Woohoo!! It is so good to know that people actually reading what I write
and are actually liking it. I'm glad to know that no one has had any
confusion about plot. I actually have a feeling that there may possibly be
some later on. Even I have to remind myself of what I'm writing. Someone
said to "WRITE! WRITE! WRITE!!" and in response to that, I say REVIEW!
REVIEW! REVIEW! ^_~ Oh, just a little note-I do know my grammar rules and
if you see the "." randomly placed in sentences, they are supposed to be ".
. ." but it doesn't come up like that when I post the chapters. I'll work
on remembering to fix that. Read and review please! ~Lady Hino
p.s. ( no, I am not an artist. . .^_~ and the reason Jadeite has children is kind of important. . .so just stick with it.
". . .and you believe that, do you, Reina?" Jadeite laughed as he sipped at his brandy. Laughter came easily now.strange as it was. He was enjoying the evening with the girl in his parlor, the first time they could see each other in three days. He had been so caught up in courtly activities that he had had no time to visit with her, though he greatly abhorred not seeing her and was terribly annoyed when he came back to her room and learned from Ares that the girl had gone to bed. But now he stood in front of the hearth with the beautiful raven-haired goddess sitting on a settee across from him, sipping at some delectable smelling tea.
Rei looked up at the golden-haired man and smiled sweetly. "Of course I believe that the Princess Serenity gets out of the palace. She is not as sheltered as you would assume, my lord."
Jadeite grinned slightly and took another sip of the amber liquid. "I suppose not, but. . .when I saw her, she was such the innocent creature, surrounded by her guardians-"
At this Rei looked up nervously. Is it possible he remembered her?
"-but I must say, not all of the guardians were there. It was a shame, to say the least. I had traveled from here to the Moon in hopes of meeting all of the raved about sailor senshi. I saw only. . .well let me see here. . ."
Rei watched him cautiously. She had made the mistake of letting him see her with her hair down and since then had made sure that it was up. Hopefully he didn't remember who the senshi were, or perhaps she could count her luck that that was the day she had missed.
". . .Yes, Mercury and Venus. Apparently the Lady of Mars was visiting an ill aunt and the Lady of Jupiter was solving a mystery back at her home. But that was the last time I was ever on the Moon. I've been too busy here to be there more than that one time."
"Then you are a friend of the Moon Kingdom?" she asked softly.
Jadeite looked at her skeptically then shrugged. Rei thought it looked as if he would not tell her something, but then decided against it. "I am an Earth General. . ."
Rei nearly choked on the sip of tea she was taking. A General ? But how could she have missed that? "Lord Warrior General Jadeite?" she asked, testing the name on her tongue. She didn't like it, preferring simply. . .Jadeite.
Jadeite smiled rather stiffly then nodded. "General Jadeite, second in command to King Endymion's son, Prince Endymion."
"How did you become one of the famous Generals, my lord?" Rei asked with wonder. She could hardly believe that she had been in the presence of an Earth General all this time.
"Sad story really," he said softly.
"Won't you tell it?"
Jadeite looked at her thoughtfully. "I suppose I could tell you some of it. It's not that interesting of a story, but nevertheless, you asked for it," he said playfully. He sat down in the chair opposite the settee she was sitting on and set down his chalice on a nearby table. Then he smiled up at her and leaned closer. "You see. . .well. . .let me start this differently. Do you know of the war on Earth? Between Endymion's father and Kunzite's father?"
Rei nodded blankly. She had been told about it on the Moon during one of their many lessons taught by the late professor Mato. "Of course. . .Endymion and Kunzite were best friends, but the war forced them apart. Nearly one thousand people died and over three thousand were injured in some way."
Jadeite nodded, proud that she knew her history. "Since then, Kunzite has been at Endymion's side acting as guardian. He was the first, you see. He became a General when he was ten. I, on the other hand, did not meet Endymion until I was sixteen. I was never supposed to become a general, you understand. There were originally supposed to be two, but the number changed after the war between Earth and D'lnor.
"D'lnor had attacked Earth when I was fifteen, but I was not allowed to fight until sixteen, my parents thought it would be too much to bear if their son died so young. I convinced them that at sixteen, I was much stronger indeed," it was here that he paused for the memories came flying back all too quickly. He had to close his eyes a moment to will them away. Gods, how terrifying it had been. When he opened his eyes again, it was to a worried looking goddess. He smiled gently at her and placed a hand on hers. "I'm sorry, a memory just flooded my brain and I had no time to think straight for a moment."
"Then do not continue if it stresses you so," Rei said, her words laced with concern. She gripped his hand tighter than she should have and leaned forward. "I would not have you distressing yourself for the sake of my curiosity."
Jadeite shook his head and smiled. "Not to worry, Reina. . .it feels good to have someone to share this with."
She blushed, quite prettily he thought.
"At any rate, it was during the war that I met Endymion and Kunzite. I had been in the war a few months and when I arrived at the Earth Palace I was surprised to be greeted as warmly as I was. I met the other General there as well-"
"Nephrite. . ."
Jadeite smiled. "Yes, that great lout of a friend. We were singled out by Tasuaki, the King's General. He said that we were too young and inexperienced to be in the war. Remember that I was sixteen and Nephrite was seventeen. But, once Nephrite and I opened our big mouths, the young Endymion came down and grabbed both of us in an embrace I was not expecting to receive.
"He said, 'I have been waiting for you! I saw you in my dream.' It was strange to say the least for neither Nephrite nor I was expecting this great prince to embrace us and invite us into his palace. There we met Kunzite and discovered that the two lads had dreamt about us entering the palace and helping Earth win the war. He sent us off soon after that meeting and we never saw him until the end of the war."
"Three years later. . ." Rei said in awe. She had never heard about wars from an actual war veteran.
Jadeite laughed. "Precisely right, princess. . ."
She blushed again at the endearment. But she had the feeling he was leaving something out. He was entirely too cheerful about this war for her liking. It had gone down in the Moon Kingdom and her own that it was the worst war the Earth had seen in a century.
"Three long years of fighting. When we went back home, messenger birds, telling us that the Prince wished to see us as quickly as possible, hounded us to no end. So we went and discovered that he wished to make us generals. But we also noticed that there was another General sitting beside him."
"Zoicite. . ."
Jadeite smiled yet again. "Exactly so, Reina. You know much about the Earth's history."
"Only after Mato told us that we-" she stopped because she realized she had gone too far.
"What, Reina?" Jadeite asked suspiciously. This was the first time she had made any reference to her life.
"Oh, nothing. . .please continue. . .I'm finding this very interesting," she said quickly.
Jadeite, one eyebrow raised, grinned slightly then thought back to his story. "That's all there is to the story, my dear. It was a quickly done process and a quickly made decision. Very odd, if you ask me."
Rei looked down at her hands that were folded in her lap. It was a rather hastily done ceremony, but who was she to criticize? "Do you see Prince Endymion often?" she asked softly.
Jadeite examined his empty glass and frowned. "Truthfully, I see the prince very little. But when I see him, it's as if we had never been apart. It's almost as if we are connected in mind and heart. I feel the same way about every one of the other generals. It's a feeling I can't describe. I know my soul is complete when I have all four of them with me."
Rei smiled to herself. She knew how he felt, all right. It felt as if you were never a complete person unless you were surrounded by the four souls who you knew since the beginning of time. The four essences that made up the universe and helped to make one's life come into being. "It must be difficult when separated from them. . ." she said looking up cautiously. She hoped he wouldn't stop talking. He told delicious stories and the facial expressions he tacked on were as entertaining to watch as the sparkle in his eye. She had to catch herself before her thoughts went any further.
He looked up from his glass to stare at her. Difficult? Nay, that was an understatement. Difficult did not begin to describe how lonely it could become without their laughter and their constant mockery. Sure, it made his self-confidence decrease every time a joke was made about his name or the fact that he was the only one with responsibilities that centered around more than women and war. But it was never difficult to be around them. No, it was difficult to be away from their badgering and their hounding. "No, Reina. . .I do quite well without them," he lied softly.
It wasn't her place to hear how he needed his friend's reassurances while he trained with his armies. It wasn't her place to hear that he prayed for his friends every night, that he wished he could see more of them. It wasn't her place to discover how desperately he strove to be as skilled and as masterful as they were. He was the youngest of the group, he could not be compared to their expertise, not in magic and not in physical combat.
"I see, sire," she replied shyly. Jadeite raised his gaze until his eyes met hers. Beautiful eyes, really. With such a violent fire in them that it made his lips quake with a grin. She was an amazing creature. There was no possible way she could be a peasant whore. It just wasn't possible- not with that regal stature and the lovely profile. Nor with the shining eyes and the bright smile, the rosy cheeks and the pink lips, it just wasn't possible. "Where are you from, Reina?" he whispered to her.
Rei turned her gaze to his and stiffened. She refused to tell him anything. If he finally found out who she was, there could possibly be some sort of misunderstanding between the two worlds. She refused to use magic in his presence and she refused to escape. Magic was a sure way to be discovered and escaping could only cause problems, especially because she was currently living on Earth with Serenity and the others. If Endymion found out some how that Jadeite was involved, it could mean something terrible for Jadeite, and she couldn't chance that. He didn't deserve it. "I told you that I am from a far away place."
"That does not tell me a thing, Reina. Where are you from? What planet.what galaxy? What home? Who are your parents?" he asked rising. He slowly paced the length of the fireplace as he questioned her. Why wouldn't she tell him anything? They had shared so much already. "Are you afraid of me, Reina? Do I frighten you to no end?"
"Of course not, sire. . ." she said shaking her head.
"Then why do you continue to tell me nothing?" he asked stopping in front of her. He looked away then and turned toward the fire. "Perhaps tonight has been filled with too many stories. I think that it is time we retire. Perhaps in the morning we'll be rested enough to discuss something else."
Rei nodded blindly and rose on shaking legs. "I bid you good night, sire. . ." she whispered before trying to move away from him. He stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.
"Sleep well, child. . ." he whispered.
So he was refusing to call her by her name. "Good night, sire. . ." she said stiffly. If he wanted to be on formal terms with one another, then she would gladly oblige.
Rei moved away from him as slowly as she could. She didn't want to leave his side no matter how angered he was at her. It was unfair for them to part on unhappy terms. They had managed to be civil to each other for so long that now was not the time for anger. "There are things I will tell you in time, my lord. . .but not tonight. . .please not tonight. . ." she whispered to herself.
Jadeite turned around then and stared at her. "Not tonight, Reina. . .of course."
She spun around on her heel and stared at him in wonder. He had heard her then. "Good night. . ."
"Good night. . ." he whispered back to her.
She smiled faintly before entering her room, the dark hues of the blue calming her as soon as she touched them. It was a quaint chamber and she was growing more and fonder of it the longer she stayed.
She waved a hand over her head as she made her way to the bed and her hair fell down with a small "whoosh" of air. She ran a delicate hand through the dark mass and sighed, it would be nice if she had her maids with her. Phobos and Deimos always brushed her hair for her before she went to sleep. It had become a comfort and a necessity, especially after hard training session.
Rei carefully took off the white dress she had been wearing and laid it on the edge of the bed. She grabbed the dressing gown off of the chair beside her bed and slipped it on around her chemise, knotting the ends tightly.
She turned around slightly to look longingly at the fire and heaved a disappointed sigh. She missed her fire, missed the closeness of the world within her. Without the fire, she could not discover what she wanted about her parents or her friends; she was stuck in an unforgiving void of dreams. It was frightening for her to see the dreams of her people and float through the dreams of unknown souls. She could sense the longing they felt for one another and the anger, the passion and the hatred. Without the fire, the emotions engulfed her dreams and crept into her heart. She was not sure how long she could remain with Jadeite before her dreams drove her mad.
* * *
He was running with him. They had planned this the night before. "If they come in the middle of the night, wake me and I shall run with you.we will run as far as possible, to the barren lands of desert that mark the end of all the living. . .and we shall live, you and I. . ." But the running was harder and more impossible.
It was cold, his muscles were tightening with the cold and his white gossamer shirt was allowing too much icy wind to caress his body. The breeches were too wet, the rain too hard. "Keep running!" he yelled over his shoulder.
"Jadeite. . .'tis impossible. We shall never make it!" his friend yelled back.
Jadeite turned around and stopped, panting wildly. "Listen, you will make it, Jason. . .if you do not, Sora will have no brother to call his own."
Jason turned a pale face to his friend. "Jadeite. . .I can't do this. . ."
Jadeite grabbed his friend by the hand and pulled him. "We have to go, Jason. We have no food, no weapons. D'lnor has taken everything we have, if we do not move now, we shall both die!"
Jason ran weakly behind his friend. Jadeite could feel it, feel his friend slowing with every step, feel the weight of fatigue as if it were his own, and then he saw it. It was the edge of the forest where they were sure to be free from the chasing. "Jason!" Jadeite shouted above the roar of the wind, "Jason. . .we're almost-" he stopped when he saw who moved in the shadows. "D'lnor soldiers. . ." he whispered. "Turn around, Jason," he said quietly to his friend. "Now!"
Jason stopped to stare at the blackness before them. Jadeite pushed him in the direction they had fled. "Go, now!" Yet his friend would not move. "Jason. . .we will die!" he yelled. And then it happened. A storm of arrows flew through the air and with them, a mass of dirty soldiers with swords raised. "Oh Gods. . ." Jadeite whispered. He grabbed Jason's arm and half dragged and half ran with his burden. "I'll make a shield, Jason, don't worry," he said through gritted teeth as he made his way to a patch of trees hidden behind a bolder.
He all but tossed his friend into the circle then positioned himself in front of him. He could feel the terror slipping down his spine and curling around his stomach until a fear unlike any that he'd known began to gnaw at his brain. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and closed his eyes tightly. If he could just summon up enough strength, he would be able to protect them both; he needed his mind clear.
But the fear continued to eat away at his nerves. Something was wrong, but what, he wasn't sure. He shook off the thoughts and then took a deep breath; he needed to save his friend. "Please. . ." he pleaded with himself. "Just concentrate. . .no more than ten minutes of work is needed. . ." he said. And then he felt the familiar warmth slip through his brain and into his arms, a new strength that brushed against his wounds first. He shrugged the healing powers off and forced it to the small space.
When he opened his eyes, there was a visible silver dome about them that he could see with his uncanny sight. "Jason, I did it! We're safe as long as I can keep-" he stopped when he turned around to behold his friend.
Blood.
Blood everywhere.
"Jason. . ." he choked. He fell to his knees into the puddle of blood and grasped his friend's head. An arrow protruded from his neck, another from his shoulder, more along his torso and more near his legs. "J-Jason. . ." he cried. He tore the arrows from his friend's body, uncaring as to how shredded the skin was. His dearest friend's face was as gray and ashy as death, which it was. "You can't leave me out here. . ." he said harshly.
Then he felt the banging on his skull. Someone was trying to break through the barrier. He had never experienced anything so painful. His head was splitting in two, he was sure of it. He gripped Jason's limp body to his own and held on as hard as he could. Help me, Jason. . .he sighed mentally. Help me. . .
And when the pounding in his head had gone; a new one in his chest began to explode. There was an arrow in his chest, gushing blood onto his friend. He pulled it out and tossed it aside, then plunged a finger into the sack at his waist and pulled out a bundle of herbs. He then stuffed the bundle into his purging wound and proceeded doing the same to his friend until he had run out of the plants. "Live. . ." he said harshly.
The pounding began again. 'He's mine; Jadeite. . .let him go.'
"No!"
'Give me the boy, Jadeite!'
"No, oh gods, no!" he screamed to death. "Please. . .no. . ."
'Sire!'
"Stop. . ." he cried striking out with his fists. He opened his eyes quickly to deliver another blow to the demon that had come to collect his friend, but saw nothing. He was in the forest, his clothing half off, his breathing shallow, his skin wet with perspiration. And then he heard her voice, faint yet strong, lifting him out of his dream. "Sire. . ." she whispered, stroking his head.
"Reina?" he breathed, his eyes focusing once again. She was perched beside him, one of her gentle hands stroking his brow with a wet cloth, her other hand clutching his. She was wearing her dressing gown, white, and her hair was down again. The violet eyes were bright with worry. "Reina. . ." he said lowering his head and taking his hand from hers. "What are you doing in here?"
Rei pulled away and stood. "You were shouting quite loudly, I thought you were being killed," she said angrily. He knew he should not have snapped at her as he had, but she had seen him in his dream, which was embarrassing enough.
"You should leave now, Reina," he said turning away from her.
She tossed the cloth onto his stomach and put her hands on her hips. "It would be a pleasure. . .I'm sorry if I woke you," she said harshly. And then she was gone, just like Jason.
He closed his eyes in disgust with himself and grabbed the cloth on his stomach. He reached over to put the cloth back in the basin of water that she had set by his bed then paused. It wasn't an ordinary cloth she used, but a silk one. He opened one end and watched it fall gracefully until it became the long swathe of white that was the sash she always wore around her waist to ensure that her dresses stayed in place. He held the silk to his nose and breathed in her scent; the cool dampness of the cloth did not matter to him. Her gentle feminine scent was clinging to the fabric. He wrapped it around his hand and lay back down on his bed. Sighing heavily, he closed his eyes and prepared himself for a demon filled nightmare, but- the Gods proved merciful-the demons left him alone.
p.s. ( no, I am not an artist. . .^_~ and the reason Jadeite has children is kind of important. . .so just stick with it.
". . .and you believe that, do you, Reina?" Jadeite laughed as he sipped at his brandy. Laughter came easily now.strange as it was. He was enjoying the evening with the girl in his parlor, the first time they could see each other in three days. He had been so caught up in courtly activities that he had had no time to visit with her, though he greatly abhorred not seeing her and was terribly annoyed when he came back to her room and learned from Ares that the girl had gone to bed. But now he stood in front of the hearth with the beautiful raven-haired goddess sitting on a settee across from him, sipping at some delectable smelling tea.
Rei looked up at the golden-haired man and smiled sweetly. "Of course I believe that the Princess Serenity gets out of the palace. She is not as sheltered as you would assume, my lord."
Jadeite grinned slightly and took another sip of the amber liquid. "I suppose not, but. . .when I saw her, she was such the innocent creature, surrounded by her guardians-"
At this Rei looked up nervously. Is it possible he remembered her?
"-but I must say, not all of the guardians were there. It was a shame, to say the least. I had traveled from here to the Moon in hopes of meeting all of the raved about sailor senshi. I saw only. . .well let me see here. . ."
Rei watched him cautiously. She had made the mistake of letting him see her with her hair down and since then had made sure that it was up. Hopefully he didn't remember who the senshi were, or perhaps she could count her luck that that was the day she had missed.
". . .Yes, Mercury and Venus. Apparently the Lady of Mars was visiting an ill aunt and the Lady of Jupiter was solving a mystery back at her home. But that was the last time I was ever on the Moon. I've been too busy here to be there more than that one time."
"Then you are a friend of the Moon Kingdom?" she asked softly.
Jadeite looked at her skeptically then shrugged. Rei thought it looked as if he would not tell her something, but then decided against it. "I am an Earth General. . ."
Rei nearly choked on the sip of tea she was taking. A General ? But how could she have missed that? "Lord Warrior General Jadeite?" she asked, testing the name on her tongue. She didn't like it, preferring simply. . .Jadeite.
Jadeite smiled rather stiffly then nodded. "General Jadeite, second in command to King Endymion's son, Prince Endymion."
"How did you become one of the famous Generals, my lord?" Rei asked with wonder. She could hardly believe that she had been in the presence of an Earth General all this time.
"Sad story really," he said softly.
"Won't you tell it?"
Jadeite looked at her thoughtfully. "I suppose I could tell you some of it. It's not that interesting of a story, but nevertheless, you asked for it," he said playfully. He sat down in the chair opposite the settee she was sitting on and set down his chalice on a nearby table. Then he smiled up at her and leaned closer. "You see. . .well. . .let me start this differently. Do you know of the war on Earth? Between Endymion's father and Kunzite's father?"
Rei nodded blankly. She had been told about it on the Moon during one of their many lessons taught by the late professor Mato. "Of course. . .Endymion and Kunzite were best friends, but the war forced them apart. Nearly one thousand people died and over three thousand were injured in some way."
Jadeite nodded, proud that she knew her history. "Since then, Kunzite has been at Endymion's side acting as guardian. He was the first, you see. He became a General when he was ten. I, on the other hand, did not meet Endymion until I was sixteen. I was never supposed to become a general, you understand. There were originally supposed to be two, but the number changed after the war between Earth and D'lnor.
"D'lnor had attacked Earth when I was fifteen, but I was not allowed to fight until sixteen, my parents thought it would be too much to bear if their son died so young. I convinced them that at sixteen, I was much stronger indeed," it was here that he paused for the memories came flying back all too quickly. He had to close his eyes a moment to will them away. Gods, how terrifying it had been. When he opened his eyes again, it was to a worried looking goddess. He smiled gently at her and placed a hand on hers. "I'm sorry, a memory just flooded my brain and I had no time to think straight for a moment."
"Then do not continue if it stresses you so," Rei said, her words laced with concern. She gripped his hand tighter than she should have and leaned forward. "I would not have you distressing yourself for the sake of my curiosity."
Jadeite shook his head and smiled. "Not to worry, Reina. . .it feels good to have someone to share this with."
She blushed, quite prettily he thought.
"At any rate, it was during the war that I met Endymion and Kunzite. I had been in the war a few months and when I arrived at the Earth Palace I was surprised to be greeted as warmly as I was. I met the other General there as well-"
"Nephrite. . ."
Jadeite smiled. "Yes, that great lout of a friend. We were singled out by Tasuaki, the King's General. He said that we were too young and inexperienced to be in the war. Remember that I was sixteen and Nephrite was seventeen. But, once Nephrite and I opened our big mouths, the young Endymion came down and grabbed both of us in an embrace I was not expecting to receive.
"He said, 'I have been waiting for you! I saw you in my dream.' It was strange to say the least for neither Nephrite nor I was expecting this great prince to embrace us and invite us into his palace. There we met Kunzite and discovered that the two lads had dreamt about us entering the palace and helping Earth win the war. He sent us off soon after that meeting and we never saw him until the end of the war."
"Three years later. . ." Rei said in awe. She had never heard about wars from an actual war veteran.
Jadeite laughed. "Precisely right, princess. . ."
She blushed again at the endearment. But she had the feeling he was leaving something out. He was entirely too cheerful about this war for her liking. It had gone down in the Moon Kingdom and her own that it was the worst war the Earth had seen in a century.
"Three long years of fighting. When we went back home, messenger birds, telling us that the Prince wished to see us as quickly as possible, hounded us to no end. So we went and discovered that he wished to make us generals. But we also noticed that there was another General sitting beside him."
"Zoicite. . ."
Jadeite smiled yet again. "Exactly so, Reina. You know much about the Earth's history."
"Only after Mato told us that we-" she stopped because she realized she had gone too far.
"What, Reina?" Jadeite asked suspiciously. This was the first time she had made any reference to her life.
"Oh, nothing. . .please continue. . .I'm finding this very interesting," she said quickly.
Jadeite, one eyebrow raised, grinned slightly then thought back to his story. "That's all there is to the story, my dear. It was a quickly done process and a quickly made decision. Very odd, if you ask me."
Rei looked down at her hands that were folded in her lap. It was a rather hastily done ceremony, but who was she to criticize? "Do you see Prince Endymion often?" she asked softly.
Jadeite examined his empty glass and frowned. "Truthfully, I see the prince very little. But when I see him, it's as if we had never been apart. It's almost as if we are connected in mind and heart. I feel the same way about every one of the other generals. It's a feeling I can't describe. I know my soul is complete when I have all four of them with me."
Rei smiled to herself. She knew how he felt, all right. It felt as if you were never a complete person unless you were surrounded by the four souls who you knew since the beginning of time. The four essences that made up the universe and helped to make one's life come into being. "It must be difficult when separated from them. . ." she said looking up cautiously. She hoped he wouldn't stop talking. He told delicious stories and the facial expressions he tacked on were as entertaining to watch as the sparkle in his eye. She had to catch herself before her thoughts went any further.
He looked up from his glass to stare at her. Difficult? Nay, that was an understatement. Difficult did not begin to describe how lonely it could become without their laughter and their constant mockery. Sure, it made his self-confidence decrease every time a joke was made about his name or the fact that he was the only one with responsibilities that centered around more than women and war. But it was never difficult to be around them. No, it was difficult to be away from their badgering and their hounding. "No, Reina. . .I do quite well without them," he lied softly.
It wasn't her place to hear how he needed his friend's reassurances while he trained with his armies. It wasn't her place to hear that he prayed for his friends every night, that he wished he could see more of them. It wasn't her place to discover how desperately he strove to be as skilled and as masterful as they were. He was the youngest of the group, he could not be compared to their expertise, not in magic and not in physical combat.
"I see, sire," she replied shyly. Jadeite raised his gaze until his eyes met hers. Beautiful eyes, really. With such a violent fire in them that it made his lips quake with a grin. She was an amazing creature. There was no possible way she could be a peasant whore. It just wasn't possible- not with that regal stature and the lovely profile. Nor with the shining eyes and the bright smile, the rosy cheeks and the pink lips, it just wasn't possible. "Where are you from, Reina?" he whispered to her.
Rei turned her gaze to his and stiffened. She refused to tell him anything. If he finally found out who she was, there could possibly be some sort of misunderstanding between the two worlds. She refused to use magic in his presence and she refused to escape. Magic was a sure way to be discovered and escaping could only cause problems, especially because she was currently living on Earth with Serenity and the others. If Endymion found out some how that Jadeite was involved, it could mean something terrible for Jadeite, and she couldn't chance that. He didn't deserve it. "I told you that I am from a far away place."
"That does not tell me a thing, Reina. Where are you from? What planet.what galaxy? What home? Who are your parents?" he asked rising. He slowly paced the length of the fireplace as he questioned her. Why wouldn't she tell him anything? They had shared so much already. "Are you afraid of me, Reina? Do I frighten you to no end?"
"Of course not, sire. . ." she said shaking her head.
"Then why do you continue to tell me nothing?" he asked stopping in front of her. He looked away then and turned toward the fire. "Perhaps tonight has been filled with too many stories. I think that it is time we retire. Perhaps in the morning we'll be rested enough to discuss something else."
Rei nodded blindly and rose on shaking legs. "I bid you good night, sire. . ." she whispered before trying to move away from him. He stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.
"Sleep well, child. . ." he whispered.
So he was refusing to call her by her name. "Good night, sire. . ." she said stiffly. If he wanted to be on formal terms with one another, then she would gladly oblige.
Rei moved away from him as slowly as she could. She didn't want to leave his side no matter how angered he was at her. It was unfair for them to part on unhappy terms. They had managed to be civil to each other for so long that now was not the time for anger. "There are things I will tell you in time, my lord. . .but not tonight. . .please not tonight. . ." she whispered to herself.
Jadeite turned around then and stared at her. "Not tonight, Reina. . .of course."
She spun around on her heel and stared at him in wonder. He had heard her then. "Good night. . ."
"Good night. . ." he whispered back to her.
She smiled faintly before entering her room, the dark hues of the blue calming her as soon as she touched them. It was a quaint chamber and she was growing more and fonder of it the longer she stayed.
She waved a hand over her head as she made her way to the bed and her hair fell down with a small "whoosh" of air. She ran a delicate hand through the dark mass and sighed, it would be nice if she had her maids with her. Phobos and Deimos always brushed her hair for her before she went to sleep. It had become a comfort and a necessity, especially after hard training session.
Rei carefully took off the white dress she had been wearing and laid it on the edge of the bed. She grabbed the dressing gown off of the chair beside her bed and slipped it on around her chemise, knotting the ends tightly.
She turned around slightly to look longingly at the fire and heaved a disappointed sigh. She missed her fire, missed the closeness of the world within her. Without the fire, she could not discover what she wanted about her parents or her friends; she was stuck in an unforgiving void of dreams. It was frightening for her to see the dreams of her people and float through the dreams of unknown souls. She could sense the longing they felt for one another and the anger, the passion and the hatred. Without the fire, the emotions engulfed her dreams and crept into her heart. She was not sure how long she could remain with Jadeite before her dreams drove her mad.
* * *
He was running with him. They had planned this the night before. "If they come in the middle of the night, wake me and I shall run with you.we will run as far as possible, to the barren lands of desert that mark the end of all the living. . .and we shall live, you and I. . ." But the running was harder and more impossible.
It was cold, his muscles were tightening with the cold and his white gossamer shirt was allowing too much icy wind to caress his body. The breeches were too wet, the rain too hard. "Keep running!" he yelled over his shoulder.
"Jadeite. . .'tis impossible. We shall never make it!" his friend yelled back.
Jadeite turned around and stopped, panting wildly. "Listen, you will make it, Jason. . .if you do not, Sora will have no brother to call his own."
Jason turned a pale face to his friend. "Jadeite. . .I can't do this. . ."
Jadeite grabbed his friend by the hand and pulled him. "We have to go, Jason. We have no food, no weapons. D'lnor has taken everything we have, if we do not move now, we shall both die!"
Jason ran weakly behind his friend. Jadeite could feel it, feel his friend slowing with every step, feel the weight of fatigue as if it were his own, and then he saw it. It was the edge of the forest where they were sure to be free from the chasing. "Jason!" Jadeite shouted above the roar of the wind, "Jason. . .we're almost-" he stopped when he saw who moved in the shadows. "D'lnor soldiers. . ." he whispered. "Turn around, Jason," he said quietly to his friend. "Now!"
Jason stopped to stare at the blackness before them. Jadeite pushed him in the direction they had fled. "Go, now!" Yet his friend would not move. "Jason. . .we will die!" he yelled. And then it happened. A storm of arrows flew through the air and with them, a mass of dirty soldiers with swords raised. "Oh Gods. . ." Jadeite whispered. He grabbed Jason's arm and half dragged and half ran with his burden. "I'll make a shield, Jason, don't worry," he said through gritted teeth as he made his way to a patch of trees hidden behind a bolder.
He all but tossed his friend into the circle then positioned himself in front of him. He could feel the terror slipping down his spine and curling around his stomach until a fear unlike any that he'd known began to gnaw at his brain. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and closed his eyes tightly. If he could just summon up enough strength, he would be able to protect them both; he needed his mind clear.
But the fear continued to eat away at his nerves. Something was wrong, but what, he wasn't sure. He shook off the thoughts and then took a deep breath; he needed to save his friend. "Please. . ." he pleaded with himself. "Just concentrate. . .no more than ten minutes of work is needed. . ." he said. And then he felt the familiar warmth slip through his brain and into his arms, a new strength that brushed against his wounds first. He shrugged the healing powers off and forced it to the small space.
When he opened his eyes, there was a visible silver dome about them that he could see with his uncanny sight. "Jason, I did it! We're safe as long as I can keep-" he stopped when he turned around to behold his friend.
Blood.
Blood everywhere.
"Jason. . ." he choked. He fell to his knees into the puddle of blood and grasped his friend's head. An arrow protruded from his neck, another from his shoulder, more along his torso and more near his legs. "J-Jason. . ." he cried. He tore the arrows from his friend's body, uncaring as to how shredded the skin was. His dearest friend's face was as gray and ashy as death, which it was. "You can't leave me out here. . ." he said harshly.
Then he felt the banging on his skull. Someone was trying to break through the barrier. He had never experienced anything so painful. His head was splitting in two, he was sure of it. He gripped Jason's limp body to his own and held on as hard as he could. Help me, Jason. . .he sighed mentally. Help me. . .
And when the pounding in his head had gone; a new one in his chest began to explode. There was an arrow in his chest, gushing blood onto his friend. He pulled it out and tossed it aside, then plunged a finger into the sack at his waist and pulled out a bundle of herbs. He then stuffed the bundle into his purging wound and proceeded doing the same to his friend until he had run out of the plants. "Live. . ." he said harshly.
The pounding began again. 'He's mine; Jadeite. . .let him go.'
"No!"
'Give me the boy, Jadeite!'
"No, oh gods, no!" he screamed to death. "Please. . .no. . ."
'Sire!'
"Stop. . ." he cried striking out with his fists. He opened his eyes quickly to deliver another blow to the demon that had come to collect his friend, but saw nothing. He was in the forest, his clothing half off, his breathing shallow, his skin wet with perspiration. And then he heard her voice, faint yet strong, lifting him out of his dream. "Sire. . ." she whispered, stroking his head.
"Reina?" he breathed, his eyes focusing once again. She was perched beside him, one of her gentle hands stroking his brow with a wet cloth, her other hand clutching his. She was wearing her dressing gown, white, and her hair was down again. The violet eyes were bright with worry. "Reina. . ." he said lowering his head and taking his hand from hers. "What are you doing in here?"
Rei pulled away and stood. "You were shouting quite loudly, I thought you were being killed," she said angrily. He knew he should not have snapped at her as he had, but she had seen him in his dream, which was embarrassing enough.
"You should leave now, Reina," he said turning away from her.
She tossed the cloth onto his stomach and put her hands on her hips. "It would be a pleasure. . .I'm sorry if I woke you," she said harshly. And then she was gone, just like Jason.
He closed his eyes in disgust with himself and grabbed the cloth on his stomach. He reached over to put the cloth back in the basin of water that she had set by his bed then paused. It wasn't an ordinary cloth she used, but a silk one. He opened one end and watched it fall gracefully until it became the long swathe of white that was the sash she always wore around her waist to ensure that her dresses stayed in place. He held the silk to his nose and breathed in her scent; the cool dampness of the cloth did not matter to him. Her gentle feminine scent was clinging to the fabric. He wrapped it around his hand and lay back down on his bed. Sighing heavily, he closed his eyes and prepared himself for a demon filled nightmare, but- the Gods proved merciful-the demons left him alone.