The Power of Love
"So what brings you to Earth, hime-sama?" Endymion asked her as they sat down in his study.
"The queen is a little suspicious about the last letter she received," she said.
"In what way?" he asked.
"She thinks that you are stalling the whole thing," she said and he sighed.
"I'm not doing that," he said, "as I explained in the letter one of the Inner Court is sick and even though it doesn't seem contagious the person's condition is very critical."
He hated referring to Zoisite like he was someone unimportant, but he didn't want to give out who was sick, especially not to the Moon Court, not even the people of the city was aware of this fact.
"The queen respects that and is willing to wait for as long as possible but there is more than one suitor hanging around the Moon Palace and they are not going to give up just because of an engagement and they are going to try to make this delay into their benefit."
"I see your point," he said and felt anger as picture of other men hanging around his hime, but the fear of losing Zoisite was even greater at the moment, "but right now there is nothing I can do about it."
"On my world it is custom to give the girl you love a token of your affection," she said and he looked at her.
"It would be a good idea," he said, "but it's impossible for now anyway."
"How's that?" she asked and he got up from his chair and turned to look out the window. The garden outside was slowly withering to go into sleep, autumn was approaching fast this year as if the Earth itself was sharing their grief.
"On Earth we have a similar custom," he said, "but here the thing you give your love has to come from the heart and made by your own hand."
"Then what's the problem?" she asked him.
"I need to see her for that to happen it's something only the royal family can do," he said even though he was pretty sure that his friends could do that to.
"Now you've lost me," she said.
"Out of my power and love for her some thing would come into existence," he said, "it could be anything and would be individual."
"Why don't just give her something for the time being," she said and he looked at her.
"That would a good idea," he said, "I'll see if I can come up with anything before you leave."
"We are not scheduled to return until morning," she said and got up from the chair, "I'll see you then."
He watched her leave and then sank down in his chair and leaned his head against the desk, he felt a strong urge to bang his head against the desk but it would just look weird if anyone would stop by and he would surely have a headache after that.
He was troubled and he hated being troubled, he was going to have some of Zoisite's calibre to handle this one but there were none as good as he was. They were all indispensable to him and had been even more so during the war, Kunzite was the strategist and a good leader, without him they would have surely lost the war or suffered more casualties, Nephrite was the one that kept the hope up when there was almost none and given enough time he would be able to get a dead twig to get up and grab a sword. Jadeite had always gone out of his way to keep people's spirits up and worked therefore much together with Nephrite, Jadeite had been a great helper to the army surgeon, keeping the wounded hopes up and aiding comfort to the dying.
However it was Zoisite's idea to ask the moon queen for help, they had long discussed the issue of open up relations with the Moon Kingdom and the other planet Kingdoms in the system but never had a good opportunity to do so and this had been their chance.
Hadn't it been such a great idea he might not have had this problem hanging over his head right now, why had he met Princess Serenity or more accurately why had he fallen in love with her? She was such a sweet girl, a little whimsical at times, but she would surely grow out of that, he hoped, but he wouldn't mind if she didn't; it was how she was and he loved her.
He hadn't realised it until he had seen her on the banquet, dressed all in white and with her soft flowing hair in the traditional bun style with long tails. She had really looked regal and loveable, he had overheard in various conversation that night about how lucky the Moon Kingdom was for having such a worthy successor.
One problem was that the royal family of the moon often got only one child and then a daughter, well in this case their daughter would inherit both the Earth and the Moon.
What could he give her, what could you possibly give the Princess of the Moon? It didn't get better by the fact that the royal family of the Earth didn't have any family treasures, they had had them once, he knew, because Zoisite had told him so, however they had been lost a very long time ago when one Prince of Earth had seen how poor and starving his people had been because of many years of failing crops. Horrified by this he decide to renounce his heritage and the resolved the court entirely and went live among his people as one of the them, helping in anyway he could, years went by and it became only worse. The Prince got more and more desperate, he cared for his people he didn't want them to die, but he couldn't do anything.
One day when he had been in the forest collecting fruits, eatable roots and herbs he wandered in to a clearing and there he saw a little child sitting and crying as he approached the child it looked up at him with huge ocean blue eyes and tear streaked face. The child was a little girl claiming to be lost and the Prince offered to help her home. She said she lived by the ocean and he agreed to follow her, as it was a three days journey to the ocean he shared the little food he could find with her and as the reached the ocean the little girl transformed into a beautiful woman, saying that she was a manifestation of Earth itself. She told him that the Earth was in trouble and needed his help he agreed to help in anyway he could. What happened after that nobody knew except that after that the famine ended and the Prince returned together with the female and four other men that the Prince called the Shitennou. Establishing an entirely new court changing everything, the earth never gave bad crops after that and the Earth prospered again.
The Prince died just a few years later and the woman he had met followed him, their son however was raised by the Shitennou that acted as little Prince guardians until he was old enough, and then they become his advisors.
Who the strange woman really was were never explained some called her mother Earth since she clamed to be a manifestation of Earth other called her the Umi no Hime, the four men was never explained either but as legends go they always appear in time of trials.
Before all of this the Earth Kingdom had been just like any other kingdom but now there weren't any jewels at all, except some for ceremonies and such, crystals and other valuable stones was used for medical purpose not trading or jewellery.
He looked out the window and saw the faint outlines off the moon on the clear sky, once again the weather seemed to mock their sorrow. Suddenly he remembered something, there was something he could give her. He got up and walked to his rooms that was located one floor above the Shitennou quarters, when he had been little he used to collect stones, little stones that where to no use, they had been pretty and since he was the Prince and only a child they allowed him to keep them.
After a few hours of looking he found what he was looking for a clear, translucent white stone, he had been told that they were called moonstones and were often used by women for 'obscure' reasons.
Holding the stone in his palm he concentrated on it and using his will alone to get it to change form into a crescent moon. It wasn't big but at least it came from the heart and that was what counted after all. Finding a gold chain that one time had belonged to his onee-sama who was by the way happily married, he had only had one sibling, his parents thought two was enough.
He attached the stone to the chain and held it up with level of his face and looked at it, yes it would do and it seemed funny that he had chosen a moonstone and made it into a crescent moon to give to the Princess of the Moon. But moonstones had always been his favourite stone.
Violin music flooded the room and Aiiro looked as the planet Neptune came into view, suddenly the music stooped and she turned and looked at Hukamidori.
"The ocean is uneasy," she said her eyes fixed on something only she could see, "a storm is approaching."
"It's been approaching a long time," Aiiro said, "its about to burst out, the sacrifice was made years ago and now the consequences of that sacrifice is noticeable, let us hope it was not in vain."
"It's a shame to think of the many broken hearts it will leave in its wake," Hukamidori said.
"Better a few broken hearts than an entire civilisation destroyed," Aiiro said and turned back to look at the planet, "the sacrifice was made with an open mind and clear heart, he accepted the fate and now he simply have to walk the path he chose."
Kunzite looked up the minute Zoisite opened his eyes and looked dazed around the room, he noticed that Zoisite's eyes were clear and he seemed to know where he was.
"Daijoubu ka?" he asked him and sat down on the bed.
"Awful," Zoisite said and Kunzite put a hand on his forehead.
"The fever is at least gone," he said, "are you thirsty?"
Zoisite nodded and with the help of Kunzite he managed to sit up supported by the pillows. Kunzite handed him a glass of water and he accepted it, finishing it he held it out and got it refilled.
"How long?" he asked.
"Three weeks," Kunzite answered.
"That long."
"I have a letter for you," Kunzite said and Zoisite looked surprised at him, "it's from Princess Mercury, probably stacked with questions."
"Perhaps," Zoisite said and looked at the letter, "I wouldn't mind if it were."
"She's pretty cute," Kunzite said and Zoisite nodded not really listening to him, "actually they are all pretty cute."
"What did you say?" Zoisite said looking at him.
"I said all the princess are pretty cute," he said.
"Looks is only superficial, you know," Zoisite said, "it's what's inside that counts."
"And that's coming from you," Kunzite said, "you could have any women you like, yet you remain single although you said you had someone, didn't you?"
"I do," he said and pulled a skinny hand through his knotted hair, "and I guess it's a good thing because I guess I look awful."
"Aside from the hollow eyes, sunken cheeks and that the hair looks like a bird nest you look pretty good," Kunzite said, "for being half dead."
"You're miserable at picking peoples spirits up," Zoisite said grinning badly at his words, "in a few days I'll probably be dead."
"You don't know that", Kunzite said.
"Kunzite-sama," Zoisite said and Kunzite knew that his friend was being serious, "I'm a trained solider and one of the Shitennou I know when something is wrong with me and right now I know that I'm dying."
"Thing's can change."
"Yes, they can, but not this."
Silence lowered itself over the room, not saying a word to each other.
"It's pretty ironic, isn't," Zoisite said breaking the silence.
"What is?" Kunzite asked.
"Surviving a war that was so horrid that even our worst nightmare seemed like paradise," he said, "and to die weak and helpless in bed against something unseen."
"You're strong," Kunzite said, "and you're not helpless."
"I'm weak and pathetic," Zoisite said, "all my life I have lived as others have dictated, been the one everyone can count on helping them in tricky situations, always smiling and helpful, sometimes I'm so tired of it that I just want to scream. That's why I spend so much time reading, not just because it's fun, but books doesn't ask you things or tell you what to do."
"You wouldn't be human unless you didn't feel something," Kunzite said and took Zoisite hand in his, giving it a comforting squeeze.
"Are we human then?" Zoisite asked him. "We have powers like no one else have and we have names after rocks, does that still make us humans?"
"We certainly look human," Kunzite said, "that's enough for me."
"Ever been in love?" Zoisite asked him.
"Of course," Kunzite said.
"I mean really in love, the one person you can't bare to lose?"
"I don't know," he said, "how about you?"
"What did I say when I came back from the garden three weeks ago?"
"I see," he looked at the letter in his friends hand it was still unopened. "Now you have to tell me, who is the girl?"
He could guess by now but he wanted conformation.
"Mercury-hime," he said with a little smile and Kunzite looked at him with a dumbfounded look on his face, hearing it straight out though he had accepted that answer it was harder to believe in hearing than suspecting.
"Eto...shinjirarenai," Kunzite said shaking his head and Zoisite chuckle merrily at his friends stunned appearance and obvious discomfort.
"Believe it," he said and started to cough and continued to cough until he almost choked and he coughed up lumps of dried blood together with fresh. The healing crystals in the room started to glow with and almost blinding light and Zoisite cried out in pain clutching at his chest.
"Zoisite," he said and put a hand on his friend's shoulder but withdrew it quickly, he was burning hot.
"Get away from me," Zoisite managed to get out between clenched teeth.
Kunzite took a step back and looked worried at his friend that arched his back in pain, suddenly his eyes got vacant and he fell back to the bed unconscious.
The crystals returned to their normal glow and he heard hurried footsteps outside and the Prince and Nephrite came rushing in.
"We heard screaming," Endymion said and looked at the blood on the blanket, "worse?"
"Not better anyway," Kunzite said.
"This is slowly driving me insane," the Prince said.
"Seems like we are better at fighting wars against youma than handling the fact that one of our own is slowly dying and there is nothing we can do," Nephrite said and Endymion turned and looked at him with his blue eyes blazing with anger.
"Well, you can start by shutting the hell up," he hissed at him and stormed out.
"He is right you know," Kunzite said, "you really need to learn how to keep your mouth shut."
"It's hard when you have the gift of the gab," Nephrite said.
"Do you know were Jadeite is?" he asked him.
"I think he is down in the shrine praying or crying," he said.
'The shrine', Kunzite thought, 'maybe I should take a break and get down there myself, if nothing else it will at least soothe my nerves for awhile.'
He went up to Zoisite and took the letter from his friend's lax hand.
"Why don't you stay here for awhile," Kunzite said and Nephrite nodded, "send someone to change the bed clothes."
"I will," Nephrite said and sighed, "his majesty is right this is slowly making us all crazy."
"The war took care of that," Kunzite said and Nephrite looked at him, "his death will probably brake us."
"I can live with that," Nephrite said, "I'm more afraid what will happened to us as the Shitennou?"
"Didn't that the scroll we received from Princess Pluto say that?" Kunzite asked.
"How I'm I supposed to know that!" Nephrite said. "Zoisite has never said a word of what came after he stopped reading."
"Come to think of it I haven't even seen the scroll since then," Kunzite said.
"Neither have I," Nephrite said.
"An neither of you will ever see it again," they heard Jadeite say behind them and they turned and looked at him.
"What do you mean by that?" Kunzite asked.
"Zoisite burned it five years ago," he said, "it was the most weirdest thing I've ever seen, he was standing before the fire inside the fire shrine and threw the scroll into the fire but the flames didn't seem to touch it at first but it seemed as Zoisite forced the flames to consume the scroll, the strangest thing was that the flames almost seemed on the verge of dying out in processes of burning it."
"Why would he burn it?" Nephrite asked confused.
Kunzite looked at Zoisite lying on the bed, his friend seemed to know what was happening to him and whatever it was it was surely connected to that scroll whatever had been in it. He had never known Zoisite to keep secrets about himself, Kunzite had learned early in the first year of their friendship was that Zoisite didn't hold any secrets to those he counted as friends, he gave it all or nothing.
"Probably by the same reason he stopped reading at the ceremony," Kunzite said, "whatever his reason were then he is now dying as a result of it."
"You don't think the scroll was cursed to kill the person who tried to destroy it?" Nephrite asked and they both looked at him.
"No," Jadeite said, "I would think that it was rather something inside the scroll that he wanted to destroy when he burned it."
They turned to Zoisite as he started to moan and they saw to their horror that his lips had turned blue and he was shivering violently. Jadeite walked up to the bed and put his hand on Zoisite's forehead.
"His cold," he said, "very cold, I would guess his body temperature is far below normal body temperature."
"See if you can raise it," Kunzite said to him.
"What does it look like I'm doing?" Jadeite snapped at him and Kunzite saw red light emit from Jadeite's hand into Zoisite's body.
Gradually he stopped shivering and the blue colour on his lips disappeared, Nephrite helped Jadeite to his feet and helped him over to a chair so he could sit down.
"What in all heavens is wrong with him?" Jadeite asked as he looked at Zoisite and Kunzite noted that Jadeite looked awfully pale and his hand shook as he was cold.
"What do you mean?" he asked him.
"I used enough with warmth to cremate him before I got a rise in his body temperature," he said, "whatever he is suffering from it ain't normal."
"He seems to be asleep now," Nephrite said.
"He is," Jadeite said and sighed, Kunzite looked at Zoisite and saw indeed that he was asleep, although it looked more like he was dead if it hadn't been for the red blush on his cheeks and the soft rising and falling of his chest.
"I have to take a break now," Kunzite said, "or I'm going to get sick one of you stay and keep and eye on him."
He walked out of the Zoisite's room and went to his own, he managed to get in and to the bed before he collapsed. This strange sickness that had claimed his best friend since childhood was tearing at him mentally and physically. He was worried and so sleep was welcomed, however his dreams were far form restful.
'Aniki, tasukete, tasukete.'
He awoke with a start and found himself lying on his bed in his own bedroom. Getting up he tried to put the dreams out of his thoughts and he caught sight of the letter that Zoisite had got from Princess Mercury. He picked it up and was tempted to read it but it would be wrong and an intrusion on Zoisite's private life. He put down the letter on his desk and turned and looked out the window.
He didn't know how long time he stood there. A light from outside illuminated the room and was followed by rolling thunder that made the window clatter, he turned and looked out through the window as another bolt of lightning crossed the dark sky.
He saw two people running across the yard toward the transport area and noticed that one was Jadeite but he had no idea who the other was except that it seemed to be a woman with long black hair.
Suddenly he come to think of something and despite the storm outside he rushed out in the direction of the garden as he stepped through the stone portal the horrible smell of decaying plants and musty stank of foul water hit him. He put his hands over his mouth and nose and looked around in the garden and saw that it was totally destroyed, the land was cracked and dry, all the plants had withered and the trees that was still standing were barren and twisted beyond belief. There were no birds singing and he could see why, they were dead, just like the garden.
He walked further into the garden mourning the once beautiful place that now looked more like a graveyard. The garden had been here for as long a Zoisite had been at the court, he had actually requested a piece of land large enough to create this garden, the plants and flowers came from various regions on earth that he brought home from travels. Aside from Zoisite only the prince and the other Shitennou had access here.
He heard a cracking sound behind and looked and saw a soaked Jadeite standing there with a horrified look on his face not believing what he saw.
"This is too much," he said with a small voice, "what is going on?"
"I don't know but one thing I do know is how Zoisite got this garden to look as beautiful as he did," he said.
"Zoisite induced little of his life-force in it," Jadeite said, "that's why Endymion doesn't have any control over it nor ever got."
"I don't think Endymion would have survived had he succeeded, prince or no prince," Kunzite said.
"Guess you're right."
"Is it raining outside?" he asked pointing at Jadeite clothes.
"Yes, it surprised me on the way back to the palace," he said, "I had escorted princess Mars to the transport area she wanted to go home before the storm really hit us. Princess Jupiter is staying until it's over."
"I see," he said and noticed something in the corner of his eye and turned in that direction, further away he noticed a pond and went over there and Jadeite followed him.
Bending down at the pond he saw that the water was still clean and white water lily's rested on the surface.
"The garden isn't completely dead after all," Kunzite said.
"That's because Zoisite isn't quite dead," Jadeite said.
"Well that's something to be grateful for," he said and got up.
"Shall we go back or wait out the storm here?" he asked. "At least its dry in here it a down pour outside."
"Let's go back," Kunzite said, "I rather get wet than stay here an get depressed."
Nephrite was sitting down in the royal kitchen looking out the windows and the storm that was raging outside. He was holding a glass of warm milk in his hand that he slowly sipped, he heard the door creak open and turned to see who it was since no one was supposed to be in the kitchen at this hour.
"Hime-sama," he said as he saw that it was Princess Jupiter that stepped through the door and she looked surprised at him.
"Nephrite-sama," she said and blushed, "I was told that there was no one here."
"You were told right," he said, "I just got down here to fix some warm milk that's all."
"Trouble sleeping?" she asked him and he shook his head with a smile.
"Not at all, it's just that when I was little, my mother used to make me a glass of warm milk whenever there was a thunderstorm."
"Don't you come from a rich family?" she asked.
"Yes I do," he said, "and warm milk was the only thing my mother could make."
"I see," she said, "well, I came down here to bake I asked the prince and he said it was okay."
"I'm not going to argue," he said, "do you want me to leave?"
"No, you can stay if you want to," she said. "I usually bake whenever there is a storm at home," she continued, "it's relaxing and fun."
He sat down at the table while she looked through the cabinets and took out what she needed and sat to work. She worked swift and with the expertise one acquired after long practise.
"I guess I should apologise for my behaviour at the banquet," he said and a smiled played over her lips.
"Why do you think that?" she asked still smiling.
"I was drunk I must have said some offending things," he said.
"No, you were adorable," she said and he blushed.
"What did I do?" he asked her.
"You were very attentive," she said, "and although some of your wording wasn't exactly appropriate you actually avoided making a total fool out of yourself and also Kunzite-sama took you to your room before anything major happened."
He sighed and leaned his head against the table, well according to her it seemed less severe than at other times.
"It's nothing to be embarrassed about," she said, "but if you know that you can't drink why do you do it?"
"I can handle one glass, then it's over," he said.
"I see," she said, "could you light one of the ovens so I can bake the bread."
"Sure," he said and got up to light one of the ovens. And as soon as she deemed it hot enough she put the bread inside.
"Well, in the mean time I'm going for a stroll outside," she said and he looked at her.
"It's full storm outside," he said and she nodded.
"I'm aware of that and I'm not afraid since my guardian planet is Jupiter the planet of lightning and thunder," she said.
"I'll go with you just in case," he said trying to sound brave inside he was quivering with fear he hated thunder.
Sitting on a marble bench under and old oak they were shielded from the worst of the rain even though the thunder still rumbled and lighting occasionally struck the sky as to remind people that it was still there.
"We can go back inside if you want to," she said to him and he shook his head he didn't trust his voice. His fears of thunder and lightning was pretty pathetic but not unfounded, years ago he had nagged Zoisite into a training duel in a thunderstorm, Zoisite had been hesitant and with good reason but he had been persistent. Had they used wooden swords instead of metallic swords as Zoisite suggested the day might had ended a little different, as it was a lightning struck as just as their swords crossed and the shock threw them both to the ground, the healing crystal had activated immediately and they survived even if they both hadn't been able to speak for over a month, thankfully Zoisite was not a person to hold grudges, but he was less kind than usually in battle practise after that.
"Can I ask you something?" she said and he nodded. "I was looking through a book the other day and came across your name but it was about semi-precious stones, how come?"
"That's because my name is from a stone," he said, "actually it's the soft variation of jade."
"So it said," she said and pulled out a stone attached to a chain, "I found this at a the market place on the moon and bought it but I didn't know what kind of a stone it was and neither did anyone else."
"That is soft jade," he said.
"Your name sake," she said and he nodded, "I came to the conclusion since it described the stone, had been easier with pictures and a updated book I don't know what language it was written in so I had to use Princess Mercury as a translator and even she had problem reading it."
"Can I take a look at the stone?" he asked.
"Sure," she said and held out the stone for him to take. As soon as his finger touched the stone a bolt of lightning struck it.
To there surprise none of the was hurt, even though it sparkled a little around Princess Jupiter's hand but otherwise they were both fine.
"That was odd," she said looking up into the sky and then back at the stone, "that is even more so."
"What is odd?" he asked and she held up the stone in the chain and he could see the mark of Jupiter sparkle inside the stone as if lightning itself had let itself be trapped inside and formed the mark inside the stone.
She put the stone in her hand and a smile crept over her face.
"The stone is tingling," she said and held it out to him he took it in his hand and felt that she was right.
"So it does," he said.
She put the stone away inside her clothes and shivered and she began rubbing her arms.
"Here take this its warmer," he said and pulled of his cape and draped it over her shoulders.
"Thank you," she said, "it is really much colder now than the last time we were here."
"In the autumn the temperature is dropping rapidly," he said, "I guess you don't have seasons on your planet."
"No," she said, "since there is no atmosphere the city's are covered with giant glass cupolas and the temperature is regulated so we don't have seasons."
"You don't live on Jupiter do you?" he asked remembering something Zoisite once said about the outer planet being gas giants with no real surface.
"No we don't," she said, "we live on the moons surrounding Jupiter, the capital is located on Io."
Nephrite was desperately trying to remember the little he had learned about the planets in the solar system, but found he couldn't remember a thing.
'Nephrite, where are you?' he heard Jadeite's telepathic voice ask in hid mind.
'Outside in the park,' he answered.
'Go to Zoisite's garden,' he said and then he was gone.
"How 'bout moving," he said, "it's not good to sit still on a day like this and there is one thing I have to check."
"Sure," she said.
Melancholic violin music flooded the room and the drapes fluttered softly in the soft artificial breeze that came in from the gardens outside the palace.
Aiiro looked at the blood red roses that stood in a vase, beautiful but dangerous, like everything else in life.
Suddenly the music stopped and she looked up at Hukamidori.
"The storm is approaching faster and faster for each hour," she said and Aiiro nodded.
"I know but we can't do anything by ourselves we have to wait for Makkuro," Aiiro said, "and I have a feeling we won't have to wait for long."
The worst rain was over and was now only a fine drizzle, they walked in silence over to the gardens.
When he stepped through the stone portal and saw the garden his jaw dropped to the ground as the sight of the once beautiful garden.
'What on Earth?' he thought and heard Princess Jupiter gasp behind him.
'I take it you are in the garden,' he heard Jadeite's voice say.
'I am,' he said.
'Try to use your power to sense what's wrong with the garden,' he said and Nephrite got down on his knees and put a hand on the ground and opened his mind to feel the flow of life that would be in the garden, but there were none except a little faint whisper but it was rapidly fading.
'It's dead or rather dying,' he said.
Jadeite didn't respond and he didn't feel his presence either.
"What has happened here?" Jupiter asked and he looked at her, her face was a study of disbelief at the vision before her. "This place seems to have been dead for ages."
"Actually, believe it or not but three weeks ago this was a beautiful garden," he said, "the most beautiful garden on the palace ground."
"It's hard to believe," she said, "when it looks like this."
"It sure is," he said.
"Oh, I totally forgot," she stormed out of the garden, she was still wearing his cloak so it looked pretty dramatic when she left with it flowing around her. He watched her in surprise and then followed at a slower pace.
He found her in the kitchen and she was sitting by the table and an odour that in away reminded him of the funeral pyre lay in the air.
"They're ruined," she said and he went over her and saw the source of the smell. The bread she had made was completely ruined and looked like charcoal.
"Left them too long in the oven?" he asked and she nodded.
"Has it stopped raining?" she asked without looking up from the bread.
"Yes, the sky is clear now," he said and she rose from her chair and looked at him.
"Then I'm heading back to the Moon," she said, "I'm just going to find the prince and inform him that I'm leaving."
"I can fallow you to the transport area if you want to?" he asked her and she nodded.
"I'd like that," she said.
"I wait at the in the main hall while you find the prince," he said as they walked out of the kitchen.
"I'll be there shortly," she said and they parted.
"Princess Jupiter!" a voice rung out behind her and she turned and looked at the man standing there, he had short blond her hair and blue eyes, Jadeite, one of the Shitennou.
"Yes," she said and he came up to her.
"I need to ask you for a favor," he said and she looked surprised at him, "when you come back to the moon I need you to tell Mars that I need to see her and it's important."
"I'll make sure to tell her," she said and he bowed.
"Arigatou, hime-sama," he said and disappeared down the corridor.
As she came down in the main hall she was Nephrite standing there waiting for her.
"You're finished?" he asked her and she nodded.
"I am," she said and he healed up the door for her and they went out.
The sun was shining and even though the air still was a bit chilly after the rain it wasn't cold, the air smelled fresh as it always did after a rain, but she remembered how it had smelled the last time they had been here.
She had still nightmares about the war, nightmares so horrible that she was almost afraid to go to sleep at night.
The thing that scarred her most of her the most was the memory of the time they had been driven up in the mountains by some resilient youma. None of them had had any weapons left and she was uncertain if she could use her attacks or not since she didn't have enough space when suddenly the earth started to rumble and a big crack appeared in the mountain at the exact place were the youma were standing and as the crack widened they fell to their death as the crack closed over them.
As she had looked up she saw Nephrite and a group of soldiers come towards them and she felt like she could have cried with relief as she saw them but she couldn't and when she felt his hands on her shoulders she fainted.
"We're here," she heard him said and looked up and saw that they had arrived at the transport area.
"So we are," she said and before she stepped up into the ring she took of his cape that she was still wearing and handed it over to him, "thanks for the loan."
"Any time," he said and slipped her a piece of paper and she looked surprised at him.
"Don't open it until you are safely on the moon," he said and she nodded.
She walked into the ring and she felt the rush of energy through her body that was needed for transporting her to the moon. Her vision blurred and when she could see again she was standing on the moon.
Stepping down the transport she opened the paper and read what it said;
Dai suki da Jupiter-hime
She turned and looked at Earth, she read the note again and felt how a comfortable warmth spread through her body. Suddenly little sparks came from the place beneath her clothes were the stone was and she took it out and saw that it sparkled and the tingling sensation had spread up to the chain it was attached to. She remembered what the prince had said when they had spoken about giving something to a person you love.
"Something out of love!" she said to herself and looked at the stone. With a smile she turned and walked up to the castle, there was no storms on the moon and no seasons so everything around her was calm but inside her heart, feelings as powerful as the storms on Jupiter was flowing and all because of three little words.
As the swirling mist parted violet eyes looked at the two princesses' on their knees in the big fog filled marble hall.
"Princess Aiiro, Princess Hukamidori," a soft voice said, "what gives us the honour to your visit?"
"The sacrifice has been made and is about to be fulfilled," Aiiro said.
"It has been a long time ago to wait for the fulfilment of a self-made prophesy," the voice said and a shadow coalesced inside the fog and came forward out of the mist.
Princess Pluto, the senshi of Time was an impressive sight where she stood shrouded in mist back lit by the light from the time portal. In her hand she held her staff that allowed her to control or if she choose to stop time.
"There is still time left," she said, "but soon it will all be over."
The mist swept in again and covered the three outer Princesses in white.
Endymion sat on a chair in Zoisite's room reading some book he had found in Zoisite's own library and he had no idea what it was about even though he was half through it. It was about astronomy and since he didn't know anything about it the book was mostly written in gibberish.
Suddenly the crystals started to glow and he looked up and saw that Zoisite was moving and he got up and over to him. He was whispering something but he couldn't hear what he was saying so he bent forward.
"Gomen nasai, itoshii," he said and the Prince drew back and looked at him. He hadn't known Zoisite had a loved one, no wait that wasn't true, he had been seen with Princess Mercury so it was possible that he had fallen for that sweet looking girl.
Terrified Endymion saw a drop of blood fall from Zoisite's eye down his cheek.
Translation of Japanese words
Umi no Hime = Princess of the Ocean
onee-sama = big sister, one can put -san or -chan after, and this can be used on any person older
daijoubu ka = are you okay/how do you feel
eto... = used while thinking
shinjirarenai = I don't belive it
aniki = menas big brother, informal can only be used on your own brother
Gomen nasai, itoshii = something like 'I'm sorry my beloved'