Challenge

"You think you can kill me, Mercury?"

"Yes." She answered simply, her voice unwavering and as cold as the shores of her homeland, which she would never see again. She knew that, she always knew, because it was her duty, her role among the pretty soldiers. She was as accurate in her calculations as Mars was in her premonitions and she relied on that, as she defiantly raised her chin, and opened her lips to say, "I know I can…and I will." She opened her clenched fists and clutched more tightly to her frozen strength, her responsibility, and, most importantly, the princess whose world was falling apart. Mercury raised her hands sharply to fling ice shards from her fingertips and charged forward, a spear forming in her hand even as she moved.

Razor-edged sakura deflected the splinters harmlessly and, as she'd expected, her opponent moved to dodge her second attack as well. She'd anticipated the action though and shifted so that the blade plunged through his side, sliding roughly against his ribs, and protruding through his back when she finally let go. She stumbled, as she recovered from the abrupt change in direction, and she raised her head to find him smirking at her as he had when they first met, but there was none of the same interest in his jade eyes as had rested there that night. There was only hatred and spite…and certainty.

She felt herself grow colder.

"What's wrong, Mercury? You could have killed me then, but instead this flesh wound." He taunted, casting a contemptuous glance towards the gash in his side, "And that was your only chance. I'm not as weak as you are now."

She froze.

He was correct, she could've killed him, and she hadn't. She had failed. But why? Why when she knew that the man with whom she had watched the stars, whose tongue was as sharp as sakura, whose passion could burn those who weren't frozen, and whose word was forever was lost to Metallia? That Zoisite would rather die than live as a traitor? He took advantage of her momentary lapse and closed the distance between them, as she drew from within herself. Mercury had to steel herself more than ever so that no trace of emotion was visible on her face, but she couldn't stop her hand from trembling as lapis colour collected on her palm. Her logic had failed her and she was no longer certain of herself or anything she'd predicted at the start of the battle, but she would fight and she would kill him, save him.

"Too late," He whispered close against her ear, as his slender fingers wrapped around her throat, "And you promised me a challenge." I'm sorry –

He slipped a dagger from his sleeve and slid it across her fluttering pulse. She could feel hot blood sliding down her skin, onto the collar of her fuku, and the world, his green eyes, started to blur as he let go, let her fall to her knees before him. She watched him through a fringe of sapphire hair, as he turned his back on her, and she knew that she was going to die. She had always known, but she couldn't let him walk away, she couldn't give up as long as her princess still lived. Her strength waning, she lifted her hand and an icicle shot towards him, but her vision was impaired by death and she only scratched his fair cheek.

He turned to her and said softly, "Of course, you didn't love me then."

His viridescent gaze was the only thing she could see clearly, before her lids fell on cerulean eyes and her heart slowed (and came to a stop), in the hands of a man who was lost behind a mask. She whispered brokenly, as though that wasn't true, "Zoi," but she was wrong, and always had been.

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Disclaimer: If I owned Sailormoon, then there would have been year-long gaps between each manga chapter, so this is just to say that I don't. Sailormoon and all the characters from the animanga belong to Naoko Takeuchi, et al.

A/N: I finally wrote the second chapter (hurrah for random inspiration x3) and I might even like (parts of) it. I would love your thoughts, please and thank you.