Jadeite: The First of The Heavenly Kings

Chapter 1: The Meeting

The light of dawn slowly begin to peak over horizon vaporizing any traces of midnight as the orange ball of brilliant light slowly rose to its resting place to start the day. A soft grunt followed by an out stretched hand piecing the murky lighting. "What time is it…" a moderately deep yet slightly feminine sounding voice asked as if expecting an answer. Twisting the silk bed sheets over and around himself, the owner of the voice rolled over on to his chest heaving a mournful sigh.

"Jadeite, Are you awake?" A harsh sounding knock echoed through the room causing discomfort to its inhabitant.

"Regretfully….Yes…." The occupant, now sitting up shook his head of golden locks rubbing the sleep from his eye. "'Ey, what time is it?!" He called to the voice that rapped on the solid oak door. "Kunzite?...Kunzite??" After no reply was returned the cerulean blue eyed man swung his legs over the edge of the over fluffed full sized bed. He cradled his head in his hands for a moment trying to collect his self before standing up. The sheet slid from his bare skin revealing his slender yet well molded and chiseled physique pooling to the floor as it reached his feet.

Still nude he stood in the now bright curtain filtered sunlight. Pulling his uniform from a closet he paused for a moment, only to grab a towel from the top shelf.

A sharp pounding pattern reverberated on his door once more. This time it was more playful and energetic. "Can you move any slower?!!!" The voice boomed in a joking irritation. "It's like already ...NOON!"

"Nephrite you AREN'T funny!! I can tell by the orange glow on my floor its well before 6:30." The Blonde bellowed loudly.

"Hurry Up! You have until the count of 3!!" The tall olive skinned man with dark chocolate curly locks called placing his hand on the door knob. "2…." He slowly begin to turn it.

"I wouldn't do that if I were…" Jadeite was cut off by the sound of the lock mechanism turning inside its chamber and the door thrusting wide open. "…you…" Jadeite shook his head with a bashful yet far from modest grin as nephrite jumped back shielding his eyes.

"Ah…Jadeite you could have warned me…Geeze…" Nephrite turned his back with a look of embarrassment and disgust. "Um…Kunzite has a meeting planned…He suggest you don't be late." With having said his piece he quietly exited the door fame slamming the heavy oak door behind him. A muffled "You got 10 minutes before he turns ugly" penetrated through.

Having heaved another sigh the blonde raised his right hand behind his neck and rubbed at the little hair that stood on end. 'I'd like them hurry…they didn't stay out as late as I did with the birthday boy.' Glancing at the clock on the wall he headed for the bathroom connected to his room.

The sun was well in the sky as it was just beginning to grow more and more luminous climbing higher and higher to it mid day perch. The morning dew on the grass started to form big round droplets that soon would evaporate in the summer air.

The halls of the Palace were lined with images of the king and queen but not near as much as the crowned prince. The painting reflections that were cast down stood out on the polished marble floor as if the to were hanging on the titles them selves. Jadeite's shoes clicked and clacked while he sauntered down the corridor. He remembered how scared he was when he was younger. Trying to be fearless but the corridor was just as big and hollow as it was back then.

'Ah…the day when I first came here….' Taking a deep breath Jadeite breathed in the scent of cherry blooms. The same soothing scent from long ago. He was sent by his parents. His father had served the king as it would be his duty to serve the future king. 'Yes, it was about the same time…' The king and queen had gone to tour the country and his father along with 3 other generals. The same time the horrible accident occurred and he was forced to come to the palace prematurely; for it would have been another 3 maybe four years before he would have begun his role. However, since the accident, the crowned prince had no one to accompany him. Thus he and the other three were brought. The corridor was silent then. The wails of someone crying echoed around amplified sounding like a wounded beast or something else rather frightful. Jadeite looked down to his shoes. He saw his reflection in them. A young boy no older the 14 wearing the official blue gray uniform of the officials closest to the king stared back to him. The sobbing began to lull away then heave back, much like an ocean wave. Swallowing hard he tried to clear his thoughts but only his fathers voice remained.

"Son…someday you too will be in charge of the king. He will need you by his side like a fish needs water. You well be his consult, his guardian, and most of all…his friend. Because of who he is and what he will become…on top of protection he will need friends the most…"

Raising his head high, the young curly blonde haired Jadeite raised his head allowing his feet and ear to guide him toward the sobbing. He found an open down with servants out side wearing black as a sign of respect for the former members of royalty. Be fore he entered he couldn't help but notice out of the older castle staff a young girl about a bit older then age with blood red hair peeked out from the side of her mother. He face was delicate and very pretty but she wore an expression of tremendous sadness and helplessness. Peering in Jadeite could see the crowned prince flailing on his bed in what was now anger. The dark haired prince seemed to be cursing into the covers. The Maid at the door placed her hand upon Jadeite's back as if ushering him in.

"You too have experienced a loss child, perhaps you can help console the young prince?" She smiled warmly although her wrinkles pulled at the corners of her mouth.

Jadeite nodded. He himself had wondered why he was not as broken up over his own fathers death; perhaps because he still had one parent as the prince still had none. He turned to the old woman one last time then strode toward the still cursing prince.

"Ex...excuse me your majesty…." The cerulean blue eyed youngster stood a little ways away from the four poster bed.

The cursing seemed to stop as a red eyed and splotch faced raven haired prince jerked his head up. Still facing the bed mattress the boy replied, "Are...are you talking to me?? No body calls me that…It's always your highness…" The boy rolled over to his back then sat up facing the stranger whom had entered his room. He wiped his eyes a bit the attempted to put on a strong face as if he had never thrown a temper tantrum.

"Hey…just who are you…how did you get in??" The raven haired Prince stood up, he was just as tall if not taller then Jadeite himself.

"Well, your Majesty…" He was cut off abruptly.

"Please don't call me that…that was my father…" The Young prince narrowed his eyes in attempts to restrain any tears from falling. "Well Who are you?"

"I am …I am…I am not sure exactly what my title is…But My name is Jadeite. I was sent here to protect you, consult you, and…well be your…friend." He mumbled the last word as if it were completely ludicrous.

"Be my friend?!! Really!!" The prince sniffled and wiped his nose on his sleeve. A gasp was heard out in the hall in disparagement but it was ignored. "I never really had a friend. What do friends do??"

Jadeite's blue eyes grew larger with excitement. He half expected the young prince to laugh in his face. "Well…they ah…uh…do fun things…" He stammered then began again quickly. "They do lots of things like getting into trouble and have secret meetings and…"

This was enough for the young prince. "Yes!! Yes!! And!! NO! WAIT!! Its decided!! You are going to be my friend…and…can friends call each other by their first names??" His sea blue eyes lit up with excitement.

"Of…of course your highness…er..um..." Jadeite looked puzzled for a moment. He remembered that one is not to refer to the Royals with first names in their presence.

"You can call me Edymion!" The boy grew more and more cheery. Then with a stern voice he justified. "Just Edymion."

"Alright…Edymion!" Jadeite smiled warmly and held out his hand.

The raven haired boy beamed. "Can I tell you a secret…?"

"Sure...thats what friends are for.."

"I was crying and angry because I thought I was going to be alone. I don't want to be by myself. Well at least not just me and the castle staff. I am so glad you came."

"Can I tell you a secret?"

"I certainly hope so!!"

"At first I was scared to come here…because I thought that I would have to be a grown up such a young age. I am glad we can still be kids!" Jadeite laughed a little as a direct voice came from the door way.

"You must be Jadeite." A platinum blonde boy with shoulder blade length hair stood. He seemed to be at least 17 , and already seemed to be strict.

Jadeite turned to the door. "I am sorry…" He said with a touch of confusion.

"Jadeite, That is your name…right….Jadeite…" the name seemed to echo.

"JADEITE! JADEITE!! HELLO!?" A now mid length platinum blonde 24 year old rolled his eyes as he all but yelled to the still day dreaming Jadeite.

"I am sorry…" The curly blonde shook his head as he was returning to reality.

'You never change do you…You were like that the first day I met you!" The narrow eyed young adult smiled.

"Sorry Kunzite…still a bit out of it since a few people bailed one me last night. Someone said something about getting to OLD and having to go to BED. So that left me with "Mister-Party-till-you-Pass-Out-Prince-Pants" He sneered.

"OLD!! WHAT I NEVER!!" Kunzites face twisted in offended paranoia as he was the oldest of the Shitennou. "Besides you had the night watch last night anyways."

"Oh , Touché!" Nephrite grinned deviously to Jadeite as older sibling would a younger one when they get in trouble.

"Really..is that so…At least I don't just walk in on people.." Jadeite grinned back.

"What are we to do with you two I mean really… couple of children you still haven't grown up." A fourth member of Edymion's generals sat at a large table with a glass surface. With his light amber hair pulled back into a pony tail and his lean slender legs crosses just so, one could easily mistake him for a female.

"Come now Zoisite, Arent you the youngest of us all?! You just think that if you TRY to act grown Kunzite wont baby you!" Jadeite stuck his tongue out as did Nephrite, followed by his two cents of "Yeeeeaaaaaahhhh!"

"Enough! Enough! We have some business to discuss. As you know it's getting to be time of the Universal Ball. As this is only the 4th time our Prince will have gone. This year is a bit different. This year he is to escort the Moon Princess and we are to..."

"Escort her guardians!!!!!" Zoisite uncrossed his legs as if he were to spring up and do a jig if kunzite obliged him with the answer he was pining to hear.

Nephrite laughed whole heartedly. "You know you just showed your age there…"He chuckled a bit more the continued. "I noticed you scoping out that little blue haired cutie. Princess of Mercury I believe."

With color burring to the surface of his cheeks Zoisite could not deny his longing to get to know the lovely Princess Ami.

"You know Jadeite; I would almost say that you had a smile that crossed your lips. Perchance were you thinking of that hot headed Princess who completely K.O.'d you." Kunzites lips spread into a smile; it was rare that he joked as he always took business with the rest of the Shitennou seriously.

"She didn't K.O. me!" Jadeites could now feel his face going flush. "I walked into her fist when standing up from…er…uh…Shooing a bug off her leg." His cerulean blue eyes twinkled with embarrassment.

"Ha…Caught RED handed!!!" Nephrite so enjoyed pointing out Jadeite's failures and faults.

"Ugh!! Why do I bother…We'll discuss this later…Jadeite...Go wake Edymion will you? It's almost time for him to practice his studies." Kunzite slumped into a chair next to Zoisite rubbing his temples.

"Headache?" Zoisite reached over patting the oldest Shitennou on the shoulder.

"Indeed…."