"Hey, have you seen Naru?"

The servant shook her head.

"How about you?"

"Sorry. I haven't seen her for the last few days."

Nephlyte sighed. "But you both work in the wing that her room is in. Surely you've seen her."

Both women glanced at each other before shrugging. "She didn't sleep in her room last night and I don't think she was there at all yesterday. I don't know if that helps."

The blue eyes narrowed. "Actually, it brings up a hell of a lot more questions."

"Sorry."

"Thanks anyway."

He watched the two women wonder off, one glancing back at him and giggling slightly. He snorted in disgust as he turned and went in the opposite direction. He wasn't in the mood to deal with flirtatious females right now. Odd, normally he liked that. His search had turned up neither hide nor hair of his secret love, and he was worried. Where could she have gone?

***********************

"Are you sure we should be doing this? I mean, this is a private place." Jedite said as he paused in the doorway.

Malachite half turned towards him and spared him an exasperated look. "I don't like it when strange things happen around here. It usually leads to bigger and more serious problems , and frankly I don't have the time to fight a war. I have classes to teach. Now," he turned back and stared at the man before him, "I'm going to assume you've been here before. Is there anything you don't recognize?" He asked.

Nephlyte tried to hide the blush that crept to his face but he could tell from the amused look on his superior's face that he was failing miserably. Tossing his hair over his shoulder, he looked about. "I've only been here twice, and neither time for what you are insinuating." He snapped.

To his surprise Malachite nodded. "Alright. This isn't about your affairs anyway."

It was the closest thing he was going to get to an apology out of the older man so he took it and chose to ignore the comment about his affairs. He could feel irritation building up and he forced it down. This wasn't the time for petty bickering anyway. He would deal with it later.

He walked about, not really mapping out a course but rather just roaming. After a few moments he bowed his head to admit defeat when a glitter of light caught his eye. Looking up he found himself staring at a crisp white note. He reached for it then paused when he saw the long slanted writing. Pulling away, he turned to call out to his companions. A name written at the bottom of the letter jumped out at him and this time he took the letter. Scanning it h e felt like the floor had dropped out from under him.

"Ah, guys."

*************************

"Are you sure he was unconscious the entire day?"

The healer glared at her accuser. "Yes. The boy didn't wake up until early evening when that red haired girl showed up to speak with him."

"This is impossible." Nephlyte hissed as he again looked down at the letter in his hands. Zoisite's name stared back at him mockingly, the scrawling handwriting was slanted and seemed to laugh evilly. He was reminded of the laugh Zoisite had given him during his attack. "How could he have written this letter if he was unconscious the entire day. Is it possible he was awake and had given it to one of your assistance while you were with another patient?" He asked.

There was a pause before the healer answered. "Yes, but your Naru would not have received it until today. I was here in the office until six, when I went to check on the other patients. Eve n if the boy had awakened and given the letter to one of my assistance it wouldn't have been sent until early yesterday morning."

"But Naru visited Zoisite around eight, you said."

"Exactly."

"Let me see that." Malachite said holding his hand out for the letter. Nephlyte surround the enigma and watched as the teacher turned general studied it. After a moment his brow creased and h e turned it over. Holding the back of the letter to the light he shook his head.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm fairly sure a woman wrote this." He murmured as he lowered the letter.

Nephlyte blinked. "How can you tell?"

A slight smile crossed the older general's face. "After teaching for as long as I do, you learn to recognize handwritings. Besides, if you turn the paper over and look at the back, you'll notice that who ever wrote the note didn't put a lot of pressure on the pen. Men are stronger and tend to push harder, therefore the letters become creased in the paper. That hasn't really happened here." He ran a finger over the length of the note.

"So, now what do we do?"

"We start asking some questions, and getting some answers."

*****************************

Why must you continue to deny the love between us?

You're right. I can't live like this. Can you ever forgive my foolishness?

Come over here and I'll see what I can do.

Since when did you become such a minx?

Oh, I've always been like this. You just never bothered to look that deeply before.

Are you inviting me in?

That depends.

On what?

On how well we go together.

I would give you anything. Tell me, is my love your greatest wish?

Conceited, aren't you?

Answer me.

Who are you?

Does it matter?

Yes! Why do you keep trying to discover my greatest wish?

Because I want to give it to you.

I don't believe you

Why not? Isn't it time you start to trust people?

You have to earn trust.

Then let me earn your trust by doing you this one little favour. Then you will know who I am.

That's what I'm afraid of.

***********************

"You sent him to the moon!"

The king glared down at him. "Yes. With some of the things I have been hearing I decided it was the safest place for him to be."

Nephlyte stared at the king. "He has no protection there!"

"Of course he does. The moon is the safest place in the galaxy thanks to that silver crystal Queen Serenity has. And there is also those senshi that hover about the princess."

"Your majesty, with all due respect, Endymion is not safe there. Granted, the Queen does have the Empyream Silver Crystal and the Princess is guarded by her senshi, but that is just what they are, her senshi. If a problem did arise, they would protect their princess, not your son. His protection is our duty."

"Are you questioning my orders, general?" The king asked, his voice deceptively calm.

Nephlyte frowned. It was within the rights of a general to override any decision made that would put a member of the royal family in jeopardy, but the chain of command made it Malachite's job to verbally question, not his. Unfortunately, Malachite was unaware of this recent development.

"I asked you a question, general, I expect an answer."

So, he wants to try and trap me, hmmm? Two can play that game.

He hated to do this with a full court but his king had left him no choice. "I'm afraid I must decline to answer that question, my lord."

There were numerous murmurs from the assembled nobility and Nephlyte winced. This was not the most tactful way to deal with this situation, but there was naught else he could do. He couldn't outright question the king during court, but he couldn't lie to his lord either.

"Get out." The king hissed, hunching over in the massive throne. "Get out right now!"

He bowed slightly then turned on his heel and left. His hair swung wildly thanks to his sharp movements but right now he was too angry to care. He had to find Malachite, and quickly.

He felt a tingling in the back of his mind and frowned. A storm was coming, he could feel it. Not a normal storm, but an energy storm. Things just kept going from bad to worse. Energy storms tended to reek havoc with the magics and those who possessed them were struck with headaches. Depending upon the size of the storm, the headaches ranged from mere annoyances to disabilitating. They did not have time for this!

There was something else that was bothering him. The stars. They were aligning oddly of late and he couldn't figure out what these strange patterns they were making meant. Their messages were rarely very clear but recently they had been completely uninterpretable. The messages were jumbled and confused. Strange things were happening and he was being left out in the cold. At least his powers hadn't been affected. But now with this damned storm coming. . .

"What else could possibly go wrong?" He muttered through clenched teeth forgetting entirely about Murphy's Law.

************************

"He did what!" The normally silent general shouted as he turned to glare back at his two companions. The white cape flared dramatically to swing about his shoulders like a pendulum.

Nephlyte had been expecting such a reaction but he noted with slight amusement that Jedite jumped a few feet up into the air at the sudden outburst. "You heard me. Then he tried to challenge me during court."

"I hate to think of how that was received."

"Let's just say the court won't be lacking in gossip any time soon."

The silver haired man shook his head. "Why is he trying to do our job?" He muttered.

"I was wondering that too. You'd think he'd have his hands full already, what with all the nobles petitioning him for better protection out on the borders." Jedite said thoughtfully.

Two sets of eyes turned and pinned him. "And how did you know about that?" Nephlyte asked. He didn't remember ever seeing the blond at court.

"Endymion talks."

"Oh."

"You don't suppose that the king has been affected by whatever has gotten into Zoi and Naru, do you?" He asked turning towards a thoughtful Malachite.

"No. At least I hope not."

Nephlyte shook his head. "He's probably just worried about his son."

"Alright, you two go and get some rest. Tomorrow we'll get back to our search for the missing lady." Malachite said as he turned and headed back for the audience chamber.

"And what are you going to do?" Jedite asked.

"I'm going to go and get our prince back, before anything else happens!"

***********************

The moment his head hit the pillow he was asleep. Odd, he normally didn't drift off that quickly.

I've been waiting for you.

What? Who are you?

Who do you want me to be?

Answer my question!

I can't. Besides, it doesn't really matter who I am.

I'll be the judge of that.

What I can do for you is much more important then who I am.

What you can do for me?

Yes. I can give you whatever your heart desires. All you have to do is trust me.

How can I trust you when you won't even tell me who you are?

Just open up and let me in. That's all you need do.

Why do I need to let you in?

To force myself in would cause you great harm. I don't want to harm you, I want to help you.

I don't believe you.

But why not? What have I done to hurt you?

You invade my sleep and whisper in my mind.

Oh, I am not the one whispering in your mind. But I can stop it, if you wish.

I wish nothing.

Now it is you who lie.

Get out and leave me in peace!

Tell me, Jedite, what is your greatest wish?

***********************

"This discussion was over before it started, Malachite!" The king lifted his scepter and rapped it on the floor to signal his heralds.

"That is true, your majesty." Malachite replied, making no move to exit the chamber.

"Then leave my presence and do your duty."

"I am doing my duty, your majesty. Will you bring your son home or do I have to order him back myself?" The grey eyes remained calm and cloaked.

The king, however, burst into rage. "My son stays where he is! It is my word, it is my law!"

"Your word and law puts his life in danger, therefore it falls to me to get him back where he is safe. Normally I would mearly insist that one of my generals is sent up with him, but with the way things have been progressing down here I have no one to send. Zoisite is still too ill to work, Nephlyte is busy trying to find the missing Naru, and Jedite is too new at this to be much good. As for myself, I'm in the middle of an investigation. Your son must be returned."

There was silence for a moment. "You would override my decision on this?" The king asked, his voice trembling slightly with anger.

"Yes, my lord, I would."

"Then you leave me no choice. I will order my son home."

Malachite bowed slightly. "Thank you, your majesty." He turned to leave.

"This will not be forgotten, general." The king added.

"No, my lord. It most defiantly will not." He muttered under his breath as he swept out of the chamber.

*************************

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