Dear readers,
It's been a long time since this story was finished, and since then I'd like to think I've come quite away from this. Still, considering how popular this story is, I wanted to give this chapter a face lift. I've updated and expanded, I plan to post the older version on my livejournal. I'm not sure if I will go back and expand each chapter.
Old readers, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this new version. New readers, I'd like to welcome you to the story.
Much love,
Last Haven
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon.
"...And when she's in the throws of passion," proclaimed the blond man, who was currently tied to the table in front of the one guard. "...her back arches, and her breast flush!"
Not that he really need to be tied down. After three intense days of torture, this blond still refused to crack. Crack in a useful way at least; all he did now was babble about his sex-capades with this woman of his. And after three days of listening to him blither on and on, the guard was going to crack soon as well. Hopefully someone would come in and relieve him of his duty soon.
"Her hair is like the twilight sky."
Very soon. The guard, a man by the name of Zhi, sighed and rubbed his face, trying to stave off sleep. It wasn't as easy as it was as the night before. Or the night before that, now that he thought about it. "What I really need is a cup of something strong. Eh, buddy?" he grumbled to his talkative companion.
"Her eyes are like twin stars amongst the dark night," came the reply.
Zhi sighed. "No offense, friend, but the walls around here are only slightly worse talkers. Just saying."
There was a knock at the door. Zhi raise a brow, and walked over to it, then looked out into the dimly light hall outside. A set of pale eyes stared back at him and Zhi's sleep deprived mind took a minute of staring at them before giving up trying to place the face they went along with.
"Whatcha want?" he asked briskly.
"They sent me down here with food and drink," the unfamiliar face replied.
Zhi frowned. "Prisoners don't get fed."
The pale eyes rolled heavenward. "They're not for him."
Even with his senses dulled, Zhi figured out who it was for quick enough. He opened the door, and let the man in. He still couldn't place this man, despite his unusual brown hair, both long and wavy. Looked a little girly in his opinion.
"She's as beautiful as the moon," cooed the prisoner.
The man's eyes flickered over to the prisoner as he handed over the tray. "What's he on about?"
Zhi quickly grabbed the tray, and hurried over to his chair so he could start eating. "He keeps going on about some girl," he answered quickly, tearing a hunk from the bread he'd brought. "He's doing it to piss off the boss, I think."
The man's eyes flickered impatiently back to Zhi. "How are you so sure?"
"He's a Rider," Zhi answered. "Everyone knows how hard it is to break one of them. They gave him the truth serum, and he started babbling." He took a drink from his tea, and frowned. "You new or something?"
"Something like that," the man replied, curiously examining the Rider. "I've always lived away from here. Aren't the Zojotenian Riders supposed to live south of here?"
"Yeah. They're travelers, never stay in one place long 'cept for their capital city."
"And she's just as distant," the captive whispered.
"Capital city?"
"They call it the White City, on account of their castle and the tents that surround the city," Zhi explained, ignoring the captive as well.
"Their castle? I thought they didn't listen to anyone," the man remarked casually.
"They don't!" Zhi agreed. "Bandits, the lot of them. But they got this king, the Skeit, so they listen to him sometimes."
"I see," the brunet replied.
Zhi drank again. "Something about this …tea… it tastes kinda…funny…" he commented then promptly slumped over asleep.
Nephrite sighed. "That's because I laced it with belladonna. My girl just loves her herbs."
"And she doesn't want to dance with you," sang Jadeite, finishing one of the more popular folksongs of their race. Nephrite ignored him as he hurried to release his friend. "Oh, yeah, she's as beautiful-"
"Yeah, yeah, beautiful as the moon," Nephrite grumbled. "Second verse, same as the first. I got it."
"And she's just as distant…"
Nephrite frowned and hesitantly wadded up a rag, and gagged him with it. "You need to keep your mouth shut for now." Around his gag, Jadeite continued to sing. "Sit there like a good boy, Jadeite; I need to switch your clothes with this guy, okay? Don't get any strange ideas; Rei'll kill me for sure." He then had to hurry, and wrestle the uniform off the guard and on to his friend. "Good Yu Hang, Jadeite, you need to lose weight," he murmured as he pulled Jadeite, now dressed in the guard's only slightly too big uniform. "We're on a tight schedule, we'll have to hustle."
Around the gag, Jadeite began to sing again.
Nephrite took it as a sign to hurry as fast as humanly possible. He began to pull his friend to the door, and then he looked out into the hallway before taking a step out. Walking quickly down the hall with Jadeite hanging limply at his side, he made his way towards a large doorway to the outside. A guard stepped out, and held a lantern up.
"Hey, what's wrong with him?" shouted the guard. Nephrite grumbled darkly then faked an accent similar to the guard's own.
"He be drunk. I be dumping 'im in the garbage while he's sick."
The guard nodded. "Aye. Alright, then you becoming back in for the night?"
"Nah, I gotta keep watch over him."
"Alright; good night then."
"Aye, good night." he grumbled as the guard opened the door then he ambled out. As soon as the door shut, Nephrite began to pick up speed, and hurried over to the meeting spot. With little to do for the next fifteen minutes, he tossed Jadeite into the trash when he saw a passing "fellow" guard. He used the same alibi as before, and it worked well enough since Jadeite spat out the gag then began to spit blood as well. Disgusted, the other guard left in a hurry to Nephrite's relief. Shortly before Zoisite was scheduled to show up, Jadeite passed out and Nephrite slid down the opposite wall, and waited.
Finally, another door opened, and Nephrite stiffened until a covered wagon hitched to two horses wheeled out and over to him.
"Nice night," Zoisite greeted him cheerfully, not bothering to get down from the driver's seat of the wagon.
"Uh huh," Nephrite replied absently as he dragged Jadeite around the back.
"Nice night for a ride through the desert, am I right?"
"Go already," he grumbled; he deposited Jadeite on the cot that Zoisite had set up for their friend.
"Heh," Zoisite grinned at him before clucking at the horses to starting moving. "Face it, when I'm right, I'm right."
Nephrite frowned at the pile of rugs in the corner of the wagon, at Jadeite's head. "You went shopping, didn't you?"
"Hey, don't call it shopping, you make it sound girly!" Zoisite protested.
"This coming from the man who willing dressed in drag to get information about a certain blue haired-"
"It's called trading," Zoisite insisted. Nephrite snickered at the interruption. "If you must know, I got those fine rugs for a steal. See those jars? Also a great buy, if I do say so myself.""
"Kunzite's gonna kill you when he sees that you weren't waiting for us like his plan."
"I was waiting. I just happened to be buying also. You can do two things at once."
"You're a bit too good at multitasking though," Nephrite sighed, not bothering to argue more.
"Hush! We'll be reaching the gates soon," Zoisite commented as they lumbered through the out post's streets. For many quiet minutes the wagon ambled on noisily down the dirt streets.
"Halt!" called a guard as he wandered over to the wagon. Nephrite tensed, and silently willed Jadeite to be silent. "Where are you going so late?"
Zoisite grinned, and tipped his hat so the man could see he was a Zojotenian Rider. He reached into his coin purse, slipped a gold coin out, and grinned as the guard's eyes gleamed. "I'm heading home, good sir," he answered as he flipped him the coin. The guard snatched it up, bit it, and then stuck it in his pocket.
"So, anybody else in there?" asked the guard as he tapped the wagon with his lethal looking baton.
"Oh, no, no-" laughed Zoisite.
"Ugh..."
Zoisite froze as he looked at the guard. "Well ...barring my friends back there," he hurriedly explained. The guard lifted up the flap, and looked at Nephrite and Jadeite.
"Evening, sir," Nephrite greeted him casually.
The guard frowned at Jadeite's sleeping form. "What's wrong with him?"
"Drunk. Doesn't know how to handle his drinks, this one," he explained.
The guard hesitated then dropped the flap before walking back towards Zoisite. "You're clear," he said, gesturing him on.
Barely a mile later Nephrite gave a swift kick to the cot.
"The idiot," Zoisite snapped with a growl.
Nephrite leaned back against the wall, and sighed heavily. "That was too close," he groaned. "Let's save some face and pride, and not tell Kunzite about that, shall we?" Not bothering to listen for a reply he groaned, and shut his eyes to sleep. A little while later he felt the wagon come to a stop. He waited until he heard Kunzite's voice call to him.
"Nephrite, c'mon," Kunzite called as he tapped the side of the wagon. Quickly Nephrite scrambled out, and walked around to Kunzite who sat high on a dark mare. He tossed the reigns to another horse, a dun colored mare, over to Nephrite as he reached for them. "Let's head out," he ordered, not bothering with proper greetings. They were still too close to the city to give a proper report anyways, (nor give Jadeite a proper check up), that was really the only thing Kunzite wanted.
Finally, Kunzite called a halt when he judged them far enough away from the outpost. "How was it?" he asked, swinging down from his horse.
Nephrite wasn't nearly so graceful dismounting as he plopped down. "Got him with little trouble. Ran into a few guards but none of them caught on."
Kunzite nodded before walking over to the back of the wagon. Zoisite, in the middle of stretching, jumped when he heard Kunzite call for him. "WHY," he began, "are there new rugs and jars back here, Zoisite?"
Nephrite ignored them, and decided to start a fire while they were busy arguing. He watered the horses first then busied himself getting the fire going. He had just started making some stew when he suddenly realized it had been silent for a little too long. He turned, and looked at them; they were frozen in place. Kunzite stood with a fistful of carpets and jaw hanging, Zoisite staring dumbfounded into the wagon. Curious and half worried that something had happened to Jadeite, he made his way to the wagon and stared inside.
It didn't take long to see what had shocked his friends: sitting inside the wagons on top of the rest of the carpets, a young woman with blonde hair and wide, horrified eyes stared back at them.