite knew he would have to alert the royal court no matter his wish to settle their feud alone. He couldn't shake off the feeling that they would have to engage in battle again soon. He could practically feel its feathery legs slithering along his skin.

Sheathing his sword, Kunzite walked into the room, his footsteps light as a cat's. He propped the blade against the night stand. Stroking her cheek with his thumb, he mentally scolded himself for neglecting the security in her room. Adonis had upped the ante with his stunt tonight. The sneaky bastard had already kidnapped Minako once. He could very well do it again.

Kunzite frowned. Minako was unsafe by herself. He had to cast protective spells and enchantments around her quarters. Until he could uncover what dirty tricks Adonis had up his sleeve, Minako would have to be carefully guarded. If he hadn't his own duties, Kunzite would glue himself to her side like a human magnet. She would enjoy that.

"Wipe that smirk off your face, Kunzite," her sleepy voice interrupted his train of thoughts.

Kunzite looked down at the blonde. Her cheeks were flushed from her sleep. She looked delectable as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"Did I wake you, little princess?" he asked, his voice soft.

Shrugging out of his shoes, he slid beneath the covers beside her. Ever since Minako had woken from her coma, he had slept in her bed every night until his dawn practice. Their relationship was no longer a secret to the royal court. While Artemis might object it all he wanted, he could not detain Kunzite from following his heart.

"You didn't. I heard voices in my dream," Minako slurred. She snaked her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. "Will you make it up to me if I have said 'yes'?"

He chuckled, his lips hovering above hers. "What sort of repayment are we talking?"

"The sort that makes me happy. You owe it to me."

"Like this?" Kunzite asked, his hand roaming under her chemise to squeeze her hip.

She gasped and arched against him, kissing him hungrily as she replied a sultry 'yes'.

Adonis clutched his head at the searing pain that had developed once he reached Elysion. He screamed, feeling as if someone was tearing him apart. His tortured screams carried over the land to Helios. The priest ran from his temple until he found Adonis. He dropped down beside the boy, frustrated that he could only be a helpless observant.

A blinding white light torn open the Elysian skies and shot into Adonis. Helios had to shield his eyes. He grimaced as the wailing escalated to a deafening notch. As the light faded, the screams also stopped. There were tears brimming in Adonis' blue grey eyes.

"Help me kill me, dear Minako. You must do this for me, and for yourself. I don't want to have to hurt your again." Adonis said feebly.

Author's Notes:

1) The Yohji character mentioned was borrowed from the animanga series Weiss Kruez, whose background was briefly mentioned in chapter six.

2) If you have difficulties envisioning how Adonis talked to himself in the ice cave, think back to the Infinity arc (Sailor Moon S) of the manga when Mistress 9 possessed Hotaru's body.

3) Hm, so we now know what happened to Minako after her supposed accident. It took me awhile to think of one scenario that fits with my ever changing ideas. I hope this chapter answers some of your doubts. Let's also hope I won't screw up the remaining chapters until the epilogue.

Feedback is LOVE. Your kind comments motivate this desperate and struggling writer to continue at times when she wishes to abandon this story. *winks*

PS. I deleted the drabbles collection from this account. If you wish to read them, head over to my livejournal instead. The link is accessible by clicking 'homepage' on my profile.