Legacy
- Chapter Four
By: Moments of Insanity
Disclaimer: Nope,
Sailor Moon wasn't, wouldn't, and will not be mine.
Dedicated
to my dear Editor Ice, and K. Wyse. This was their birthday present,
except it was dreadfully late. I'm sorry guys. Blame it on school,
since it's the most evil thing on earth.
Kowtows to those who
reviewed my story. Sorry for keeping you waiting for so long.
Author's note: nope, this is not an all-powerful senshi
story, nor is it the sappy romantic type of story. It's about
working, starting from the bottom and reaching to the top.
Ah
important note, is that Ami will retain her name unless spoken to.
Please don't be confuse with Ami and I'ma, they're the same person,
except I'ma is a persona Ami wears..
And Mina and Rei will
play an important role. Most probably they'll appear next chapter.
they have an important role to play ;;;.. just be patient
This
chapter's recommendation includes:
mourns I didn't have enough
time to
read.
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The
season turned cool, and the sounds of cicadas' ceased; they were
replaced by the whispers of autumn winds that promised a haven from
the sweltering summer heat. It was night, the full moon high above
the sky; her spirit poured through the window at the apex of the
dome, casting a silvery light on the players in the library. Both
were hunched over a well-worn, wooden chessboard. Pawns, knights,
bishop and queens spread over the battlefield as the players fought a
game of strategy and wits.
Ami pushed her Knight into
position, in an attempt to block the advancing attacks of Zoisite's
Queen. This was the newest game of the hundred games they played over
the last several months. She bit her lips, determined not to lose
another game to Zoisite. She leaned back and observed her opponent's
response.
Zoisite smirked when he saw the challenge in the
young novice's eye. He admitted to himself that his opponent had
improved much since the first game, in fact, improving at a pace so
fast that this opponent would soon become a master at the game, a
worthy opponent for himself. He gleefully moved a pawn to the side,
allowing his Queen an open path to wreck havoc on Ami's turf. 'Your
turn,' he smiled impishly. He absolutely enjoyed making Ami's life a
little more complicated, and her reactions remained an everlasting
source of amusement.
Ami scowled darkly at him before turning
her attention to the board. After a few seconds of contemplation, she
moved her Bishop to meet Zoisite's Queen.
Unfortunately, this
left a wide gap which Zoisite's Bishop happily pounced on, and after
a few turns, he had a captured white King for amusement.
Ami
scowled even more darkly, biting her lips in refusal to let that pout
surface.
'Another game?' Zoisite asked, a bit too eagerly for
Ami's taste.
'No,' Ami stated sourly; her hands picked up her
white pieces and neatly placed them in a oak box next to the
board.
'Loser.'
Ami sniffed disdainfully, 'I've kept up
my end of the bargain; one game per night,' she shook her finger at
him, 'next time you won't be that lucky,' shutting the box
forcefully, inside she winced at that well worn-out sentence, a
challenge she had thrown at Zoisite every night. She leaned back into
her armchair and resolutely turned her attention to the medical text
on her lap. She felt dreadful, once a champion in her village, now a
constantly loser against Zoisite. Sure, there were only a handful of
players in her village and the only worthy opponent she had had was
Michiru, but a champion she was nonetheless. Now she found it hard to
get an upper hand against this squire. Devastated in the first game,
it made her reevaluate her ability, and through many games, she had
improved. Sure, she won some games, but sadly, not enough for her
standard.
Zoisite pressed his lips into a thin line; the
novice didn't swallow the bait. Noisily he took Ami's chess pieces
and rearranged them on the chessboard before he began a one-man game
against himself.
After some time, Ami huffily put down her
book and glared at him, 'Do you know that's very
distracting?'
Zoisite smirked, 'Of course, that is the whole
point,' his green eyes sparkled mischievously.
'And not to
mention, very childish as well,' Ami huffed indignantly.
'Says
who?'
Ami wisely let that statement slide by and demanded,
'Don't you still need to write that paper?'
'I've done all I
could do here,' Zoisite answered, still concentrating on the
board.
'Then why are you still here?'
'To keep an eye
on you,' Zoisite looked up, smirking at the angry novice. ' I'll be
going to the palace tomorrow with Lord Kunzite; be a good boy and try
not to wreak the library,' he placated in a mocking tone.
Ami
swallowed the urge to scream in frustration, and she narrowed her
eyes at the squire. Before she could spit out a reply, Zoisite said,
'I'll go to see the King'. When he saw Ami's blank look, he
elaborated, ' the royal family was quite close to the monarchy ruling
the Yueliang Kingdom. I'm quite sure the King would have some
information on why the Yueliang Kingdom has disappeared.'
'Oh,
and you think the King will see a squire?' Ami asked incredulously.
Zoisite shrugged. 'If not, I could always raid the archive,
there had to be treaties, messages between the two kingdoms.'
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Kunzite's
heels clicked on the marble floor noisily. Zoisite had already
excused himself, going to the royal archive to search for information
and to visit his childhood friend. He shifted his chain mail, a
dratted thing to wear, which clinked noisily under his white cape
that fluttered behind him as he walked briskly down the corridor. He
nodded occasionally at passing maids who then
blushed prettily.
One reason why he visited the palace today would be the visit from
his father Sir Kornnan many days before. He frowned worriedly at the
memory. News from the palace had always been murky, lest it leaked to
unfriendly ears. He scowled, another reason why he came was to see
his prince. He paused, looking at the mahogany door that led to his
highness' study.
'Kunzite!'
Kunzite quickly bowed at
the newcomer, and murmured, 'your highness,' and winced as the
newcomer slap his back enthusiastically.
'How many times must
I remind you that my name is Endymion?' Endymion asked the taller man
irritably, brushing his black hair back. His midnight blue eyes
sparkled with life.
'Many times already, your highness,'
Kunzite answered, keeping a straight face.
Endymion gave a
disgusted snort and threw his hands in the hand, 'I'm giving up.'
Kunzite hid a smile behind his hand. 'Come to the garden, and tell me
about the chapter,' he commanded, leading the way to the royal
garden. Many corridors later, both found themselves strolling
silently outside, enjoying the autumn sun and the carpet of leaves
all flushed with an array of warm colors.
'How is your
father?' Kunzite asked softly, dropping the title for the sake of
friendship. It was the most important thing that weighed upon in his
mind since his father had come back with news from the
palace.
'Bad,' Endymion replied, his eyes trained on a
distance oak. 'The physician said his health is failing; he can't
even stay awake for a very long time.' He raised his arms above his
head, and stretched,
'Administrative work is hard, now that I
have to fill his seat.'
'That's why you have advisors,'
Kunzite reminded him.
'That's the problem, they think I don't
have the ability,' Endymion said bitterly. 'Maybe I'm not old enough,
but may the Gods damn me, if I'm rendered to less than a
figurehead.'
They continued to walk silently before Kunzite
brought up another problem haunting his mind. 'Endymion, try to stay
in one piece.' Endymion looked at him strangely. 'You are the next
King in line, accidents do happen.'
'Even if assassination
happens, there will still be my Uncle to take care of the kingdom,'
Endymion stopped as Kunzite knelt before him, his right hand placed
over his heart.
'You are my liege, and I will take no order
from any other. This is to pay the debt to your family and to fulfill
my promise to my father.'
'Thank you,' Endymion answered
gravely, reaching out to help Kunzite stand up.
Kunzite
nodded, both continued their walk. In the far distance, three figures
moved toward them, one gentleman and two ladies. The two ladies, whom
Kunzite believed were sisters shared flaming curly locks. One lady
had her hands clasped on the arm of the man with black hair, which
was turning grey slightly. The apparently younger lady followed them.
'Endymion, Sir Kunzite,' the man greeted him; there was a
sad, tired look in his eyes.
Endymion inclined his head, while
Kunzite bowed, 'Uncle Foxia, Aunt Amther, Lady Beryl. I hope your
stay at the court has been good.'
'Your highness,' Lady Beryl
curtsied prettily, batting her eyelashes. Her brown eyes measured
Endymion beneath her long sooty eyelashes. Endymion, the Prince of
this land, handsome, talented and noble, was her dream husband. Her
eyes caught sight of a faraway figure. 'Father.' She murmured
demurely.
The newcomer was an imposing gentleman, though tiny
in figure when compared to Kunzite, Endymion and Foxia, he had an air
of authority. 'Lord Glenn,' Endymion nodded his head respectfully.
'Good morning, your highness, I trust you've been making good
decisions in the council?' Lord Glenn asked loftily. 'For the sake of
the Kingdom, I pray that His Majesty soon will recover.'
Endymion
frowned inside, slightly stung by the remark. Lord Glenn of the land
Belmort was an opportunist and was known for his scathing remarks and
cold-blooded solutions to certain social problems. Nevertheless
Endymion respected him for his service to the Kingdom, a devil's
advocate that placed many problems in perspectives and allowed the
king to make correct decisions. 'Father will be glad to hear your
concern, Lord Glenn,' he responded politely.
Lord Glenn only
snorted, 'We must leave soon and return to Belmort,' gesturing for
his family and his son-in-law to follow him.'I must say the weather
here doesn't agree with me,' he exclaimed while his eldest daughter
Amther agreed, adding snide remarks of her own. Lord Foxia shot an
apologetic look at his nephew as he passed Endymion, while Beryl
bowed demurely.
'That man makes me want to wring his neck,'
Kunzite remarked while looking at the retreating backs.
'Lord
Glenn is a good man,' Endymion answered in a noncommittal tone.
'You don't sound convinced, not your own opinion?'
'Maybe.
Look, Zoisite is coming over, who's that with him?' Endymion asked,
changing the subject.
Kunzite peered into the distance, 'I
think that is Rose, his childhood sweetheart.'
'Why wasn't I
informed?' Endymion exclaimed.
'Playing matchmaker?' Kunzite
asked, he arched an eyebrow
skeptically at his
prince.
'Endymion!' Zoisite smacked Endymion's back in a
friendly manner, 'long time no see!' Then he flushed as he realized
the inappropriate behavior he had shown before his supervisor. He
quickly bowed.
'Because you always stay in the Chapter,'
Endymion grumbled, 'keeping secrets from me now? Who's the lovely
lady beside you?' he jabbed Zoisite with his elbow.
Rose
blushed prettily and curtsied. 'This is Rose, a friend from the
village I came from.'
'So have you found the information you
needed?' Kunzite asked.
Zoisite nodded, 'I have placed them
in my saddlebag. Shall I go to the stable and inform them of our
leaving?' At Kunzite's nod, he took Rose's hand and led her back to
the palace.
'We would like to take our leave, with your
consent,' Kunzite said and bowed low.
Endymion nodded, 'With
good speed, my friends.'
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Jadeite
walked softly, careful not to make any sound. When he drew near
enough, he gave a big leap and pounced on the unaware duo walking in
front of him, causing both to jump in fright and scream.
'Tut, tut, you should be alert at all times, my dear novice,' he smirked while Ami just gave him an evil stare. 'Calm down, no need to work all uptight, kid.'
'You're just plain evil.'
He beamed happily, 'I know. How was today's training with Sir Miran?'
'Fine, I suppose,' Makoto replied as she continued walking through the colonnade that linked the Chapter to the healers' quarter.
'Modesty? Makoto?' Jadeite asked. 'Sir Miran was praising your superb skill in handling the sword.'
Makoto smiled softly, pleased to hear the praise, 'Considering the fact that the other novices are mostly lazy and incompetent, it wasn't a hard task.' She shifted the scabbard hanging by her side. Her sword needed polishing. 'I heard that Manfrick will be leaving; counting him, there are a total of seven losers.'
Jadeite shrugged, 'We need knights, not people who think fighting is just a dancy dance. Too bad that Maxin from the Land of Manure will not be packing his bags.'
Makoto chuckled heartily, 'You should have seen his face when I'ma knocked his sword out of his hand. He looked like he was struck by a stroke. Guess he couldn't grasp the idea that some back-county skinny pumpkin can actually kick his royal behind.'
'Skinny?' Ami objected.
Jadeite reached over and tousled her hair, 'But you are, kid. When will you start growing like a weed?' Ami growled, and using her fingers, she combed her disarrayed hair back in place.
They continued walking down the colonnade with the shadows of leaves dancing on the wall, and the constant bubbling sound of water echoing in the courtyard.
'What is that smell?' Makoto asked suddenly, as a scent of sweetness tickled her senses.
Jadeite sniffed experimentally, 'Ah, the tree near the edge of the exterior wall, you can't miss it. It's quite special, I think Zoisite once told me that it is the only tree of its kind in this city.'
'What does it look like?' Ami asked, 'its scent reminds me of the trees near my village.'
'Five round white petals with a yellow flush at the center, it's about the size of this,' Jadeite cupped his hand. 'Madame Setsuna would sometimes harvest its flowers.' He paused, 'Someone told me once that a student planted it many years ago, maybe when Lord Kunzite was still a novice.'
'I'll be right back,' Makoto said turning to walk into the garden, 'I'll catch up with you later,' leaving Jadeite and Ami standing alone.
'Was he always obsessed with plants?' Jadeite asked, looking at the retreating back with bafflement..
'He enjoys growing plants,' Ami replied as if it was a daily occurrence that Makoto ran off, 'I've been meaning to ask you before. Where is the water source?'
Jadeite blinked dumbly at Ami, 'Water source?'
Ami nodded, 'That constant humming of water sound, do you hear it?'
'Yes, but I guess I never associated the sound with water before; it must be from the pond. I almost forgot there's a pond in the courtyard,' Jadeite said, rubbing his neck. 'You want to see it?' Ami nodded.
Jadeite led Ami into the courtyard, into a myriad of young pines. After walking though the labyrinth of pine trees, they reached another part where a lane of weeping willows blocked the view. Almost gently, Jadeite swept the strands of the weeping willow aside, revealing a fountain with a bubbling stream that fed a large pond. There were two saplings, both sagging toward each other, as they were tied together by a hammock. On the hammock was Nephrite, who was dozing under the shades of the saplings.
Jadeite blinked, and blinked again as an evil idea zipped through his brain, finding a permanent place on the list-pranks-that-must-be-done. He couldn't believe the golden opportunity presented to him. He whispered his idea to Ami.
Ami stepped back, blue eyes horrified. She shook her head dumbly. 'I couldn't do that, if we're caught,' she mumbled.
'Come on. I'ma, look at the chance, It will only take two seconds of your precious time.' Jadeite pleaded, 'If Zoisite is here, he would definitely say yes.'
Ami bit her lips, wondering if this was one of those macho moments Makoto mentioned earlier.
'Don't tell me you're scared,' Jadeite mocked, 'poor little I'ma.'Ami glared at him angrily and hissed, 'Fine!'
'So ready?'
Both skulked near the hammock quietly, careful not to step on twigs or trip over jagged stones. Jadeite grinned evilly, he forced the side of the hammock down, tipping the peacefully dozing Nephrite onto the soft grass. Poor Nephrite didn't know what hit him; even as he rolled onto his feet, a bundle named Ami tackled him, sending him on a one way trip into the water.
Nephrite came up spluttering, his usual mahogany curls straightened, lightly framing his angular face. He glared angrily at Jadeite, who was laughing loudly, hammering the ground with his fist, while Ami looked speechless, surprise at her own action.
Nephrite growled, 'You two,' he said dangerously. This caught the pranksters'
attention, and the mirth in Jadeite's eyes died, replaced by fear. Ami gulped.
'Jadeite, shouldn't we start running now?' she asked nervously while eyeing the angry man still in the pool.
'Well said, I believe that's one of the first rules in the Prank Encyclopaedia,' Jadeite replied tersely, edging away from the pool.
Ami shrieked loudly as the giant man suddenly leapt out of the pool and charged at the two pranksters. With a wide sweep of his arms, he hauled both struggling jokers like two sacks of potatoes into the water.
At that instant, Makoto stormed into the meadow, and thought Ami was being attacked by Nephrite. 'I'ma!' she shouted. She lunged forward, pulled her fist back, and punched Nephrite.
'Calm down!' Nephrite yelled, blocking her punches; with a quick twist of his arm, he pinned her arms behind her back, twisted at an odd angle and effectively rendering Makoto helpless.
Ami surfaced, taking a deep breath. She pushed her bangs from her face and grimaced when she saw her hand smeared with black dye. With a sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach, she swam to the edge of the pool and pulled herself up to the ground, her tunic plastered on her form.
'I'ma,' Jadeite strangled voice reminded Ami of her partner in crime, a currently not-so-popular person.
'What?' Ami snapped, turning around to face Jadeite, who was still in the pool
'You're a girl?' he choked.
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Please Read and Review. - They mean a lot to me. The more there is, the faster I'll write. Also if you want me to email you when I update, you can place the email in the review box. If you feel that you need to email me, here's the address Date: 14.11.02