ARROWS OF DESTINY

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN SAILOR MOON

Chapter 19: Foreshadow of a Broken Heart

"Good morning!" Minako said happily as she entered the room with Kunzite following behind her.

"Good morning, Minako!" Serena replied, her eyes widening to see Kunzite's face soften for the first time.

"Are my eyes playing tricks at me? Did I just see Kunzite smile?" Jadeite rubbed his eyes before Rei elbowed him in the guts.

"Join us, Kunzite." Endymion beckoned his friend next to him. Kunzite nodded but before proceeding towards his prince, he walked next to Minako's seat and pulled the seat out for her. Minako flashed him a sweet smile and sat down beside her princess.

Even Nephrite and Zoicite could not contain their surprise.

"Are…you guys alright?" Makoto said carefully.

"Perfect! Everything's fine." Minako laughed as she gave his hand a squeeze. Kunzite bowed and took the seat next to Endymion.

"Oh my…" Serena said breathlessly, entirely excited for her friend. Minako shone with bliss and was evidently at peace with Kunzite at last. The Venusian princess no longer displayed a faulty smile in front of the general and Serena felt ever relieved to see everything working out between them. After all, they were forced together by her selfishness to be with Endymion.

"Hey, let's play a game." Makoto exclaimed, "I heard about this from some of the maids. You know that the erratic maze at the edge of the garden? If you can manage to find your way, there's a silver fountain right in the middle of it."

"What's so special about a fountain?" Jadeite shrugged.

"Hehe," Makoto smiled secretively, "Here's the catch, the fountain is not just an ordinary fountain. It's rumoured that it shows you the future."

"!!" The girls' eyes lit up upon hearing the news.

"Does it really?" Serena edged closer to Makoto.

"Of course not, don't be silly! Only the divinitors on Mars have the talents. But even their divination cannot speak of definite future." Rei said offhandedly.

"Actually, Rei, Makoto might not be so far off from the truth. I've also heard stories about the palace. It was said that the Moon Palace was blessed by various goddesses in ancient times to serve as the symbol of unity. One of those goddesses was Minerva, the goddess of wisdom and battle. Could it be that the fountain was a gift left by her?" Ami said.

Rei thought about it and slowly nodded, "It could be. Our patron, Minerva, goddess of Mars, does possess such power. If what you say is true, then I would have to witness it in person."

"Good, so it's decided!" Serena jumped up, eager to leave.

"Princess…" A voice stopped her in the tracks.

Serena turned around to see Minako frowning in disapproval. Her key guardian was not at all pleased about going.

Serena knew she had to act fast if they were to have a chance of convincing Minako.

"Please, Minako! Let's just check it out!" She begged, "Aren't you tired of just wondering around the palace with nothing new to see?"

Minako shook her head in wonder. To think what people would do just to be given a chance to steal a glance at the Moon Kingdom. The princess of the Moon was actually bored by all this beauty.

"Don't worry, if anything happens, Endymion and Kunzite would here to protect us, right? Where's your sense of adventure?" Serena pressed her advantage.

Minako was still not convinced. She was about to give the princess a stern scolding, when Kunzite spoke, "By your royal command, Princess Serenity."

Zoicite and Nephrite had to contain their laughter. Trust Kunzite to solve their problems! Not only had he effectively silenced Minako's refusal, but has turned their whole thing into an escorting business.

"Excellent, let's go then." Serena said while pulling Endymion up, "Oh, one more thing, call me Serena." She winked at Kunzite. Kunzite kept his face expressionless and gave her a small nod, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

"Do you really think it's safe for them to go?" Minako asked quietly while following the gang out.

"We will be there to watch them. Nothing's going to happen." He told her calmly.

"Alright, as long as you say so then."

"I'm going first." Rei said fiercely when they arrived.

"Why don't we all go?" Makoto replied.

"This maze is rumoured to be quite unpredictable. I also do not think we should go in all together. Why don't we go in pairs?" Minako suggested.

Serena's disappointment at not being able to enter first was too plain to see. Endymion gave her a pat on the back and smiled warmly at her, easing the princess' discouragement.

"Alright, here I go." Rei headed off into the maze before anyone else could say a word.

"Well, go after her." Nephrite nudged Jadeite, pushing the blonde general ahead.

"You read my mind, friend." Jadeite smirked and yelled after Rei, "Wait for me, Red!"

"Hope they will alright…" Ami said softly.

"Don't worry," Zoicite reassured her, "They'll be okay, as long as Jadeite keeps his mouth shut." Everyone giggled, amused at Rei and Jadeite's explosive relationship.

After about half an hour, the couple finally emerged from the maze.

"Well?" Serena said eagerly.

"Nothing. This whole thing is a hoax!" Rei said hotly, while refusing to meet her friends' gazes.

"What? How disappointing!" Makoto exclaimed.

"Jadeite?" Endymion noticed his general's strange expression, "What's the matter with you?"

Jadeite couldn't hold it anymore. He burst into laughter and roared with pleasure.

"Shut up!" Rei said angrily as she attempted to clamp his mouth shut. Jadeite side stepped out of the way as they began another game of tag.

"Does anyone know what's going on?" Minako said in confusion.

"No idea what so ever. But with Jadeite, you never know what to expect." Kunzite answered.

Ami and Makoto had to restrain Rei to get Jadeite to talk.

"Oh, excuse me. It's just that what we saw from the fountain was really a dream come true for me. I can't believe Rei and I are…"

"Ahhh!" Rei screamed out loud, "If you want that future to come true, not another word."

Jadeite immediately kept his mouth shut and no matter what others do or say, he refused to speak, but held a goofy smile on his face.

"Enough, it's our turn." Kunzite announced as he took Minako's hand.

"I thought it was our turn." Serena said to Endymion, but decided it was best for Kunzite and Minako to spend more time together alone.

"Tell us what you see, alright?" The princess said happily as the couple disappeared into the maze.

"What do you think Rei and Jadeite saw?" Minako wondered.

"Must be something Jadeite like, or else he wouldn't have acted so." Kunzite said as he kept up his guard to find the way.

"What are you doing?" Minako said as she quietly followed the silver general.

"Listening." Kunzite answered. He stopped all of a sudden and closed his eyes.

"Kunzite?"

"Listening."

Minako stood close to him and closed her eyes. As she concentrated her thoughts, she heard the sound of water.

"This way." Kunzite said as Minako hurried to catch up.

They took turns after turns as the sound of water grew louder. Until finally, a golden fountain came into view in front of them.

"It's beautiful!" Minako said as she circled around the fountain. The fountain was built with flawless marble and surrounded with bright golden statues and decors. Surprisingly, it was still in good condition.

"Looks like an average fountain to me." Kunzite said as he traced the stone fountain carefully.

"Isn't the fountain showing you anything about your future?" Minako teased him.

Kunzite pretended not to hear and reached to feel the water. The crystal clear water felt cool in his hand.

"Maybe I should take a peek." Minako said playfully as she too lean close to the water and put the tip of her finger in.

At first her finger felt a bit numb, as if it has been frozen by ice, then a sudden pain took over as images burst forth in front of her eyes.

Minako staggered back and fell to the floor. Kunzite was at her side in an instance.

"Minako? What's wrong?" Kunzite said immediately as he took her into his arms to inspect her paled face. But Minako didn't hear him. Her eyes were glued to the water surface. Images after images haunted her and she tried with all of her might to force her eyes shut, only to find that it was in vain. She barely felt Kunzite calling her name as her body turned cold from such horrible prophecy.

"Minako!" Kunzite shouted into her face, forcing her dazed mind back, "What happened?"

Through a teary vision, Minako turned her sight on Kunzite's worried face. Her lips tremble as she forced herself to speak.

"What happened?" He asked again, holding her so tight that she almost winced in pain.

"No…nothing…It was nothing…" She choked as she buried herself onto his chest to keep her tear stained face away from him.

Kunzite wanted to ask more, but Minako refused to look at him and kept on weeping. Until finally, he gave up and simply held on to her until she was able to calm her down.

Later, Minako told him that she had seen her late grandparents and nothing more. But Kunzite knew that to be false. The woman who had bested him the other day had nerves of steel and would not have a nervous breakdown just from that. But no matter how much prying he did, she would not budge, until finally he had to give up.

Minako knew Kunzite was only concerned. But what she saw today shook her to her core. What she saw she could not even let her best friends know.

The images still called out to her. They are too powerful for her to escape.

The fountain had spoken to her about her "future". It spoke to her about her future of doom.

Minako shivered with fear, as she remembered herself battling Kunzite, with blood covering them both. Kunzite looked like a stranger in the vision, wearing a smile so cold that it chilled her to her bones. In the vision, she was weak, body and soul, but she kept on swinging her sword at him. Their battle forced them to the extremes, and in one finally swing, he shattered her world.

The vision seemed so real, as she could almost feel the burst of pain when his sword pierced her body. As her life slowly drained out of her body, she only had time to say one thing, "I thought you loved me…"

Oh, this chapter is quite sad as we all know they will face off against each other in the future. But it's not time for that yet...Up next, it's time to go to earth as the plot thickens!