Rated G

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The Legend of Serenity
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by: Spatula Gurl

-- Chapter Seven



Artemis hurried across the dimly lit hallway and pushed open
the door into the bedroom. Looking around him twice, he slipped
inside and closed the door behind him.

Sitting quietly by the fireplace were all four girls. Rei
was sitting closest by the warm, crackling fire, her head slightly
bowed and her eyes closed in deep meditation. The other three
surrounded her in a tiny circle, and looked up from whatever they
were doing earlier as soon as they heard Artemis' entrance.

"Did you pass by anyone on your way here?" Minako was quick
to ask in a whisper.

"None that I know of," the silver-haired Mau replied. He
sat down on the floor beside her. "What are you trying to find
out?" he asked, referring to the fire reading Rei was obviously
doing. He was, after all, quite familiar with the young miko's
frequent consulting of the sacred flame. The girl's gift for
accurate interpretations of the fire had always been a valuable
asset to the senshi.

In response, Rei's eyelids fluttered open. She turned to
Artemis and answered, "The usual. But this time, I was searching for
patterns that might give us a clue. I thought about what Ami
suggested."

"And what did you find out?" Artemis asked.

"That it is highly possible. I've been feeling a vague,
elemental sort of link. I'll be doing a more thorough look on it
tomorrow." Then she turned to Makoto. "You've been around the
grounds, haven't you? Perhaps you can point me to a nearby temple
where I could do it without disturbance."

Makoto nodded in reply. "One of them is just near the dojo.
We could go there first thing tomorrow, around four, if you like.
I've been itching to put these limbs to practice. In fact," she
said, turning to the rest of her friends, "I think we could all use
a bit of exercise. Aren't you all worried that we're probably
rusting up?"

Ami opened her mouth to agree, but Minako inercepted with a
groan. "Trust Mako-chan to remind us of that. I haven't got enough
sleep as it is, and that's about five hours of rest. But--" she
paused briefly, with a grin as she straightened up, "--you're
probably right. It's not my idea of fun, but this body's got to
toughen up for 'encounters' we're bound to have." Then to herself,
she added, 'Ha! And that will teach General Kunzite not to
underestimate me so much.'

"Well?" Artemis said, his voice cutting through Minako's
thoughts. "How is everything so far? You didn't come across any
trouble when you got here, did you?"

"Actually," Makoto sighed, "We've been tripping along nothing
but trouble the very moment we got here..."

"Let's not dwell on unpleasant thoughts, shall we?" Minako
interceded, shuddering at the remembrance of her experience before
all four of them got to the camp to meet with the generals for the
first time.

Makoto snorted in laughter while the two others hid a slight
smile at remembering the same thing. Minako glared at them before
adding, "Okay, so we had quite a run of bad luck." Then she turned
to Artemis. "When we got to the camp, we weren't exactly looking
our uh, best..."

At Artemis puzzled look, Rei explained. "We fell into a
muddy swamp on the way to the generals' camp."

His eyes widened. "You mean you walked into camp looking
like muddied haggards?"

"Something like that," she replied straight-faced.

"It's a wonder they didn't accuse you of being imposters,"
Artemis said, shaking his head. "What about the generals? Are they
giving you any trouble?"

Minako thought for a moment then replied, "Not really. But
General Kunzite is being very cautious. I think he senses that
we're hiding something from them."

"I think perhaps General Jadeite has almost the same
sentiments. He hasn't said or done anything yet, however," Rei
said. "But he's very perceptive."

"I'm not sure about General Nephrite." It was Makoto's turn
to speak. "It is difficult to read his thoughts. He almost never
lets his guard down," she admitted grudgingly. Under her breath,
she muttered, "But he does give me a hard time."

"General Zoicite hasn't said anything. I think he finds the
whole arrangement strange enough, but accepts it without questions,
nonetheless," Ami stated with a nod. "He does admit to finding us
quite different, though, but I think he surmised that it can be
attributed to us being noblewomen from the Lunarian Kingdom."

"Well," Artemis said, his expression turning quite serious,
"We might never have another chance to talk this freely without the
presence of outsiders, so we might as well be done with it. Tell me
everything else have learned so far from the moment you got here."

The girls filled him in on everything that had happened since
their arrival on Earth. They related all in careful detail, from the
ambush in the Suzumeno Himitsu forest to the guardian encounter in
the Mikazuki cavern. Artemis was especially disturbed with the
girls' tale of the latter, more so when Ami voiced out her own
suspicions.

"I never knew that Queen Serenity had created such a powerful
guardian force, and here on Earth, nonetheless," Ami admitted. "Did
you know about this?"

Artemis frowned, as he thought for a moment. "I don't think
so, but it doesn't really surprise me as much as it should. I do
know that Her Highness has always taken similar precautions on
everything else which she thought would be a target for outer
invasions, but never as complicated as this one. This is the first
time I have heard of a force implanted with artificial intelligence
and Lunarian magic of the fifth tier."

Minako shook her head. "The Queen was truly amazing. She
must have foreseen the plan for the ginzuishou's theft."

"Yes," Rei agreed. "She knew the enemy would go through her
daughter to acquire the silver crytal, so she separated it into
seven parts. These nijizuishou must have been made to scatter as
soon as an attempt on extraction or some other method to get the
silver crystal was done."

"Let's not forget the Generals," Ami intercepted in a quiet
voice. "These men...the guardian made some cryptic warning about
them." She took a deep breath. "It can't be mere coincidence.
Chiba-sama's four generals must have something to do with this
puzzle, but I doubt if they know more than we do."

"We've already suspected at first, you see," Makoto explained
to Artemis. "General Zoicite had already said as much to Ami."

"I asked him why he and his fellow generals were looking
for a prince that has been missing for as long as Chiba-sama was,"
Ami said. "And he replied that it was not out of duty to the throne.
He could not explain it, but he knows that Chiba-sama is alive."

"We regarded this information with little significance, but
we kept note just the same." It was Rei who spoke again. "After
all, all four of them shared the belief. And it did seem as if they
were somewhat linked with the prince, although it could not be proven
as of yet. But now, this force of a guardian who gave us the first
of the seven rainbow crystals, confirmed our initial suspicions about
them."

"This could only mean two things," Artemis concluded grimly.
"They could be our enemies, out to get hold of the crystal for
reasons we're not sure of. Or," he said, as he eyed each of them
carefully, "they could be the persons we are looking for. And if so,
we should consider ourselves very, very lucky to have the job half
done even before we knew it."

"And if they're not..." Makoto trailed off.

The room was silent for a moment. Then, Minako spoke up,
"Either case, they are not to know of the vital details of our own
mission until we are sure of the roles they play. We shall go on
as before, but with extra caution."

Artemis nodded in agreement. "Yes," he said, "And it seems
that you girls have no other way to stop your inherrent power from
coursing its natural path. That incident in the forest was a close
one, and I'm actually quite surprised to hear you all say that no
one seemed to notice. You must be very careful--we have no way of
stopping it until we have Usagi-chan back to balance out your
elemental tiers. Until then, imminent danger will unleash these
powers of yours, and if that happens--" he paused with a sigh,
"--the generals will want an explanation."



* * *



Beads of sweat trickled down her forehead, and she absently
brushed back the locks of chestbut brown curls that were loose from
her ponytail.

It was still very early; the sun was yet to peek from its
resting place, and the dark skies overhead only hinted of the morning
to come in streaks of pink and violet.

At a quarter before six in the morning, Makoto was in the empty
dojo within the palace grounds, east of the temple where Rei was
currently meditating. They had gone together forty-five minutes
earlier, about an hour later from what they had originally planned.
The two other girls were sound asleep; Makoto and Rei didn't want to
disturb their contented slumber, so they went without them, Makoto
making a mental note to persuade them the following day. But for now,
she and Rei agreed that the two deserved a good sleep.

For the longest while, she was aware of nothing else but her
own kicks and thrusts that cut through the cold, silent air. She was
sweating from all the effort of her practice, and her heart was
pounding within her chest, but it did not matter. In a rhythmic pace
she took big gulps of fresh air as she made each calculated move. It
was quite some time before she finally took a rest and wiped her face
clean of sweat with the small towel she brought with her.
Pausing by the entrance steps, Makoto looked at the early
morning sky. She took a deep breath, and smiled to herself, feeling
quite refreshed. If course, it would've been better if she had
someone to spar with, but under the circumstances, it was better that
no one knew much about their own activities. They never claimed
themselves helpless, true, but they never denied it, too. The
generals have seen and experienced first hand that they were not
working with frivolous noblewomen, so they probably wouldn't be
surprised if they found out that they could actually fight better
than expected. And besides, it was getting pretty common for royalty
to be trained in at least one defensive art.

Makoto began retracing her steps back to the temple, and
wondered how Rei was doing. She guessed that there would be soon
enough palace servants who would be assuming their daily duties any
time now, so she hoped that Rei would be done by then. In half an
hour, the palace grounds would surely awaken.

Sure enough, when she reached the temple grounds not far
away, a slim, raven-haired figure slipped quietly out onto the front
steps. With a small smile still on her lips, Makoto rushed forword
to meet Rei.

"Was it any good?" Makoto wanted to know.

Rei bit her lip. "There's a more distinct presence here
than from the last time I tried to search for something within the
blue crystal," she said. She lifted her right palm, and in it was
the nijizuishou they got from the Mikazuki cavern. "There is raw
energy inside of it, of that I am sure. But it is barely tangible.
Ami-chan may be right about using a medium to draw out a similar
crystal or force. I have found nothing else besides that, but I am
certain we will get answers soon enough with just a few more tries."

The two continued to walk back towards the main hall, passing
quietly so as not to gain any notice from anyone nearby. Indeed, no
one seemed to be around yet, although both of them could hear the
soft, rousing bustle of early activity within the grounds. As they
entered the narrow hallway leading to a flight of stairs, they were
surprised to see an undoubtedly masculine figure approaching. More
so when they suddenly realized that it was General Jadeite, still
handsome even in what Minako would call an "ungodly hour".

Jadeite was also surprised to see them, and he could see in
their expressions that they weren't expecting to see him around so
early in the morning either. He smiled, a lopsided curve to his lips
which Rei rather thought gave him a charming, roguish look. "Good
morning, ladies," he greeted them, nodding to acknowledge their
presence. Giving them a quizzical look, he continued, "I didn't know
that you women woke up this early in the morning. I had assumed
that you would want to catch up on lost sleep."

"Oh, we're early birds," Makoto said, as casually as she
could, with a small laugh. "Fresh morning air is good. And you?"

"It's a habit of mine, not waking up later than six in the
morning," he admitted sheepishly. His eyes were inadvertently drawn
to the quiet, raven-haired girl, Rei, who gave him her usual slight
smile.

'Nothing more than her enigmatic, polite smiles,' he remarked
to himself, the thought drifiting so faintly inside his head it was
almost unnoticed. He stared a moment longer than he intended, but
neither women took heed of it.

"Well, we better go now," Makoto said, giving him a warm
smile of her own. "We still have to change. See you at breakfast!"
she said, then waved.

As soon as the two were out of hearing distance, Makoto gave
a sigh of relief. "He didn't say anything about our clothes," she
said, referring to their unusual garb. Rei was wearing a simple
cotton kimono best for her long hours before the fire, and Makoto
was wearing a loose outfit suitable for rigorous training hours. It
was a far cry from the usual attire they wore around the palace most
of the time, so Jadeite could've easily taken notice. But he did not,
apparently being occupied with his own thoughts.




Minako sat up with a yawn, rubbing her eyes as she did. She
squinted through her half-open lids at the figure by the dresser.

"Mako-chan?" she asked groggily. "What are you doing up so
early?" Then, as an afterthought, she said, "Oh, that's right. I'm
sorry I overslept..."

Makoto tried to look stern, but she ruined it by grinning.
"Forget it. I'll let this one pass. But tomorrow--"

"I promise, I promise," the blonde said, turning over her
head with a pillow, intending to go back to sleep. To her annoyance,
Makoto pulled the pillow off, together with the sheets.

"Get up, you sack of lazy bones! You owe me!"

Grudgingly, Minako sat up again, muttering under her breath,
"Why did I ever get stuck with you?"

Makoto gave her a quelling look. "Hurry up. Wash and get
dressed. We're going down for breakfast." After hearing Minako
still muttering, she added, "If you keep that up, you'll never trim
down those fat hips."

Scowling, Minako snapped, "I do not have fat hips!"

Trying hard not to laugh, Makoto threw a feigned patronizing
glance her way, which made Minako growl and throw a pillow back at
her.

"Hurry up and get dressed!" Makoto repeated, finally giving
in to laughter.

"Only if you take back what you said," Minako retorted
hotly, but did get up anyway.



"Did you say General Kunzite is the one you're assigned to?"
Artemis asked Minako in a whisper, as they exited the dining hall.

When the blonde nodded in reply, Artemis shook his head
gravely. "You'd better watch what you do around him. He does
look like a cold, suspicious starch bag."

Minako stifled a giggle. "He's not that bad, really. But
what can you expect from the likes of him? He's just the same as
the rest of them, only a little colder."

"Hmph. If he could be colder, they'd use him to keep polar
bears happy," Artemis snorted. "And that Zoicite guy doesn't seem
the same way to me," he pointed out.

"True," Minako agreed. "He's the one exception. Charming
man, really." She thought for a moment. "But I'm alright with
Kunzite, I guess." A pause. "He...makes me feel safe."

Artemis looked at her with a raised brow, but she did not
notice.

"Well, of course, he keeps chiding me for my impulsive
behavior--"

"He said you were impulsive?"

"Not in those words, but if you've ever seen the way he
frowns at me, words are hardly necessary."

"And are you?"

"What?"

"Acting impulsively?"

Minako waved a dismissive hand in the air. "Who cares, as
long as I get the job done?" At Artemis stern look, she added hotly,
"I'm not doing anything rash, okay? It's just that Kunzite thinks I
should stay put at all times and obey whatever he tells me to do!"

"And maybe you should."

"Don't give me that! He treats me like a child!"

"Minako-chan, that's completely understandable. He's just
doing what he thinks he should be doing. Of course he's concerned
for your safety! And isn't that what you said earlier? He may treat
you like a child, but at least you feel secure with him. Don't you?"

"I guess so," Minako said and sighed again. "He may be cold
and distant most of the time, but I think I'm starting to trust him."

They continued along the hallway in companionable silence.
Then, Artemis, with a thoughtful expression on his face, turned to
Minako.

"Does that man ever laugh?" he asked in pure wonder.

Minako was so surprised by the question that she burst into
a fit of giggles, catching the attention of a few servants passing
by. "He's probably afraid that he'd crack his face if he did," she
replied, smiling amusedly. She imagined it for a moment, and then
paused. "But I imagine he'd look even more handsome with a real
smile on his face."

Now Artemis raised both of his eyebrows at that comment.
His face formed into a teasing one as he remarked, "So you think the
starch bag's handsome, eh?"

"What?" Minako turned to him in surprise, her cheeks flushing
pink. "Of course I--no, he--I mean, come on, a woman would have to
be blind and deaf not to notice and hear the way the maids titter and
fawn irritatingly around him..."

"Oh ho, and we don't like that, do we?"

"Stop it, Artemis," she snapped, her cheeks becoming redder.
"And wipe that stupid grin off your face. It's not like that! I
told you, the man treats me like a child. And besides," she said
haughtily, "The generals are all equally handsome. If I were to be
attracted to any of them, it might as well be General Zoicite."

Which was a lie, of course. She thought Kunzite was the
most handsome of them all, charming or not, but she'd die first,
before admitting that out loud in front of Artemis.

"Ah, but he isn't the one you're assigned to, is he?" At
Minako's dark look, Artemis finally laughed. "Alright, I'll stop.
You're just too easy to tease, it's irresistable."

"You shouldn't have said that. Now I'm going to get even.
I'm sure Luna would appreciate the dozen stories I have to spare.."
she deliberately trailed off.

Artemis' face turned scarlet almost immediately the moment
Minako uttered the name 'Luna'. "They're not true, and you know it!"
he exlaimed angrily.

The blue-eyed blonde merely tossed her head back. Now it was
her turn to laugh.




Ami was humming to herself as she walked. She smiled
pleasantly to the servants who bowed deep in respect to her as she
passed by.

She was in a good mood, something that had not yet happened
since Usagi's disappearance. She savored the feeling, refreshed by
the energy it was giving her. She felt confident that they would be
do much progress today.

She wondered if General Zoicite would be accompanying her
again in their research. The man had certainly been gracious and
gentlemanly in keeping her company, and she was a bit embarrased to
be consuming so much of his time. He probably had other work to do
with his fellow generals, but instead, he was helping her with hers.
Well of course, the mission was his responsibility, too, but it
wasn't necessary to assume her duties if it would be interfering in
his own.

Turning now at the corner of the corridor, she stepped into
the parlor. And there he was, Zoicite, with his back turned to her,
sipping tea quietly and reading a couple of papers in his hand. But
he was not alone.

There were three other maids in the large room, milling about
with gamine-like smiles on their faces. Ami's steps slowed down, and
she frowned slightly at their blatant flirtation. It was obvious
from the look of their faces that they were turning all charms to the
fullest, as they catered to the handsome general's comfort. She had
seen the way these maids flocked about the men, especially Zoicite,
and it had disturbed her. Too many of them seemed very familiar with
him.

But why should that bother her? Given, Zoicite was a very
attractive man, good-natured and utterly charming. It wouldn't be
very surprising if he had women by the dozen. He looked just the
type...a formidable rake.

He saw one of the maids make some sort of a gesture with her
hand as she came close to him , and it caught his attention. He
looked up, simply smiled at her and said something Ami couldn't
quite hear, which made the woman giggle delightedly.

As Ami came nearer, she forced a smile on her face and made
her presence known by clearing her throat. The woman jumped back,
so did the other two maids, who quickly bowed low and uttered a
greeting. With a promise to bring her tea, the three made their way
out of the room, leaving only herself and Zoicite inside.

Upon seeing her, Zoicite's whole face brightened. He put
down the papers he was holding, stood up, and gallantly took hold of
her hand and brushed his lips lightly over her knuckles. After
returning her greeting, he helped her to a seat.

"I'm just going over these papers concerning reports on my
properties in the south. I haven't been able to manage these things
carefully since Mamoru-kun disappeared, and I think I've neglected
them long enough." He smiled at her. "This will be just for a
while. I'll be helping you with the maps right after I finish this
last one."

"Oh, there's no need, General," Ami said, with a small smile.
"I only came here to apologize. I realize that I've been too much of
a bother to you. I can understand if you need to attend to other
matters--I can do this by myself. I'm very sorry."

Zoicite frowned. "No, don't apologize. It's quite alright
with me." He thought she looked quite stiff this morning, even when
she smiled. And he noticed she started addressing him quite formally
again. "Is something the matter?" he asked.

"Oh, no, nothing's wrong. It's just that--"

"If you're worried about getting in the way of my work, don't
be. I help you because I choose to." He looked at her, puzzled.
"Please don't think that I'm only helping you because I feel
obligated to. I'm not, and I'm sorry you feel that way. I enjoy
your company, Ami."

That statement seemed to startle Ami, and to her horror, she
could feel herself blushing. "I...I'm glad you feel that way."
Then she stopped herself. He probably says the same thing to every
female acquaintance.

"And besides, this is my responsibility, too," he said.
"The quicker we take care of it, then the better. And we work best
together, don't we?" he added teasingly, grinning widely as he did.

Ami just stared at his handsome profile, bemusement written
all over her face. She didn't quite know what to say, nor did she
know what to think nor feel about that. She suddenly felt strangely
light-headed, and when his expression grew a little more serious,
she found herself feeling a bit apprehensive.

Once again, she was gazing into sparkling pools of light
green. He inched himself closer, unknowingly worsening her anxiety.
And when he spoke, it was in the same soft voice that felt strangely
familiar to her. "I do enjoy your company, Ami," he said at last.
"Probably more than you know."

At that point, she half-expected him to break into one of his
teasing, boyish grins, but his expression did not change. "Quite
frankly, you're about the only woman I know whom I can converse with
in that way. And, well, you're..." he broke off, turning his head
away for an instant. Ami was still at a loss for words, wondering
what he was about to say before he cut himself off.

When he returned his attention to her, he was smiling again.
"Well, you're...the only one who has ever beaten me at chess.
Twice."

Ami was startled for a moment, and her mouth hung open in
surprise. Then suddenly, she laughed, the sound of it reminding
him of windswept chimes. "Zoicite, you've beaten me just as much.
Twice," she said at last, breaking into another fit of laughter.
"And truth be told," she continued, wiping at the corners of her
eyes, "You're about the only one who has ever beaten me at it,
too."

"Good! Then we both don't have to feel that badly over it,
having beaten each other so soundly." He grinned, and Ami returned
it with a smile of her own. He was so pleased at seeing her relaxed,
more cheerful and carefree than her usual disposition, that his grin
grew even wider. "And you haven't forgotten about our deal, have
you?"

She tilted her head slightly to the side and smiled at him
sweetly. Hell, did she even know how incredibly lovely she was when
she looked at him like that? Probably not. "Of course," she
replied.

"Then you have something in mind for me to do? You've got
two favors from me."

She thought for a moment. "No, nothing yet. But I'll make
sure to come up with something within this week," she answered, her
eyes twinkling.

He laughed again. "Alright, just as long as you remember we
agreed on harmless ones," he said. "And don't forget. You owe me
two more, too."

Ami looked at him askance. "Then you have decided on
something?"

Zoicite just shook his head, and gave her an enigmatic smile.
"Maybe. Maybe not." Then he winked at her. "I'll let you know when
it's time."




"So they aren't really betrothed?"

"No, not at all!"

"That's good news...very good news!"

"Stop those giggles! And take that grin off your face,
Yuriko! Have you girls no shame for yourselves? Why--"

"When it comes to those generals, none at all!"

"Make sure Lady Glynis doesn't hear you, or she'll have you
for dinner. You know how she feels about General Nephrite-sama."

"That's what I hate about married men. Can't have their
wives around banging at your door.."

"Did she--?"

"What about Gen--"

"I served General Zoicite-sama in the parlor earlier, and
he was with Lady Mizuno."

"You don't think they're together, do you?"

"Who cares? I'm available to any of them! General
Kunzite-sama is--"

"That handsome man is rarely seen outside. He keeps
himself so busy--"

"Yes, yes, and what about General Jadeite-sama--?"

The maids continued their noisy chatter, unaware of one
mischievous boy hiding behind a wine barrel...

Prince Yokio was having a fine time of it. He steathily
crept across on the dirty kitchen floor to move under the table
where the food lay. So far so good...none of the maids had taken
notice. He licked his lips eagerly as he waited for the right time
to stick his arm out and reach for the nutbread. He was told
earlier to wait for it to be served in the dining room, but he
didn't want to do that. He still wanted to play outside, and
besides, there were too many grown-ups at the dining table for him
not to be restricted to whatever was proper again. He'd steal the
nutbread then dash his way out to the gardens to hide for awhile.
Then he'd do whatever he wanted, without any adults to interfere.
Yes, that was what he'd do. He stuck his arm out, his fingers
searching for the plate...

He grabbed hold of the bread in one hand, and rushed out of
his hiding place in an instant. The noise he made while doing so
gained the attention of several maids, and they turned towards him in
vain. "Young master!" they echoed, but already Yokio was out of
sight.

With the loaf of nutbread in his tiny mouth, he ran as fast
as his little feet would carry him, away from the kitchen. On and
on he went, not really caring where he took himself, just as long
as the maids kept out of his way. He glanced over his shoulder to
check if they were still hot on his trail. He was already out in
the gardens, and not one of them was in sight. A self-satisfied
grin crept up to the corners of his mouth.

But his triumph was short-lived.

Only seconds after taking his eyes off his path did he
bump into something that caused him to tumble backwards, his nutbread
rolling down on his shirt.

Or was it a 'someone' he bumped into?

Little Prince Yokio looked up from where he was sprawled on
the ground. A lady, a tall one at that, was looking down at him with
warm green eyes, full of concern.

"I'm quite sorry! Are you alright?"

He gaped. But he couldn't help himself. It was one of the
women who had come to reside in the palace for awhile. She found
him out!

The lady knelt beside him. "You're not hurt, are you?"

"No," the boy said, standing up, an expression of defeat in
his handsome young face. He dusted his shirt and held out the
nutbread in his right hand. "Okay, you got me good," he said
grudgingly, his head bowed in surrender.

When he got no reply, he looked up to see the lady staring
down at his hand, puzzled. "Err, what do you want me to do with it?"
she asked, looking at him.

"You're not here to catch me for the nutbread?"

Looking bewildered, but amused nonetheless, the lady asked
him again. "Prince Akio, isn't it?"

He nodded numbly in reply.

Her smile widened, and her eyes sparkled with hidden mirth.
"Well, Your Majesty, I'm not here to catch you for anything. I was
actually looking for your sister. But you did look like you were
in a hurry back there. Is that--" she motioned to the nutbread with
a pointed look, "--the reason why you seemed to running away from
someone in particular?"

"Well..." he looked up at the lady warily, and hesitated. Was
it proper to admit to such behavior? And to a lady? But he was not
given time to answer, for she interceded quickly, and quite
cheerfully, with a conspiratorial grin.

"Good!" she said. Then in a lowered voice, "Because I'm out
here hiding from someone, too. Maybe we should go hide ourselves
together."

Yokio stared up at the lady incredulously.

She just grinned down at him.




"Minako, are you alright?"

Minako turned her attention to Artemis, who had asked the
question. She sighed. She was feeling a bit woozy.

"Well?" he cocked a brow, waiting for her answer.

"I am feeling a bit light-headed," she admitted, then frowned.
"I don't understand. I was feeling a bit tired yesterday, but I got
enough rest this morning."

Artemis leaned forward and examined her face closely. "You do
look a little pale, but it doesn't look serious." He glanced at the
clock behind her. "Well, we have a half-hour break right now. You
can rest in your chamber for a while."

She shook her head. "If I did, Mako-chan would wring my neck.
She had enough trouble getting me up this morning already. Let's
just take a rest outside, and get some fresh air at least."

Artemis looked doubtful, but shrugged. "Alright, whatever you
want."

She sighed again. "Well, we should get these back first," she
said, motioning to the books stacked in front of them.

"No, just leave them there. We'd have to get them back again,
anyway, so it'd be pointless to return unless we've finished on them.
I'm certain no one would mind," he assured her. "They all know
we're in the middle of some important research here."

As they stood up to leave, the large library door opened. It
was Nephrite, looking around the room with a puzzled glance. Minako
and Artemis saw him mutter something underneath his breath before he
turned to leave. The two looked at each other and shrugged. General
Nephrite was behaving strangely today. But before they themselves
moved from their postions, the general turned his back again, and
faced them. He looked at both in askance.

"Makoto is not with you?"

They shook their head no.

"Do you happen to know where she is?"

Again, they each gave a negative shake of the head.

Nephrite frowned, not liking his situation at all. But he
thanked the two on his way out.

The two followed the general with their eyes as he exited the
room. Then Artemis turned to her. "What was that all about?"

Minako merely laughed and shook her head. "I have no idea.
But knowing those two, it's probably not something you should concern
yourself with." She smiled to herself and was wise not to mention
her own thoughts.


=====================================================================
This story was written by Spatula Gurl. All comments and suggestions
should be sent to author@chocobuckle.com. Naoko Takeuchi owns
Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon and its characters. I am not making any
profit from this fanfic.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:
---------------
ginzuishou = silver crystal (refer to SM 1st series).
nijizuishou = rainbow crystal; 7 of them makes 1 silver crystal
Mau = planet from where Luna and Artemis originated before they came
to live on the moon as advisers of Queen Serenity. This is also
the origin of Tin Nyanko (refer to SailorStars series).

As you may have probably noticed, I am focusing more on Makoto and
Minako's cases here, in this part of the story. Rei and Ami
fans, don't despair! You'll get much more of them later on.

Thank you to all the readers! By mail count, "The Legend of
Serenity" has more than 90 readers already! Thank you for writing!
I appreciate the e-mail!
I will be posting my fanfics soon at my own website, Chocobuckle.com.

To reviewers from ffnet:
Diane -- hey, i really appreciate your reviews. ^.^ thanks a lot. it
really helped, because at least now i know specifically what readers
loved about the fic, so i could devote more time on strengthening that
aspect.

polgara, tsuyuno and kuroi koneko -- yeah, i know, it's been sometime. ^^;
i'm such a slow writer. hehehe. but i've decided once and for all to chop
my chaptersup into little parts so that i could get more out as soon as
possible. to be honest...chapter 8 has been waiting almost finished for a
looooong time in my harddrive. ^^; dont' ask me how long, you'll prolly
just shave my head off. Lol. thanks again. ^_-