(In the Silver Millennium, Moon Kingdom a few weeks after the Sailor Scouts have been appointed as guards 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, they're ***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 Darien, 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 guards) 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 fighting and patterns...all on a weird computer device... She certainly wasn't interested in "observing tactical skills".at least not these kind! ..oh, she couldn't 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 was 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 finished 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, isn't he. What guy would want someone as awkward as me? He's probably scared of me, too...She groaned. Why'd she have to be so tall? Of course, he was taller, and he didn't 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 straightened 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 guards, and his liege came forward.

Automatically, he started to bow--

Embarrassed, 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 Darien." He said. Under his breath he mumbled something.

"OH really!" Darien/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 embarrassment left on his face.

"That's a new one." Darien/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.

Darien 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 and turned 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 crystalline 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 unknown 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 opening 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 disappearing. 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 marveled 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 crystalline 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 vanished.

Oh, 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.. suddenly 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 viscous 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"

Artemis meowed in agreement -- "Show him a lesson Mina" He said

"Artemis! I *meant* you!"

The cat looked up in surprise. "Me?" Letting his guard down, Malachite was able to dislodge Artemis...He pulled his sword up ...and prepared to gut the offending feline.

Mina, 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--"Artemis" 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 swiveled and faced him "How dare you try and kill my guardian? Such an act --if the Queen knew she'd banish 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 punish 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 didn't 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 saying "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 embarrassed, both reached forward and shook hands/paws. They were rewarded with a 1000 watt smile.

"What am I doing?" Artemis thought--Malachite's expression revealed that he was thinking the same thing Embarrassed, 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."

No, that's okay...really, I'm fine" He said drawing back.

"Okay,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 Endymion 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 guard down, that's a nasty gash on your face."

"I think I'm lucky that's all my opponent took."

Darien 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 "Darien." 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 servant 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 finished 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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