Okay, this is the very first part of some weird story I suddenly got the inspiration for...(blame my insane muse, my dearheart Celestine, the Grand Inquisitor...) I have NO idea what it's about in general, except I guess the title tells you something...uh, I'll just say it's about...desperation. And what drives you on can drive you mad...

I'd like to dedicate this particular story to some very special people who have helped me in more ways than they could ever possibly know...so, to Amberlin, Soylent Green and Elanor Sunstar - doomo arigatoo gozaimasu! Your support means one heck of a lot to me! And to dear Natasha, too...

Sailor Moon is the property of Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha Comics, and Toei Animation.

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The fact that he had never really liked Jadeite did not play a large factor in his somewhat surprising decision. It was an impulsive desire, and he was the type to do what he wanted, when he wanted. His high rank was always a bonus of sorts - he could essentially do what ever his heart desired. His seclusion from the others was a voluntary matter, but he had his spies.

He knew exactly what kind of mess dear little Jadeite had gotten himself into.

Kunzite, the highest ranking of the four Dark Kingdom kings, dissolved the holographic projection of the situation in Tokyo, a smile quirking his lips ever so slightly.

Zoisite, seated at the foot of his chair, stared up at him with a mixture of curiosity and adoration. He had been there for the last few hours, just enjoying being close to his sensei - and his secret lover.

Kunzite cast a look down at his student, his smile fading as he did so. Zoisite did not take offence at this, however, which pleased Kunzite to no end. He knew that Zoisite was ordinarily very impulsive, not too mention exceptionally easy to rile, but he was happy to see that the young man was keeping his temper under control.

Kunzite ran a hand half-heartedly over the smaller man's coppery-blonde head, and then stood slowly, in his usual, easily regal manner. Zoisite more or less immediately leapt to his feet, following his teacher's lead. "Kunzaito-sama..?"

The older man's facial expression did not change at all as he inclined his head downward to stare piercingly at his young student with his remarkable argent eyes. "Zoisite, are you coming with me this evening?"

The verdant eyes narrowed in slight confusion. "Where are we going?" There was an odd glint in his eyes, one that made Kunzite laugh internally, though on the outside, he was as emotionally detached as he ever was.

"We are going to join Jadeite in Tokyo."

Shock registered quite easily in the younger man's eyes, as he stared at his mentor, aghast. "What do you mean?"

Kunzite gave Zoisite an almost warning look, the dim light of the gloomy rooms giving him an ominously dangerous look. The dark shadows covering his face contrasted sharply with the ivory silver of his long mane of sleek hair. "Do you have a problem with that, Zoisite?"

The words were deceptively soft, but the tone in his deep, rich voice was unmistakable. Zoisite had spent too much time around the older man to not hear the caution Kunzite was offering.

Sighing, Zoisite reached a gloved hand almost tentatively to reach for that of the icily handsome man, wrapping his smaller fingers around his. Kunzite didn't react to the touch in the slightest, he just continued to give Zoisite's verdant eyes a searching glare.

Zoisite dropped his eyes finally, his cheeks slightly tinted red. "I guess I have a gap in my schedule," he muttered to himself. The fact that he was staring at the points of his highly polished boots meant he missed the affectionate smile that an amused Kunzite sent his way. The older man gave his student's hand a slight squeeze, before releasing it. Zoisite's copper blonde head snapped up, but Kunzite's faint smile had already vanished as he raised a hand to open a dark gate with the greatest of ease. He indicated the shadowy door with a pale gloved hand, and he caught a playful glimmer in Zoisite's emerald eyes as he pulled a mock bow, not moving in front of his teacher. "Age before beauty," he replied with a slight laugh, and Kunzite had to smile at that. His student's mood swings were irritating on occasion, but usually, he didn't mind them. He actually quite liked them.

"I'll take that as a compliment, shall I?" he asked, slightly wryly. Zoisite laughed, and bounded very easily to his side, wrapping both his slender hands around Kunzite's strong arm, and leant his head against his shoulder. Kunzite smiled at the blissful expression on the man's face - he should have known. His effeminate little student was happy as long as he was near his Kunzaito-sama.

Jadeite stared at the three girls staring back at him with a mixture of slight fear and anger. This battle had been long and taxing on all of them - and now, the three Senshi had the dark king ensnared by his own magic, caught in his own trap.

Jadeite stared at the young girl in horror as she moved her index finger and thumb to the jewel in the centre of her forehead, the gem set in the golden tiara. He had seen all too well what this meant - he had watched too many of his youma be destroyed to be blissfully unaware of what horrors were yet to come.

He couldn't move, he couldn't move dammit Beryl is gonna kill me if these brats defeat me yet again dammit I can't afford to lose but I can't move I can't use my magic I am helpless I am falling and I have failed and I am condemned and damned for eternity by a bunch of immature fluff brained schoolgirls-

The girl finished the collection and concentration of her power into the glowing discus her spinning tiara had made, and now, Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon drew back her arm. "Moon tiara...ACTION!"

She thrust her arm forward, the incandescent discus flying towards him with remarkable speed.

The girls all had to smile small grins of victory at the absolute horror and terror on the young king's face, though they also had to feel sorry for the man. The plane continued to thunder up behind him as he stared in absolute grief stricken fear. Caught between a rock and a hard place.

Sailor Moon's eyes widened so much her eyeballs nearly fell out and trundled down the runway. Her tiara was slowing, the glimmer fading, and as she watched, it stopped spinning, and clattered to the ground without further ado. What was left was an ominous silence. A silence that should have been impossible, given a large 747 had been about to puree Jadeite.

The plane had stopped just as surely as her tiara had.

"Now, that isn't very sociable, is it girls?" intoned a deep voice.

The girls, severely startled by the grave voice from behind them, turned to face the pair standing behind them on the black tarmac. Before she turned, Sailor Mercury noted the almost horrified look on the Dark Kingdom king's pale face. Obviously, he recognised the pair.

As she gazed upon them, dumbstruck, she found she was not surprised. Both were dressed in a similar uniform to that which Jadeite himself wore, even though one appeared to be much higher ranking than the person at his side, and Jadeite.

Sailor Mercury, however, was not interested in the tall, dignified man in the long swirling cape. She found her dark blue eyes drawn to the silver haired man's slight companion, who was looking in Jadeite's general direction with scorn. Sailor Mercury found herself wondering whether or not this person was female...it had long hair, a sharply angular face that was none the less very pretty, but the person held themselves with such an arrogant grace, she found it hard to believe that it was female.

Jadeite was the first to respond to the man's ominous words, and he said slowly, in an almost trembling voice as he bowed his head slightly "Lord Kunzite-sama...it is an honour to see you here."

The man nodded slightly, and the person at his side seemed to pout - Mercury could see the person was obviously not impressed at being left out. Though the gesture itself was fairly feminine, she found herself doubting that the older man's companion was female. They held themselves with too much of an conceited refinement that was like a young king's demeanour.

Mars seemed shocked out of her state at the man's reply. "I don't give a damn who any of you are - but if either of you know this jerk, I'm sure I don't want to know you!" She was trembling with pure rage, as she moved to call upon the power of her planet.

The green eyes of the Lord's associate narrowed at the girl's actions, and the person said in a low voice "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

The astounded shock on the fiery senshi's face told Mercury that she had automatically assumed that the man was female. However, the obviously male tenor emitting from his lips spoke volumes. He was very much an elegantly beautiful male.

Jadeite still seemed to be in a state of shock that this odd pair had materialised out of nowhere to come to his aid. Sailor Moon, too, seemed more than a little comatose as she gazed upon the pair, one tall and frigidly handsome, the other delicate and obviously very fiery, if the glimmer in his blazingly green eyes was anything to go by.

Luna was on the verge of biting the girl's ankle - Sailor Moon had a terrible reputation for freezing up at the most climatic and important moments of battle. "Sailor Moon, would you quit staring at them, and do something?"

The other Senshi moved protectively closer to the girl's sides, and looked at one another across Sailor Moon. The odds were now equal - three against three. However, they were more than a little unnerved at the silence of the tall grave man, the quiet maliciousness of the small man, and the obvious reverence that Jadeite held for the man with the starlight silver hair.

"Luna, what do we do?" hissed Mars to the cat, without taking her eyes off their foe. The cat appeared more than a little worried. Mercury whipped out her computer and began tapping furiously away while the other two Senshi watched the three men who watched them in return. The three girls were now all back to back in a triangle, so they could see the silent men.

Mercury let loose a gasp, and the others heard the obvious panic in her voice. Before she could report anything she had discovered, however, Kunzite nodded to the slight man, and said "Zoisite, take Jadeite to the Dark Kingdom. Now." He then looked at the Senshi, who stared back at him, one with a new-found respect borne of sheer terror. He cocked a silver eyebrow. "I trust you have no objections to this?"

Mars snorted. "Depends on how badly you want to be on my Christmas card list."

Mercury elbowed her sharply, but the man seemed more amused than irritated. "Of course, my dear little Senshi. I wasn't even aware you celebrated Christmas here in Japan. But no matter. I can see from your companion's eyes that she knows who I am, even if you do not, and that I am free to come and go as I please." He nodded at Zoisite, the man with the green lined uniform, who know stood beside the taller Jadeite. There was obvious annoyance flavouring his next words. "I thought I told you to leave, Zoisite."

The man looked a little taken aback by the anger in the other man's voice. "But Kunzite-sama..."

The look he gave Zoisite then was poisonous. "Zoisite, are you telling me that I cannot deal with these children myself?"

Zoisite closed his remarkable eyes for a second, almost in contemplation. Mercury couldn't believe the foolhardiness of the man, but she saw to her relief that he vanished with the other king in a swirl of - cherry blossoms?

Kunzite stared at the girls for a few moments longer, then he simply laughed, as if the scene was just too pathetic to be true. His next words were spoken in the voice of an irate schoolteacher. "Children, children, what are you doing out here so late? It is time for you to be tucked up safely in your beds, wouldn't you say?" He moved closer, his steps deliberately slow as he moved painfully closer to them. He looked upon Sailor Moon for a moment, with is searching agent gaze. Then he smiled. It was not a pleasant smile. "Could I ask a boon of you, dear child?"
She shuddered at the condescending way he used the endearment. He was uncomfortably close, yet none of the three dared to move away. She noted with growing unease that Mercury was trembling violently beside her, though Mars was a rock, as always. "N-nanii?"

His smile faded as he gazed with intense hatred into her eyes, a dislike so vehement it made her insides turn to absolute jelly. "Renounce your mission."

The words were soft, laced with violent caution. It shocked all three Senshi to their very core, yet not one could speak, not even the usually outspoken Mars.

Silence. It stretched out so long that it was Kunzite who had to break it. "I have warned you, children. You play in games you couldn't possibly understand, yet your immature values and desires drive you on. You should realise this - that you're playing for keeps now. It is not an arcade game, it is not a silly romance novel. If you die today, you will be dead tomorrow. Renounce your mission, and I will let you live. Defy me now, and I will make sure you die in a torment that will follow you into your afterlife, and that the tortured faces of all those you love will follow and condemn you for eternity." A cruelly delighted smile crossed what would have been very handsome features otherwise. If not for the deepening evil tainting them. "Children, what do you choose?"

"Why not kill us now, no matter what we choose?" asked Mercury, her voice only shaking slightly, to her credit. "Why give us a chance at all?"

Kunzite looked a little taken aback at the frankness of the question, but he replied in a voice that was just as detached and emotionless as it had been beforehand. "You are a child. I still have my silent honour, Sailor Mercury. I will not kill mere children unless I have exceptionally good reason to do so."

Mars seemed on the verge of screaming various obscenities at the tall, white man, but Mercury's arm on her shoulder halted her. "Sailor Moon?" she asked softly. "You are our leader, and whatever decision you make, we support you fully."

Sailor Moon turned to them, while Kunzite stepped back to observe, looking silently amused. "Mercury, we can't say no to that guy! I mean, Tuxedo Kamen-sama is dead and..." A sob choked her throat as she realised this fact, "And we can't beat that guy...can we?"

Mercury shook her head faintly. "We can't. Don't contradict me, Sailor Mars. I did a computer scan on that pair, and they are both highly dangerous - but most especially that man there."

"That little pretty boy didn't look so threatening to me," scoffed Mars, and she was answered by a disparaging laugh from the tall man. "Child, I can assure you, if you were to say such a thing to Zoisite, I doubt you would have a throat to scream with as he rends you to pieces."

Mars's violet eyes flared with righteous anger as she spun to glare at the man, arms akimbo. "Don't you know it's rude to eavesdrop?!"

Scorn permeated his next words. "Don't you know it's rude to keep people waiting? Children, I have a schedule to keep, and even though I'm not highly inclined to do so, I will show you that the road to Hell is paved with pain - because I'll guide you all there."

Sailor Moon shuddered, and said softly "We renounce our mission, Lord...?"

"Lord Kunzite," he replied self-righteously. "I am glad to hear you do have some sense, little soldier. I can give you some happy news, however. You beloved Tuxedo Kamen-sama is not dead. Jadeite is not capable of such a feat as that. I will say one other thing, too. He is still my enemy. You mention that to him when you see him next, and remember your promise. You have renounced your mission, therefore you must not interfere with ours. Go back to your homes, little soldiers, and play with your dolls. You're less likely to get hurt that way."

He vanished in a flash of blue energy at that moment, as Mars suddenly leapt forward, hell bent on ripping out every inch of that glorious silver hair. Mercury sighed at the display, and as the other two watched, she dissolved her fuku into her normal school uniform.

"Ami-chan?" asked Sailor Moon, almost tentatively. Because Ami remained silent, she just bit her lip, and looked to Rei. Both of the Senshi followed Ami's lead, with Usagi ending up in her school uniform also, Rei in her shrine robes.

"I wonder where Tuxedo Kamen-sama is now?" said Usagi musingly, but Rei then slapped her soundly across the face, earning herself decibel breaking crying from her victim, and a look of horror from Ami.

Rei turned from the wailing Usagi to shout at Ami "What the Hell did you both think you were doing?! We just fucking well surrendered to the Dark Kingdom! What the HELL is wrong with you guys?!"

Ami shook her head slightly. "Rei-chan, we had no choice at that point. In time, we will be able to try something - but that man could quite easily have killed us all. We are no where near powerful enough to destroy one such as him."

Usagi's wails continued to grow louder as Rei stomped off down the runway, her anger seeming small and insignificant under the endless expanse of the starry sky.

Ami sighed, and went to comfort her friend. She knew that what they had done had been cowardly, but it was also logical. Rei may have been kamikaze, but not Ami. Not their token methods master.

Beryl stared rancorously at her youngest and most reckless king, as he stood beside the bent and broken form of Jadeite. Her entire court had been assembled, and all those gathered were mumbling amongst themselves about just what was going to happen. Only one form seemed just mildly interested in the goings on in the audience chamber, and this was a tall man who stood before the queen, and several feet to Zoisite's left.

"And where is your sensei, Zoisite?" asked Queen Beryl, for about the hundredth time these past five minutes.

Zoisite repeated the incantation that was becoming horribly incessant. "He has remained on Earth to deal with the Senshi, Queen Beryl-sama. He shall be here presently..."

Luckily for everyone, the silver haired King then appeared, with a blank look at his face. Not even Zoisite, the one who knew him best, could read his expression.

He bowed respectfully to the queen, before standing upright to give his report. "Queen Beryl-sama, I come to inform you that the Senshi have been repressed. They gave me their word that they would remain distant from our great cause and various activities in the Earth Realm, under threat of immediate execution."

Queen Beryl cocked a scarlet eyebrow, in half disbelief. "Is that so, Kunzite?"

He nodded. "Yes, your highness. However, Tuxedo Kamen is still alive and well in Tokyo. I felt his presence leave the vicinity of the airport while I was speaking with the children."

"Impossible!" cried Jadeite suddenly, earning himself malignant glares from Kunzite, Zoisite, and Queen Beryl. Nephrite, however, just looked highly entertained by all this stupidity over a bunch of girls running around in sailor suits.

"Jadeite," warned Queen Beryl in a low voice. "I would appreciate your humble silence, as you are yet to be judged. As you seem to have been instrumental in this seemingly successful victory over the Senshi, I shall take that into consideration. However, you are to keep quiet, or you will face immediate punishment in the form of eternal sleep."

Jadeite shuddered at the thought, and kept his eyes averted from everyone else's. Both Nephrite and Zoisite were severely tempted to laugh at the dishonoured man. Only Kunzite seemed to have no obvious reaction to the Queen's words.

She then looked upon the eldest king with interest bordering on outright curiosity. "Now, tell me, Kunzite - what do you have planned for this fool, Tuxedo Kamen?"

Well, admittedly, I really don't know what's happening here, yet I can assure you, something WILL happen...sooner or later. This whole story actually stems from the fact I was really irritated that the other kings were never around when Jadeite was...so, I made a fanfic where they decided to be nice to the poor guy. So, stick around, if you will, and I promise, something will happen...