Gaurdians of the Millenium: Destined for Love Chapter 4
by Alina
email alinasan@yahoo.com
Author's notes:
1. Disclaimers: Don't own Sailor Moon, never have never will.
2. This is PG. Maybe even G.
3. This is inspired by Lady's Soulmates, and *that* picture, which
has inspired it seems quite a few stories putting the scouts
together with the generals...
4.FOR EXAMPLE: Two stories that I think are excellent: Fushigi Kismet's
"Past Loves" and Ninx's "Four Lovers" series, cover this same
sort of theme...but much better than I do here! ;).
5. This chapter takes place in the past...
6. WANT THE NEXT CHAPTER NOW?
I'll send you the next chapter *before* it would get
posted
*if* you tell me what you think so
far--alinsan@yahoo.com
Heck, if you're *really* nice, I'll send you the
next *two*
chapters...
***********************************************************************
Chapter 4: Scenes from the Past-- "Encounters"
(In the Silver Millenium, Moon Kingdom a few weeks after the Sailor Scouts
have been appointed as gaurds for the Princess.)
Princess Jupiter couldn't stop staring at this guy...he looked
like her ideal dream man...long dark hair, tall, dark grey eyes
that looked like clouds heavy with rain...deep emotions ran
in those eyes..they were as dreamy as the stars...She wondered
if she could slip into the Royal Kitchens, and make him something..
that would impress him...or maybe...her dreams floated to
imagining him escorting her on the Moon Pond- each gliding gracefully
on the ice....
She barely heard Rei's soft footfall==but it was with an unmistakable
crash that her peerless princess arrived, disrupting the pictures
of her daydreams
.."Ooopppsie! " squealed the Moon Princess, with a huge chuckle
.."Did we miss anything? Oh, theyre ***So cute***"...move over,Lita,
let me see."
Not so delicately, she squirmed passed Jupiter, to lean way over
the balastrade of the roof..."Oooh, ....Lord Darrien, Watch OUT!."
The words were involuntary as Warrior Jaedite almost (but not quite)
got his sword close to the disguised figure of Prince Endymion.
Rei's head whipped around..."Be QUIET! You're going to draw attention
to us!" She hissed as loudly as she could without shouting...The last
thing she wanted was her cousin to know she was watching him (or rather
his gaurds) fight.
Ami frowned...surely this was no way to speak to their Princess...
"Your Royal Highness, please, do lower your voice. The generals
training takes extreme concentration, and we would not want to disturb
them. They might ask us not to watch--and we'd lose this wonderful
opportunity to observe tactical skills."
Mina noticed that Ami actually was *diagramming* the fighing and
patterns...all on a weird computer device... She certainly wasn't
interested in "observing tactical skills".at least not these kind!
..oh, she couldnt help but notice a few maneuvers, but mostly, she was
with the High Princess on this... These guys *were* majorly cute....
Her eye slipped over to Kunzite/Malachite....He really was the most
handsome...but stern, almost too stern...he's one to put duty
before love, she thought.......she felt chilled a little by the
realization....would that be true of her as well? She shook her head.
That was too weighty a thought right now.
Lita sighed...if only there was a way to meet him. But of course!
There was the ball....each princess would need an escort...perhaps
he could escort her then....Well, she thought, there's nothing like
the direct approach! Realizing that the training ws breaking up,
Lita vaulted down and intercepted Neflite. The dark haired man's
eyes warmed slightly at her approach, as he trailed her lean figure...
"Princess Jupiter" He said with a nod, and made as if to pass. He'd
escorted her here, but there was really nothing he could figure he
would have to do with her beyond that finnished duty.
"Hey! " She said, detaining him with an unusually strong arm "Not
so fast...I mean, I was thinking that I sort of need a date and that
you would be perfect!" Her voice was forceful. Inside though she was
crumbling...Wasn't that a stupid thing to say? Why couldn't she learn
to be demure, her mother had always complained about that. She felt
herself blushing....he's going to say no, isnt he. What guy would want
someone as awkward as me? Hes probably scared of me, too...She groaned.
Why'd she have tto be so tall? Of course, he was taller, and he didnt'
look scared....
His eyes were locked straight at hers "I agree." He moved as if to
pass, but having had her luck hold out so far, Lita straigtened her
back and pulled his arm again "You...." She just couldn't believe he'd
said yes--and that that had been all he'd said. "Princess" He said,
and continued on his way, his thoughts dark and inscrutable.
He passed back towards the rest of the gaurds, and his liege came
forward.
Automatically, he started to bow--
Embarrased, Endymion held out a hand "The disguise, remember?
You'll give it away...what's go you so distracted."
"I'm not distracted my--er, Warrior Darrien." He said. Under
his breath he mumbled something.
"OH really!" Darrien/Endymion said. "Are you sure it's
nothing you had to say to that cute brunette, the really tall one?"
"No" The answer was curt. The curt reply was enough to catch
Jaedite's ear, as he too came over.
"Discussing the stars in her eyes, huh?" Jaedite said.
"Isn't that your usual operation?"
"The Lady Jupiter simply asked me to escort her to our
farewell ball tomorrow evening. I agreed." He said,
and walked off, to hide the faint flush embarrasement left
on his face.
"That's a new one." Darrien/Endymion laughed with Jaedite.
."A Woman leaving *him* at a loss for words."
"Yes, but they're not just any women." said Jaedite, as both
turned to stare at the girls not so hidden "hiding" place on the
wall. Darien smoothly swung his sword to snag a red rose
growing on a nearby bush.
Darrien stared straight at the Princess, as he twirled the
rose in his hand- and winked as he tossed her the flower.
"I agree...these women are special." Shocked, she fell over
the wall, and her friends bent to help her up.
* * *
Ami was in her favorite place. The library. She smiled
andturned the corner of a bookshelf, glancing up at the
long stone table in the clearing before
the great fireplace, just under the white frosted glass
of the windows. Upon the table, in 2 feet intervals
were several blue and white marble boards, with majestically
carved crystaline figures displayed in a pageant upon the
squares.
She had set an open invitation to the people of Crystal
Tokyo to challenge her to a game--as the reigning champion
player. So she invited anyone to claim a position on
any board and play against her. Most did so anonymously,
by sending her notes with their positions. She kept track
by moving the displays in the library. Happily she
noticed someone had claimed her last open board--
the name card for the opponent had upon it
spelled out in rose petals, LZ. An unkown challenger, she
mused, excited by the prospect of testing her wits
against an unknown. Smiling, she made her first move (he
having taken the clear pieces, leaving her the dark ones).
She strolled back into the aisles, and was shocked to find
that the mysterious player had made the next move within
the matter of minutes she'd needed to stroll down one aisle
and then the other. She hadn't heard anybody enter the library.
She moved another piece, and this time, raised her book
and sat down across from the table. Sure enough, a short
while later she'd noticed her opponent had made a move--
and a sharp one at that. She knew this oppening strategy--
and how to counter it. Half an hour later, she had to admit
that maybe she didn't know how to counter the attack so well..
as her pieces were dissapearing. She still hadn't seen
her opponent--nor a piece move. It seemed as if nothing
happened as long as she looked at the board. She marvelled
to herself, that someone was playing more than one game with her.
She wasn't stubborn enough not to look away--so challenging
was the game, that she decided to respect the shyness of
her opponent. Yet when she finally managed to get the opponent
into check, she felt somewhat annoyed that she couldn't
even see the opponent's expression...Usually she preferred
the long distance, isolated version of chess, but this time...
She closed her eyes, and sure enough, when she'd opened them
he'd escaped the check, avoided the trap, and gotten her into
check.
"Checkmate" A voice said in her ear.
Surprised she turned around, to see one of the generals of
Earth standing by her side.
"I hope you don't mind my starting this game with you--
but I had heard you were an excellent player at the game,
and couldn't resist the challenge." He laughed easily
at this, a pleasant mellow sound.
She smiled, as he moved around the table to sit across
from her. "That I don't mind--but I do mind you
presuming your victory--I don't believe it's checkmate
yet." She maneuvered her Knight into the fray killing
the offending Rook, and smiled
"I believe, Lord Warrior Zoicyte, that *you* are now in check."
He grinned again. "Then this will be a draw." He said
moving a piece, which she took with her rook. Sure enough
neither could win with the pieces remaining to them.
"You played well, My Lord." She said in a respectful tone
as she began to restore the pieces.
"Ah, but not so well as I should, Lady Mercury. The pieces threw
me--I admit, though they are beautiful. I've never seen
the bishop's role displayed by a cat. I kept thinking
*that* was your knight...and thus, didn't expect
certain moves." He fingered the crystaline cat figure
which sat next to the King and Queen figurines.
"We should rematch, now that the pieces won't
distract you." She said smiling.
"But you might..." He said, smiling somewhat dangerously,
as he reached up a hand to touch her hair...he barely felt the
silky blue strands, when she stood up fast, and crashed into a
pile of books that was coming towards them....No, it was not,
they realized a pile of books, but the Princess...she was carrying
the books. He bowed towards Ami, threw her a string of petals,
and vannished.
ÔOh, no! I was supposed to return these to Rei...she's going to be
mad, that I didn't earlier..."
Ami was surprised to see the nonserious princess reading....
until she realized these were not books but picture heavy
fairy tale legends and stories. She sighed...when would this
girl learn the value of science? Why was her head always stuck
in romance? Always dreaming of handsome young men...
She blushed though as she thought of Zoicite...She was thankful the
Princess had already wandered down the hall. She looked in surprise
at the petals strewn on the table...for they spelled out
"Until we play again" She brushed them away....taking one to keep.
* * * *
"So he said yes?" Mina's eyes were luminous.
"And that's it. I mean not another word, really. I'm still not
sure he understood the question." Jupiter looked kind of star struck
..."well, I've got to go check on those starcookies I was making"
"Wow....you have a date...with that gorgeous guy...that's lucky!
And then..." She frowned. She knew she was attractive--hey,
they all were, but still....She could probably ask someone
and he'd say yes...but she was waiting for *someone* to ask her.
Lost in these thoughts, she wandered off looking for the others..
suddenlly she heard a large meow like shriek...
"Artemis?" She said in wonder..as she ran, to see a rather funny
sight. Malachite was *fighting* with Artemis. Artemis was on his head,
scratching at all the skin he could reach...A loud meow was punctuated
by a particularly viscious swipe of a claw...
"Oh stop that!" She called, running over...He looked up indignantly.
"This human bit my tail! Arrogant jerk...he didn't even apologize."
He took another swat "
Malachite seemed not to be able to do anything, because everytime
he tried to hit the cat, the cat dodged and he hit himself.
And, he could barely see....
"This is terrible...I should do something to stop this behavior"
Artmeis mewoed in agreement -- "Show him a lesson Mina" He said
"Artemis! I *meant* you!"
The cat looked up in surprise. "Me?" Letting his gaurd down,
Malachite was able to dislodge Artemis...He pulled his sword up
...and prepared to gut the offending feline.
Minna, shocked, dove between the two and rolled, Malachite's sword
pulling up scant inches away from her...
She breathed a sigh of relief when she didn't feel the searing pain
of a sword slice her--"Artems" she said , cradling the cat "You are
in big trouble" She said...but looking up she said "But not as big
as this animal torturer over there."
Malachite looked shocked....The blonde swivled and faced him
"How dare you try and kill my gaurdian? Such an act --if the
Queen knew she'd bannish you from the moon kingdom...and when
I get through with you, you'll realize that was the easy way out!"
Without thinking about it, she jumped up, kicked him, right on the
chin where he already had a gash.. "Venus Kick--Apologize at once
or I will have to punnish you!" She said.
Inside, she was shaking. What was she doing? He was so *cute*,
but she was kicking him? She was a lover not a fighter! She prepared
to kick again, when he held up a hand.
"I apologize,my Princess" He said, bowing low. "But your cat
surprised me, by jumping on my head"
Artemis growled "I was getting out of the tree, and he got in my way"
"He attacked me first" Malachite said "I don't hurt defenseless animals."
"I didnt attack...it was an accident" The cat said.."But I'm
not defenseless...I'm ready to take you on..." He growled.
Malachite studiously ignored Artemis. "My Princess, please,
I beg for your forgiveness...I am sorry I offended the friend of one
so beautiful and brave."
She blushed, shyly sayig "Then, I forgive both of you." She
brightened as an idea struck her..."It really must have been an
accident. Now you too should kiss hands to paw, and shake up..."
"Kiss and *make* up" both said simultaneously to correct her.
"Whatever" She said.
Both looked at each other...was she serious? She tapped her foot.
Yes, she was. Slightly embarrased, both reached forward and shook
hands/paws. They were rewarded with a 1000watt smile.
"What am I doing?" Artemis thought--Malachite's expression
revealed that he was thinking the same thing Embarrased, Artemis
ran off, but hid in the bush to watch his charge.
She turned towards Malachite. She noticed the rather ugly gash
on his chin.. "You're hurt...wait,, I can help" She said,
reaching up, and untying the orange ribbon that held her hair
back. Gently (she thought) she patted the cut.
He winced in excruciating pain. "Are you doing this on purpose?
I apologized already" He wondered if that bubbly exterior
hid a sadistic psychopath.
"It might hurt, but no pain no gain...wait, that's not right
..but I'll take care of you."
ÔNo, that's ok...reallly, I'm fine" He said drawing back.
"Ok,well, keep the ribbon" She said...shrugging, and
tossing her luxuriant hair out of her way.
Mina smiled, and scooped up the not so well hidden
and nosy Artemis, slung him over her shoulder and continued
on,humming some tune. Artemis could see that Malachite seemed
dazed, staring after them, surprised. His hand fingered the cut.
, And he stared tucking the ribbon in his pocket.
"Hey--that's not from this morning...decided to get some extra
sparring practice in, Mal?" Prince Endmion said, as he passed
by, noticing the cut.
"Let's just say I met a very worthy, but dangerous opponent"
His smile was mysterious.
"You seem pretty pleased about it though you lost-
Danger excites you, doesn't it? Regardless, he seems
to have taken your gaurd down, that's a nasty gash on your face."
"I think I'm lucky that's all my opponent took."
Darrien was puzzled. "What do you mean--first blood,
and the fight stops. What else could he have taken."
"Next time, my prince, I might lose my heart." His lead general said
cryptically, as he turned and left.
* * * *
Rei felt the fire warm her...her heavy dark hair hair hung
as a cloak down her back ...it was late afternoon...and
the ball was the next night. "Sure" she thought,
her cute cousin Endymion would escort her
if she asked, even though he was pretending to be "Darrien."
Yet every time she was with him, she felt his mind and
heart were really somewhere else. He liked her, but
she wanted something more intense and more like...she
blushed not completing the thought. Still, she felt
a trifle envious of Lita's success with the Lord
Warrior Nephflite. Her pride stung a bit that
she did not have a date herself.
A knock at the door caught her attention.
"Enter " She said, without turning around..
"Please set the tray on the table"
Without looking up, she added "Would you please check
to see how much longer the Lady Mercury will
be?"
A confident vibrant male voice answered her then.
"She will not be joining you this evening."
She reeled around, surprised both at the
message and the messenger. She'd expected
the maid, not---"Lord Warrior Jaedite!"
"Lady Mars" He said, giving a slight bow
from the waist. "May I enter?"
"What are you doing here?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Are tea ceremonies part of your training?""
"No. I've just missed you." He said teasingly. "I took
the liberty of relieving the servent of your tea tray...
I thought I'd be better company than your fire."
"Fire can be excellent company, Lord Jaedite."
She smiled. "But I'll accept yours."
As they enjoyed the fire and the tea,they
talked quietly. She kept thinking he wanted to
ask her something, but he never did.
Finally, they finnished the last of the tea.
"I must get back...but I will see you at the
ball tomorrow. " He said, bowing gallantly as he left.
Rei looked at the door. Had he meant to ask to
escort her? She wondered why he hadn't?
Her head turned to the side.Then she would
just have to ask him....after all, if Lita
could do it...
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