Chapter 5

Rowan awoke with a start a feeling of unease and danger dancing up his
spine. He waited while his eyes focused in the darkness. No sound came to
his ears nor anything appeared out of the ordinary. Sure that whatever was
causing the feeling of distraction was not in his immediate vicinity he
closed his eyes again and pushed outwards. His consciousness filtered
through the empty corridors and over sleeping personnel but still he could
not distinguish from where the feeling was originating. After a time it
faded to a simple nagging. Unable to return to slumber he dragged himself
out of the bed and dressed. A glance in the mirror showed him a few more
greying hairs then he remembered having and he sighed deeply. He had never
before even entertained the thought of living to a ripe old age. It was a
revelation he did not care to have. Before long he would be confined to a
chair rambling on about things that had happened to long ago for the new
generation to be able to grasp. They would smile and nod humoring the old
man in his last stretch of life. He brought his hand down upon the table in
frustration causing the mirror to vibrate and distort his image. Turning
with a feeling of depression weighing heavily on his chest a glimmer caught
his eyes and he frowned. 
His medallion lay glinting in the faint moonlight upon a vacant table. He
lifted it with trembling fingers and frowned deeply. He knew it had not
been there when he had retired to bed earlier the night before. So how had
that youngster managed to penetrate his chambers without tripping any of
the alarms? The startling reality that he had slept through the nocturnal
visit bothered him more then he cared to admit. Either he was losing his
touch faster then he thought or that boy was a hell of a lot more talented
then he had given him credit for. Clenching the medallion in his fist he
quietly pulled open the door and walked out into the darkened hallway not
sure of his destination but needing to soothe his mind. 

---<---<@


    Mercury  walked along the path carefully trying to avoid any cracks
that would cause her to trip or stumble. A soft sound reached her ears and
she paused trying to decipher what it was. After a few moments the sound
rang out again and she headed towards it. She was surprised to find the
young man she had met earlier in the day sitting on the ground staring
absently at a half closed flower. He had pulled his knees up to his chest
and sat completely still as though he were one of the numerous statues. She
glanced about unsure whether or not approaching the man would be wiser then
leaving him be. He seemed to want privacy but something inside of her
forced her forward until she was standing mear inches from the still form.
The man seemed totally oblivious to her presence and she shifted
uncomfortably. Finally she cleared her throat and sat down next to him. 
"These flowers are really very pretty when the sunlight hits them. Their
colors are very well defined." She replied hating the way that she seemed
to be sounding like a text book. 
To her surprise she saw a ghost of a smile cross the man's features. "They
are very beautiful now, to." He replied quietly. 
She cocked her head and waited to see if he would add anything else. When
it became apparent that he wasn't she paused looking for something else to
talk about. "Are there flowers like this on Venus?"
Zoisite shook his head. "Not where I lived but in certain parts, yes.
Southern Earth and Venus look very much the same. Shouldn't you be in bed?
The Queen and princess are coming tomorrow morning are they not?" 
Mercury smiled. "Yes, but I usually spend the night reading. As a result I
need very little sleep."
"It'll be a busy day for you." 
Mercury sighed. "Actually it'll be quite boring."
Zoisite cocked his head. "Why?"
"The Queen and King will stay together to discuss politics while Serena
and Endymion will keep together. Jupiter and Nephlyte will probably go out
for a night on the town." 
"They are close friends?" 
Mercury nodded. "Yes, they have an agreement of sorts. They pretend to be
in love so it's easier for Nephlyte and Naru to explain their constant
meetings as nothing more then a meeting between friends. Jupiter finds the
whole thing romantic while Nephlyte finds it convenient. As a result the
two of them are quite close, in friendship I mean." 
Zoisite thought about this. "Things here on Earth are much more
complicated then on Venus."  He muttered. 
"Oh? How so?" Mercury asked anxious to learn something new. 
"Well, if you were in love with someone you showed it. There was none of
this running around in the shadows thing." Zoisite waved his hand. "If
Nephlyte and Naru were on Venus instead of here they could have been
married, no matter what anyone else thought. It's all so, unnecessary, this
political and proper marriage thing."
Mercury shook her head in amazement. "I never knew that Venus was like
that. Of course knowing the senshi from Venus should have alerted me to it.
She persued Malachite restlessly until he finally gave up and gave in to
her." 
Zoisite blinked his green eyes. "Venus and Malachite?"
"Well, yes. They are quite the couple. Complete opposites if you ask me.
She's so outgoing and loud while he's so reserved and calculating. Of
course Mars and Jadeite are quite the combination together as well."
"And who's Jadeite?" Zoisite asked doing the pairings in his mind.
"A friend of Endymion's. He's the only man I know who can put up with her
temper and live. He's a glutton for punishment if you ask me." 
"And yourself?" Zoisite asked when he realized that she had yet to tell of
herself.
Mercury blushed and looked away. "Oh, I don't really have one friend. I
just kind of float around here or go out with one of the others."
Zoisite eyed her for a moment. "Aren't you going to the ball with anyone?"

"No. I really end up leaving shortly after it starts. I find it dull and
would much rather spend my time in the library." Mercury absently fingered
one of the leaves on the plant. 
He could sense that she was uncomfortable with this new twist in the
conversation and her shame bothered him. "Well, maybe tomorrow we could be
bored together. My father is requiring me to go." Zoisite said.
Mercury looked up at him in surprise. "You want to?" 
"Why not?" 
"Sure. Um, I better go before Jupiter comes looking for me. I'll see you
tomorrow morning." She stood and hurried away before he could answer
leaving Zoisite alone in the dark.
He frowned for a moment fearing that she would take his words as more then
they were meant to carry. He was looking for a simple friend and nothing
more. He chewed his bottom lip and hoped that she did not begin to look at
him as more then that. Twice he had accidentally lured two women into
believing that he was attracted to them and both times trying to explain
himself had failed. He rose with a sigh as he thought of Malachite and
Venus. The silver haired general was very attractive but Zoisite wasn't
overly surprised that he was taken. Besides, the chances of Malachite being
attracted to him were slim to none and the blond youth knew it. Well, it
had been a fun thought to entertain. A clock chimed somewhere and he forced
himself up. If he didn't get to bed soon he would never be able to drag
himself up for the 'entertainment' tomorrow promised to hold.


---<--<@

Rowan yawned and stretched the kinks out of his aging body. Rising with
the sun was a discipline he had mastered long ago but he still hated it.
Unfortunately he had no choice, especially today. Carefully putting on his
dress uniform he fingered the medallion around his neck. He really should
go figure out where that youngster had run off to but he just didn't have
the time. He left his room to make sure that the others had also awakened.
He didn't bother to check Malachite's room knowing that he was probably
already gone but he did want to check up on Nephlyte. He had a bad habit of
sleeping in late, especially when a certain senshi was about. He knocked
lightly on the door before shrugging and barreling in. If the man was
asleep he wasn't going to wake up for anything less then an earthquake. 
He could see the top of an auburn head peaking out from under the covers
and he grinned. Walking up to the bed he raised his hands over the still
covers and concentrated. A thin layer of ice formed and became thicker. A
few moments passed before the sleeping man awoke with a start and ran for
the bathroom teeth chattering all the way. Rowan smiled as he saw steam
rise up from under the doorway and an annoyed voice followed behind it. 
"Haven't you ever thought of shaking me awake?" Nephlyte yelled from the
other room.
"Ah, but what would be the fun of that. Besides, I keep hoping that it
will teach you to awake when you are supposed to." Rowan shouted back.
"If it hasn't worked by now, it'll probably never work." Nephlyte grumbled
as he walked through the door, bangs and hair dripping. He studied the
frozen sheets for a moment before deciding that it probably wasn't worth
saving them. Rowan smiled remembering his own days as a youth and being
dragged out of bed by his superior. Nephlyte carefully worked a comb
through his rapidly drying hair removing the knots. Sure that the man was
in no danger of falling asleep again Rowan excused himself and wandering
back out into the hall. He had taken it upon himself to make sure
everything was set up the way it should be without any sudden alterations.
A simple shift in one of the decorations positions could allow a marksmen
the shot he needed to kill. A glimmer of gold caught his attention and he
froze. 
Zoisite was standing quietly trying to look interested in the conversation
his father was holding with some politician but to Rowan's trained eye he
was failing miserably. An emerald eye caught his and any thought to
approach the boy diminished from his mind. Zoisite returned his attention
back to the two men and he forcibly ignored the aging general. Rowan felt a
moment of anger surge but he forced it down. It was his own fault for
provoking the boy, he was damned lucky the child was only ignoring him
instead of trying to hide from him. He had no doubt that if Zoisite wanted
to avoid him it would take nothing less then a full scale search and a
squad of guards to drag the child into his presence. 
He turned away and walked towards the small room hidden off to the side of
the main hall not at all surprised to see that he had been beaten by both
Malachite and Endymion. Whenever Serenity or her daughter visited the
prince seemed unusually anxious. The king glanced at him from under greying
eyebrows and snorted. "I still don't know why we keep having these meetings
so early in the morning." He said gruffly.
Rowan smiled his agreement. "Aye, but then these youngsters would be
beating us up and getting into all sorts of trouble without our expert
eye." Malachite and Endymion shook their heads used to the attitude of the
two. When Nephlyte finally decided to grace them all with his appearance
they settled down to work. 


---<--<@

Zoisite tried not to shift under the gazes the three generals kept
shooting his way. He was inches from snapping from the pressure when the
doors opened and the Queen of the moon walked in. The generals immediately
turned to the situation at hand and for the first time since he had gotten
up this morning Zoisite was able to breath easier. He had thought long and
hard about what had happen the day before and he still wasn't sure that it
had happened. The medallion was wrong. It had to be. Why else would the
silly thing have chosen him? He wasn't strong, nor was he incredibly
bright. Oh, he wasn't stupid by any stretch of the imagination but his
impatience tended to get in the way of better judgment. The only thing that
he really was good at was being creative. And it wasn't like a general
could get away with just that. He had hoped that by returning the medallion
that Rowan would realize the mistake but apparently he hadn't. What was it
going to take to convince these men that they had the wrong person? 
A hand on his arm jerked him out of his reverie and he jumped. Mercury
shrunk back slightly and he placed a hand on his chest to slow his beating
heart. He hadn't realized that the pleasantries had ended and the formal
atmosphere was dispersing. She gave him a concerned look and he smiled
hoping to allay her fears. "Sorry, you startled me." 
She smiled and they removed themselves to a quiet corner of the hall. "I
noticed that something was occupying you, I wasn't sure if I should have
interfered but I figure someone should have before you were left standing
there." 
"And looking like a fool, thank you." He noticed that Serenity and her
court were heading towards another room with the king, prince, and generals
in tow. "Shouldn't you be with them?" He asked. 
"Probably. If I asked you what was wrong would you be overly annoyed with
my curiosity?" She asked. 
Zoisite paused not sure wether or not he should answer. "Well, it seems
someone has found something for me to do while around here, but I'm not
sure it's what I want." 
Mercury frowned at his vagueness but decided to ignore it. "Well, when I
was told I was going to be a senshi, I wasn't overly thrilled. I mean I'm
not very aggressive, not like Mars or Jupiter. I wondered why they could
possibly want me. Later I found out that even though I didn't have any
really fighting ability I brought along something that the others didn't
have."
"Oh?" Zoisite asked fascinated at how well her story parrelled his own
current problem.
"Yes, sometimes fighting just isn't the answer, that's where I come in. I
may not be physically strong but mentally none of the others can touch me.
I'm more of a defensive, find the enemy's weakness, person. That makes me
just as important as the others." She said as she lead he towards the room
where the others had disappeared. 
Zoisite nodded as he studied the smaller woman. They were so much alike
yet so different. Maybe that was why he liked her. And she had given him
something else to think about, and suddenly he wondered if the medallion
was really that wrong at all.

----<---<@

Rowan yawned and leaned back in his chair which had suddenly become a heck
of a lot more comforting. The ball had gone off splendidly. Endymion and
Princess Serena had to be pried apart by their parents at the end of the
night while he had kept a close eye on Nephlyte to make sure he stuck with
Jupiter and not with Naru. It wouldn't have been the first time Jupiter had
covered while Nephlyte and Naru snuck off for a quiet night hidden from any
prying eyes. Everything had gone on as he expected with no unusual
occurrences. Except one. Mercury had staid. And with Zoisite no less. Rowan
sighed and shook his head not wanting to think of that stubborn child. He
still didn't know how to handle him. The medallion had chosen and would
chose no other. So either he convinced Zoisite to be a general or Endymion
was going to end up a general short when he took the throne. 
Nephlyte had suggested, and more then a little seriously, that they kidnap
the boy and force him to become a general but Rowan knew that wouldn't
work. Zoisite had already proven that he could get around his shields and
he doubted that anything would keep that boy trapped in one place.
Malachite had suggested they wait, surely Zoisite would come around to
their way of thinking, but Rowan wasn't sure of that plan either. Something
inside nagged him, telling him that they were going to need four generals
before the millennium was out. That left him less then three years to find
and train the two new generals. Well, they'd found one, and he was
steadfastly refusing to have anything to do with any of them. What was the
fourth general going to be like? And where was that fourth person? 
Too many questions, not enough answers. Rowan cursed profusely and stood.
And almost had a heart attack as he found his path blocked by a less then
pleased Zoisite. He clutched the arm of his chair and forced down the urge
to blast the intruder into oblivion. That was twice the youth had snuck up
on him without setting off the alarms. He was defiantly going to have to do
something about that. He peered at the cold face and blond hair that
drifted about in the wind. Odd, Rowan thought, I don't feel a breeze in
here. It was then that he realized that the boy was sitting, about three
feet off the ground in the middle of the air. He shook his head to make
sure he wasn't seeing things. 
Zoisite slowly counted to five then stood and allowed himself to lower
slightly until his feet lightly rested upon the ground. Sure that he had
Rowan's attention he turned slightly and looked out the window asking
himself for the final time if this was what he really wanted to do. When he
had his answer he turned back to the general who had regained his composer.
"I think, that maybe being a general is not so ludicrous a thought as I
once said. Perhaps you can forgive my curt words and explain to me what it
is I need to do." 
Rowan studied Zoisite's features carefully and repressed a smile. This
certainly wasn't a comfortable situation for him, but at least he had
finally come around to seeing the truth. Now all he had to do was keep from
scaring off the obviously skittish young man. Three generals down, one more
to go.
 


Next Part

Back
to the fan-fic page