(Harro! I know, I know it's been...holy crap it has been that long. Better late than never I guess. Anyways, I'm pleased to see that Maiden and the Dragon was so well received - as well as it could be anyways - so with that, I give you the second installment of the newly dubbed Souls Saga, The Lion and the Amazon.)

Disclaimer: I do not, and never will own Sailor Moon. It is the blessed creation of Takeuchi-sama.

The peaceful calm of the night was shattered by the blinding flash of a bolt of light followed by the destructive chorus of thunder. The night sky was clear and the weather reports said nothing of any storms in the coming week, but that mattered little to the chaos that was enveloping the sanctity of the park.

Here, two forces of nature collided in a vicious standoff, blurs of black and green going back and forth faster than bullets, sparks of light generated from their contact. Sooner or later one of them would give though, and the other was sure to capitalize on their opponent's blunder.

After a particularly fierce exchange, the two figures slid to a stop in front of one another, their gazes locking and their expressions stormy. Battered and bruised, General Nephrite stood across from his adversary, the racing of his heart forgotten in orbs of lush green. The Soldier of Thunder and Courage settled herself into a fighting stance, white gloved hands curled into fists that crackled with green energy.

The auburn-haired man slowly reached up and wiped his mouth, frowning when he spotted a stain as he pulled his arm away. He looked up toward the Sailor Senshi, watching as the corners of her lips turned up in a small grin. His eyes narrowed. "I guess this is what they call first blood," he called out. Her laughter made his body hum with excitement and even now he still didn't know the cause of it.

"Don't let that discourage you from trying again," she shouted back, ready to pounce at a moment's notice.

Nephrite couldn't help the small grin at her words. Gods, he was a fool. She was supposed to be the enemy, his enemy and yet…facing her never made him feel more alive. His aura practically blazed whenever Sailor Jupiter came around.

Their bouts were never controlled or restrained – everything was put on the line, their very souls committed to pushing the other to the breaking point. It wasn't a fight to the death but it wasn't some brawl either; the two were matching each other blow for blow with everything they had. The only one in the Dark Kingdom who could match his strength was his commander and since he was still in London searching for that pretender, he was left without any real challenge. Once he might've went to Jadeite to sharpen his sword skills but…those days were over.

'I never thought he of all people would actually leave,' he thought morosely.

His brother had left them for the enemy, had become in their Queen's words "a traitor to the cause". Even so Nephrite still considered the curly haired blond his brother in all but blood, just as it went for the others even Zoisite for all his deceit.

"Hey, don't tell me you've lost your urge," Jupiter shouted at him.

Nephrite snorted. "A gentleman always lets the ladies go first," he said, his words making her eyes widen and…did her cheeks just darken? Then, her eyes hardened to emeralds and instantly Nephrite felt the force of her aura blaze against his again.

Round two was imminent.

Letting his own aura flare, he waited patiently for the thunder senshi to make her move. Slowly she started to circle him, her eyes never leaving his while her arms crackled with energy every so often. Seconds passed, then minutes…

Suddenly, she stopped and pushed off towards him.

She was on him in seconds raining punches and kicks at him that would've broken bricks like they were cardboard. Even with all his training and experience it was difficult to avoid all of her strikes, her legs grazing his side once or twice. Still, she would tire eventually and when that happened, then it was his turn.

His chance soon came when one of her kicks went wide, allowing him to dive to the side and flank her from the left. Now it was she who was on the defensive, skipping back as he hammered her with the same punishment she had been dishing out only minutes before. But for all of his strength, her agility rendered all of that futile dodging his swings with an almost dancer-like grace. The General was amazed at how honed her reflexes were – with her kind of mobility and the power she packed, she was a literal force of nature.

As one of his punches went through, she reacted not unlike a cobra would, grabbing his fist with one of her own, grappling with him. Nephrite growled and tried to break her hold but it was no use, she had him by the balls on this one. A green light blinded him briefly until he realized what it was, his eyes widening when he saw her grin.

'Oh crap.'

"Jupiter Thunder Bolt!"

The hastily made barrier was the only thing that prevented him from being launched into the next district, the force of the attack sending him sliding backwards until he was on his knees. He looked up and saw her walking towards him, holding up one hand that crackled with green electricity. Nephrite rose to stand up but found that his strength was sapped, the last of it expended to make that barrier. The General glanced up at the approaching senshi, then made the hard decision – he teleported away from the park and back to the Dark Kingdom.

She'd won this round. But the next one would be different

The Shitennou faded away before her very eyes, leaving her standing alone in the park as the wind blew through the area. She sighed, brushing back some of her long brown hair. This was not how she had expected her night to go. She'd been on her way to her home when she had picked up the Shitennou's aura in the area and went to find him. There was simply no way she could've just went on with her business when she had felt him.

General Nephrite.

She withheld a grin. What it was about the Dark Kingdom agent that captivated her so she did not know, but she relished in the chance to test herself against him. Ever since she had transformed into Sailor Jupiter for the first time, she'd had a strong urge to pay the man back plus interest. He was strong, powerful and made the battle freak in her cackle with glee. He was the absolute perfect sparring partner even if he was technically the enemy. She was glad that none of the others had shown up; Nephrite had stepped in to fill the void that Jadeite had left in Beryl's ranks and so he was priority target number one for the Senshi. She didn't want to have to dust him tonight…or any other for that matter.

And what surprised her even more was how the general seemed to mirror her own desires. When they fought the first time, she had seen that smile on his face, something that already struck a chord deep within her although she didn't know the actual reason why. All she knew was that Nephrite wasn't just going to get rid of her every time they faced off and it showed, even if their usual bouts got a little intense sometimes like tonight had.

This had been going on for two weeks now but in all that time, Nephrite had never affected her the way he had tonight. The "ladies first" comment had thrown her for a loop and had, admittedly, had her a little bit flattered before something else in her crushed it down. She'd been a little ruthless tonight but it wasn't like she had scared him off. She may not have known about the guy long but if he was anything like her, he wouldn't run away from a challenge – she'd see him again soon.

An insistent beeping brought her out of her musings, her eyes widening when she looked at her watch. "Crap! I have to get up early for class tomorrow!" With one final glance toward where Nephrite had been, she ran off from the scene just as the sound of sirens was heard.

It didn't take her long to make it back to her flat, unlocking the glass door and sliding it open. She let her henshin drop as she entered, leaving her in her street clothes from before as she settled onto the sofa. "That baka got me all worked up and now I'll be lucky if I get any rest tonight."

Gazing up, she smiled a bit as a certain face came to mind, of her "rescuer" though she'd be damned if she ever admitted it out loud. "Hmm, I bet he could help me relax though," she giggled a bit before giving herself a mental slap.

'Down girl. Just because he's the finest piece of meat you've ever laid eyes on doesn't mean you can jump him.'

"At least not yet," a little voice whispered that she shoved down.

Stretching her arms over her head, she made her way to the bathroom and got herself ready for bed. One brief shower later she settled down in her bed, cozy and snug underneath her covers as she peered out into the empty room. Her heart ached a bit. "You know, it really is quiet here. I hate it. But what can I do about it?" Rolling over, she made herself comfortable and let her eyes slide closed, a slow smile coming to her lips as dreams of another world and a gentle giant came to her mind.

(A bit of a rough start, but I've been kind of in a stagnate state for the last while and life hasn't been helping matters. Still, I looked it over and I am content with it. Course beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so let me know what you guys think. Again, sorry for the super long wait but I can assure you, that this story has begun and I'm not about to let it die. But if you guys have any suggestions or ideas, let me know because writer's block comes and goes, plus it's nice to get a fresh perspective.)