UsakoChiba9@aol.com "Bittersweet" "" Rated: PG-13 Hello to everyone! I have just a quick little note... this is the first time that I’ve actually finished a fanfic. I can handle criticism, so please feel free to e-mail me any responses you might have, whether they are positive or negative (Just no flaming). There are some innuendo’s, thus the rating is PG-13; you have been warned. Also, I will be using the Japanese names. They are as follows: Saffir - Sapphire Petz - Prisma Prince Demando - Prince Diamond Beruche - Birdie Cooan - Catsie Karaberas - Avery Rubeus and Wise Man are the same. Ayakashi is the last name of the sisters. As you may have guessed from the cast, this story will not involve the Sailor Senshi. One final word - I do NOT own Sailor Moon, nor do I own any characters associated with Sailor Moon. All of these delightful characters belong to their wonderful creator, Naoko Takeuchi, plus the companies of Kodansha, Bandai, DiC, Mixx, etc. There will be more notes at the end. Okay, I’m done. On with the story... * * * * * * * * * "Bittersweet" By: Amara Hyatt "Tis better to have loved and lost/ Than to never have loved at all" - Alfred, Lord Tennyson "That is all. I shall inform you of further plans." With a wave of his hand, the prince dismissed his court. The room emptied silently; shadows began to form longer arcs along the black marble floor. The tall, solitary figure clad in white sat down and began to plan the attack. Soon, he thought, soon the powerful empire of Crystal Tokyo would shatter, done so by his own will. ********* Another man, younger than the prince, was nonchalantly trying to catch the woman’s gaze as their group walked down the darkened corridor. She was walking with her head lowered and her dark eyes were half closed. Her slender white hands were clasped in front of her body, as if in prayer. He could feel an ice hand brush against his heart as she shakily sighed; her features became cast in shadow. She closed her eyes for a moment, then turned to say something to the woman on her left. Instead, she found herself gazing into a man’s caring blue eyes and troubled, yet strong, face. He blushed slightly and sub- consciously ran a hand through his dark hair. She smiled softly at him, and inclined her head quickly towards her door, which she was standing at. He returned the smile, his eyes telling her that he had understood her message. She walked into the room, and he continued down the hall. His love affair with Petz was unnoticed amongst the other inhabitants of the palace. All the others had their own petty concerns, worrying about only themselves. Unless, of course, they needed something from one another. Then it was a whole different mood towards others. He wished it wasn’t like that, with all the members of his family, as he had come to calling them, being manipulative and conniving. However, his secret lover compensated tenfold for that, and he was thankful every moment that he had her. The present situation made their time together even more precious, every second taking on a multitude of importance. He reached his own door and pushed it open, entering his cooled chambers. It was tastefully done, but so *dark*. Everything, from the satin bedspread to the thick draperies to the intricately woven throw rugs, was in shades of blue, his favorite color. Moving as soundlessly as the shadows around him, he went to a chair and sank into it. He needed to think things clearly before seeing his beloved. Now, time was crucial to him. Every spare second until this attack he wanted to spend with Petz. He knew that she must have similar thoughts to his own. When his brother had announced the attack, he saw how her shoulders lost their haughty stature and her mouth turned downward. Everyone wanted revenge on the planet Earth and its Queen. The years living on their moon of exile, Nemesis, had been filled with hate. The moon was a barren place, with a rust-colored sky and a sun that was too far away to provide much warmth or light. Of course, he wanted revenge as much as the other members of his family, but they would be weak against the force of Crystal Tokyo. Looking up, he noticed that it had been a little over ten minutes since he had come to his room. Opening the door, he looked in both directions down the corridor. It was deserted and still, more so than death itself. He closed his door behind him and stealthily made his way down to the door tooled with a deep, lush green color. Without knocking, he quietly opened the heavy door and closed it, his heart beating faster with the sight inside the room. The sound of the door clicking into place made her turn from her idyll at the tall windows. Seeing him there, she smiled and without a second thought, gracefully hurried to his waiting arms. She buried her face in his shirt, wanting to be engulfed in the scent of his skin and a light cologne that he wore. He looked at the slender figure wrapped around him, and prayed that he would have countless more moments like this with her. They didn’t speak for over a minute. "Saffir," she said, breaking the silence. "Did you know what Demando was planning?" Petz asked, her dark green-grey eyes looking up at him innocently. Saffir smiled sorrowfully and shook his head. "No, I did not. Demando doesn’t share too much of what he’s thinking about with me. At least, not now." The final words came out bitterly, and Petz felt his hold on her tighten a little. She decided against asking him why, and instead turned and led him to sit down in the twin chairs by the fireplace. Saffir looked over at his lover, thinking about how different she was with him than when she was with her sisters or the others. With them, she came off as short-tempered and abrasive, wanting to be in total control. How- ever, whenever she was with Saffir, she was soft-spoken and sweet. She was always opinionated, and was that way no matter who she was with, but she was nicer towards him. He had brought that up once, and she smiled. She had thought that too, and she mentioned that Saffir was different as well. To everyone but her, he seemed cold and not trusting, quietly looking down on everyone. But, he was like that only because of his brother. Demando was his idol, and when Demando inherited the throne of Nemesis, he didn’t have much time for his younger brother, who had thought of Demando as being larger than life. Even now, years later, Saffir was still pained every time Demando sought the counsel of Wise Man over himself. Petz was the only one who had ever heard this story about him. That was what she saw when they were alone; a quiet, sensitive, and very caring individual who only wanted to be loved. Petz took the place of Demando, listening to Saffir and taking time to be with him. She knew she could never fully replace the older brother, but she would never stop trying. "I am very worried about this, Petz," Saffir said. She broke out of her reverie and nodded in agreement. "Yes, so am I. I think Demando has underestimated the forces guarding Crystal Tokyo. However, this will give us a chance for revenge. Neo-Queen Serenity had no right to banish us to Nemesis." Petz turned towards him, her eyes alight with a question. "But sometimes.... sometimes I get sick of fighting! Can’t we ever do anything peacefully?" She asked, her voice cracking. Saffir got out of his chair and went in front of Petz, kneeling and taking her hands. "Unfortunately, this is the only way. War is brutal, and I also wish for peace, but we must fight to establish ourselves into a place where that peace can happen." Petz nodded and Saffir leaned to kiss her cheek. "I suppose so, but it gets very tiresome..." she said, but a finger- tip was laid across her lips. His mouth pressed softly against his cheek. "Please, let’s not talk of this, Petz." Saffir murmured across her skin, and then trailed his lips down until he reached her mouth. They kissed deeply, each wanting nothing to spoil that moment. Petz sank under Saffir, feeling, in dream-like quality, the motions of his hands running down her back and through her hair, which was out of its usual bun. Still kissing, Saffir picked her up and carried her to the bed. "After all, darling, who knows how many more nights we will have together?" ********* The first weak rays of the pale sun were falling across the bed. Saffir groaned softly, slightly hungover from the hours of lovemaking he had shared with Petz. She lay peacefully, her dark hair spilling over the satin pillowcase, her breathing deep and relaxed. Saffir sat up and gazed at her lovingly. He became lost in his mem- ories of first meeting her; this goddess of love on a planet of hate.... ~*~ Start flashback ~*~ "Let me introduce my new assistants, Prince Demando. They are very industrious and hard-working young ladies, and I think that they might prove to be a valuable asset to our family." Rubeus was kneeling before the prince. Demando frowned at his young, cocky Guard of Affairs. "Rubeus, you seem to be misguided. First of all, you and I are definitely not a ‘family’ by any means. Second of all, I do not want anyone hired to work for us that I have not been introduced to before-hand." Prince Demando barked. Saffir smirked at Rubeus, whose face had turned red. Saffir didn’t trust Rubeus and loved it when Demando belittled him. "Uh...I am very sorry sire, but can I at least present them to you?" Rubeus pleaded. Demando sighed. "Very well. Show them in." He commanded. Rubeus looked at Saffir and gave him a smile of satisfaction. "First off, Ayakashi Cooan." He announced. Into the throne room walk- ed a young woman with long, curly, dark purple hair. She was petite and slender, and very pretty. She wore this knowledge with arrogance and walked proudly to the throne, bowing deeply before the prince and his brother. "Secondly, Ayakashi Beruche." An even slimmer woman walked in cautiously. She didn’t seem as arrogant as her sister, but she was just as attractive and had a look of determination in her dark blue eyes. She bowed as well. "Third, Ayakashi Karaberas." Saffir instantly disliked this woman as she walked in. He had met her at a ball once before and disapproved of her haughty attitude. She was very attractive, but she had sharper features than her two previous sisters. They were accentuated by her hair, pulled sharply away from her face so that not a strand was out of order. She didn’t even bow before the Prince, but inclined her head as is she herself were royalty. Saffir took a glance at his brother and noted a look of slight anger in his eyes. "Lastly, Ayakashi Petz." Saffir looked up as the last sister walked in; and his breath caught. She was the tallest out of the four, but also the only one who had a hint of a smile on her absolutely beautiful face. She walked with both pride and grace, yet knew that she was still inferior to the prince and his family. Saffir couldn’t help but notice how fair her skin was and how soft her dark green hair... Stop it! He commanded himself. He tried to chide himself for losing his dignity so easily, yet it was useless. Ayakashi Petz was absolutely exquisite, a beautiful flower brought up in the hellish hothouse of Nemesis. Petz bowed deeply in front of the prince, and continued to softly smile. Looking up, she looked the prince in the eyes and began to speak. Her soft, low voice moved Saffir. "My prince, it is an honor. I live to serve you." Demando let a semblance of a smile flicker briefly on his sharp face. "Very well then. Rubeus." Rubeus stepped forward and bowed. "Yes, my prince?" "I will allow these women to work under your supervision. However, any further hiring of assistants shall be directed only through me." Rubeus bowed again, playing the role of the humbled. "Of course, my prince." Rubeus smirked insolently and led the four sisters out of the throne room. Demando seemed indifferent as he turned to Saffir. "Brother, please see that our new associates have the proper chambers." Saffir nodded and walked to the left wall of the throne room. Hidden under heavy blue drapes was the door to his private office. Sitting down at the massive black marble desk, Saffir got out the building plans for the palace and began planning where he would put the sisters. The chambers consisted of four rooms; a bedroom, a bathroom, a study, and a sitting room. He placed Petz in the one closest to his own, the most elegant out of the ones available. Even now, just thinking of her, Saffir could feel his blood run faster. He knew well what lust was, having shame- lessly used attractive women of the high society for pleasure, dismissing them as useless objects once all the fun was over. But... the feelings he had now... it was nothing like he had experienced before. Not lust. Yet how could it be anything else? The notion of ‘love at first sight’ seemed almost idiotic to Saffir, who had grown up on Nemesis where love was dismissed as a thing of the people of Earth; a weak emotion that was absolutely useless. Was he actually feeling love for Petz? How could he, when he had only seen her? They had never even exchanged words.... "Damn!" Saffir muttered, letting the building plans fall to the dark blue floor. He shook his head and stood up. It would be futile to try and get any real work done. Not with all of the debating going on inside his head. Saffir left the office through a secret door known only to himself. It led to a dark twisting corridor. At the end, Saffir opened another door and stepped outside the palace. The perpetual dim light from the star that sufficed as the sun of Nemesis could get only as bright as the dawn on Earth. Right now, though, the sun was down and everything was dark. Many torches on the walls of the palace threw odd shadows everywhere. Breathing the cool air, Saffir walked around the perimeter of the dark palace, trying to collect his thoughts. What was it about this woman that intrigued him so? Was it her stature of one so self-confident? Perhaps it was her hair, the color of a thriving pine tree on Earth. Or maybe it was her eyes, deep pools of green-grey light that were.... Peering at him from across the lawns. Saffir stopped, then remembered himself and continued to walk on. Petz and her sisters were exploring the grounds around the palace. Petz smiled at him, as did Cooan and Beruche. Karaberas looked him over pointedly and smirked. For some reason, Saffir found her quick appraisal to be infuri- ating. He bowed his head and spoke. "Ladies, if you would please follow me, I will show you to his cham- bers now." He tried not to show his anger as Karaberas brushed against him subtly. Saffir gave a brief tour of the palace, explaining that when their was more time, the sisters could go exploring on their own. He showed each of the women to their chambers until he was alone with Petz. Saffir worried that she might hear his heart beating. "This is such a beautiful palace, but so desolate." Petz broke the silence and turned towards Saffir with inquiring eyes. Saffir smiled slightly and nodded, noticing that his lips were level with her forehead. ‘Just six inches and I could brush my lips against her skin,’ he thought. Blushing, he turned away and opened the green velvet-tooled door. "This will be your chamber." He said. Petz went in and gasped at the opulence of it. He watched her briefly, then decided to leave. Blushing like a damned adolescent! His mind screamed at him. Composing himself, he turned back towards Petz, who was running her fingers over the velvet cushion of the green chaise lounge. "Um, if you need anything, just let me handle it, Ayakashi-san. My brother is very busy, and it would be best not to trouble him." He said. As he turned to leave, he felt long fingers entrap his wrist with a gentle grip. As if in a dream, he looked back at Petz. She reached up and kissed him on the cheek to show her gratitude. Saffir felt like he was going to faint. "Please, call me Petz. I am very thankful for your kindness, sir." She said. Saffir smiled at her. "Please, call me Saffir." He said. Petz nodded him and smiled. That smile would change his life... ~*~ End Flashback ~*~ ********* Now, as he gazed at Petz asleep, Saffir realized that she had made him see life in a whole new light. Before Petz, his life had been shallow and almost meaningless. He had been what all the women called ‘The Ice Man’; absolutely gorgeous but cool and impassive to everyone. Now, he melted for the green-haired goddess that had taught him how to love. Now he believed in love. Petz murmured and pulled the blankets tighter around her. Saffir smiled sadly, and bent down to kiss her temple. She sighed in her sleep as Saffir curled a tendril of her hair around his finger. How he wished to stay like this until the end of time... however, he sighed and swung his legs over the side of the bed, pulling on his pants as he stood up. He buttoned his jacket and kissed Petz once more before heading back to his chamber to shower. There were many things to plan for the upcoming attack on Crystal Tokyo. ********* The attack resulted in a dismal failure, resulting in thousands of Nemesian lives lost. Saffir held Petz as she cried after the news was told to her; a cousin of hers had perished in the grisly war. He had been her only living relative. Late that night, as Petz lay asleep in bed, her face tear-streaked and pale, Saffir made his way to his brother’s chambers. Knocking on the massive oak door, Saffir waited until a muffled voice said "enter". Demando was sitting at his desk, calculating the economic damage this battle had cost. He didn’t look up when Saffir had entered. "This war was much more devastating than I had thought it would be." Demando said tiredly, almost to himself. Sighing, he stood and stretched, finally looking at his brother. "So, what is the problem, Saffir? I am quite busy, as you can see." Saffir hid his indignation. "The problem is that the losses of Nemesis would have been reduced in half if you had not listened to that fiend, Wise Man." Demando looked at his younger brother, slightly annoyed. "Are you questioning my judgment, brother?" Demando asked with a slight threat in his voice. Saffir sighed and shook his head. "It is not a matter of judgment, Demando. Wise Man is manipulating all of us. He is just using you for his own personal gain!" Saffir was almost shouting. He quickly checked his temper and continued in a lower voice. "Demando, remember what it was like before Wise Man entered our lives? Nemesis was peaceful, and we had tried to forget what had happened to us on Earth. All of the people just wanted to make a new home on Nemesis and build our own empire. Then Wise Man came into the picture, with his talk of revenge on Neo-Queen Serenity and the Earth. Nemesis turned into a place of hate, where greed seemed to thrive. Wise Man just continued to feed all of the Nemesians his lies, and they believed him, but most importantly...*you* believed! Why, brother? Why?" Saffir pleaded. Demando seemed nonplused. "I was never happy knowing that we had been denied our rightful place on Earth. We were supposed to live there, not on this wasteland of a planet." Demando turned so that Saffir would not see the tears in his eyes. "Saffir, what’s done is done and I will continue to fight until we overpower the Earth. Even if it means my own death!" Saffir opened his mouth to speak, then closed it. Silently, he turned and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. Demando sighed as Wise Man materialized in front of him. "My prince, you must remain strong. Just think, right now the people on Earth are laughing at our attempts at battle. We must fight back, or be shunned by not only the Earth, but other planets as well! Your brother is just jealous of the power you have and he's jealous of what a powerful empire you can turn Nemesis into." Wise Man persuaded. Demando nodded and hardened his heart. Clenching his fist, he turned and sat at his desk again. "You are right, as always, Wise Man." ********* That night, Petz awoke to find Saffir sitting in a chair, gazing out of the window. In the dim light, she saw a tear trail down his face, leaving a silvery path. Her heart felt heavy and fragile as she slid out of bed. She stood next to him for a moment, her hand resting tentatively on his shoulder. "Saffir?" His hand reached up for hers and squeezed it. When he spoke, his voice sounded far away and small, almost like a little boy. "When we were young, Demando used to spend all his time with me. After our parents died, all we had was each other. Now..." his voice cracked. Petz hurried to kneel in front of him, to press her cheek against his knee. "Demando used to get so angry when someone tried to tell him what to do. He had an opinion about everything. Whenever anybody threw a cruel remark at me, Demando was there, sticking up for me. He was my idol, my best friend, and now... now he is just the puppet of the Wise Man, wooden and deaf to my cries of danger." Petz sat in his lap and hugged him tightly, so tightly that she feared hurting him. He didn’t mind, though, and he held onto her for dear life. Running her fingers through his hair, Petz kissed him passionately. He responded fervently, kissing his loneliness and despair. ‘Let the planet blow itself up and let the stars disintegrate’, Saffir thought, ‘just as long as I have her’. "Saffir..." Petz said between kisses, "I wish...I could make up... for all your brother....has put you through." Saffir sighed and cupped Petz’s face in his hands. "My darling, you already have a thousand times over." Saffir stared out of the window, his jaw set in a firm line. After a moment of hard think- ing, Saffir came to a conclusion. Petz shivered when he spoke again, his cold tone almost scaring her. "I have tried, and failed, to make Demando come back to his senses. I guess Nemesis really is a planet of hate; I can not continue this fight. My brother is as good as dead to me, Petz." ******** Wise Man had never liked Saffir, and knew that the young man might become a potential threat to what the Wise Man had in mind for the royal family of Nemesis. Ever since Wise Man had come to work for Prince Demando, Saffir had been questioning his every judgment. What Wise Man needed was to teach Saffir a lesson; to subtly tell the young man to stay out of his way, or else he would pay dearly. Many plots had gone through his head, but none seemed good enough for Saffir. Finally, one morning, Wise Man witnessed something that fit so perfectly into his plans, that it seemed like destiny was working strongly in his favor. On that particular morning, about a week after the battle, Wise Man was just about to go down a corridor in the palace, when a door opened. It was too early for anyone to be out of bed, Wise Man thought to himself, but was pleasantly surprised. Out of the door walked Saffir. He looked in both directions of the corridor, but did not see the Wise Man lurking in the deep shadows at the end of the hall. A hand reached for Saffir from the doorway, and the Wise Man watched as Saffir drew Ayakashi Petz into an embrace. He could tell from their manner that they were lovers, and had been so for quite a while. The couple exchanged words, and after a long kiss, Saffir continued to his chambers. Petz watched after him until he was out of sight, then sigh- ed and wrapped her arms around herself. She returned to her room then. Wise Man turned around and swiftly made his way to the throne room. He could hard- ly wait until the prince woke up... ********* "They have been sleeping together?" The prince asked, an eyebrow raised. The Wise Man bowed his head. "Yes, sire, they have. I think that perhaps Saffir is so wrapped up in this little fling that he forgets about our mission against the Earth. After all, remember how insolent he was to you last night." Wise Man waited as they prince nodded slightly in agreement, then continued. "Maybe they could both concentrate on their purpose better if they were separated. I have a new strategy that might be very useful in helping us conquer Crystal Tokyo. What if we were to..." Wise Man told the prince of the plan he had, and felt triumph as Demando agreed with what he was planning. Saffir would not dare to disobey him ever again... ********* "...So, Wise Man and I thought that it might be a good plan to send Rubeus to the past Tokyo, in order to capture the main points of strength within the city." Demando said. Everyone had been summoned to the throne room that afternoon. Saffir and Petz exchanged a worried glance as tension filled the room. Demando looked at his brother quickly. He then cleared his throat and continued. "Of course, the Ayakashi sisters will be expected to go with him." Petz felt the blood drain from her face as the prince’s words died on the air. She couldn’t bring herself to look at Saffir for fear of bursting into tears. Saffir felt his legs and feet turn into lead. He took a shaky breath and looked at Wise Man, who was savoring the reaction on the lovers’ faces. ‘That bastard’, Saffir thought. Cooan stepped forward and bowed. "Excuse me, sire, but when are we going to travel?" "The earlier the better. In an hour." ********* Petz threw clothes together into a suitcase, gathered cosmetics, did everything to keep her mind from thinking. ‘If I begin to cry, I’ll never, ever stop....’ There was a knock at her door as she quickly pulled her hair into a bun. "Enter," she said without emotion. Saffir came into the room and stood by the door, staring at Petz. She turned and ran to him, finally releasing her anguish. Saffir held her tightly as she sobbed, wishing they were anywhere except on Nemesis. Petz looked up in time to see Saffir’s tears wet his collar. She smiled sadly, and wiped away the wetness with the back of her hand. "Oh, Saffir... please don’t cry... it’ll break my heart even more." Saffir smiled back and kissed her. "I can’t help it, Petz. I’ve lost both my brother and my only love. My life is meaningless." Saffir kissed her as she started to cry again. "No it’s not! You have to live for the day when we’ll be together again. Promise me, Saffir!" She cried out. Saffir nodded and hugged her. Petz clung to him until they heard a voice outside of the door. "Petz, five more minutes. Rubeus is anxious to leave," Beruche said. Petz sighed and gathered her things. How can you say goodbye to love in five minutes? In the course of an hour, she felt like the life had been drained from her. All the memories of her and Saffir were just memories after all; the only momentos she had to comfort her on those lonely nights in the twentieth century. Petz sighed again as she grasped the doorknob. "Petz." Saffir couldn’t believe the swiftness that was carrying his happiness away. In another ten minutes, he would be the Ice Man once again, with no love in his life. Petz turned and they embraced for one last time, each one memorizing the feel and sight of each other. After a final kiss and whispered endearments, Petz had to leave. She opened the door, and rushed down the hall, looking back only once to mouth "I love you" before disappear- ing around the corner with her broken heart. At the moment she vanished, Saffir felt himself go limp. He slid down to the floor slowly, and began to cry again silently. All he had left was the memory of that smile to keep haunting him on the many restless nights he was sure to have in the near future. Saffir stood and mechanically made his way to Petz’s study. He went to the desk and opened the bottom drawer. Inside there was a photo album. Saffir madly flipped through the pages until he found the picture he was looking for. He had taken it about a month after he and Petz had become lovers. In the picture, her long hair was down and she was standing in front of the tall window in her bedroom. A ray of sunlight cast Petz in ethereal light, and she looked beautiful. She was half turned to the camera and a faint smile was on her face. Saffir kissed the picture and kept it with him. As far as he was concerned, no one but himself would ever be able to enter Petz’s chambers ever again. He locked the door behind him and looked at it; the door was now the entrance to a shrine. Looking at the picture again, Saffir made a resolution. He would harden his heart and put all of his energy into his mission. The Earth, and Wise Man, had taken his love away; Demando had been right all along. Now Saffir would fight by his brothers side against that planet, with the picture of Petz to act as his motivation, his shield, and his protection all at once, until he could be with his love again. He also resolved to fight the Wise Man and his influence over Demando, whatever the cost. After all, you can’t put a price on love.... ~*~ FIN ~*~ Yeah! I’m finished! ::Does stupid little victory dance and then resumes professional appearance:: I’ve always felt that Saffir’s character in Sailor Moon was such an intriguing one (not to mention the fact that’s he’s really hot) and I think that he could of been much more developed in the show. I’m not the ONLY one who wondered what really happened between himself and Petz, am I? Sorry for the unhappy ending. The last line is a little cliché, I know. Anyway, please e-mail me and tell me what to think. Should I continue writing, or should I put down my pen? Thanks for reading! ~ Amara Hyatt February 24, 2000