Hey people! I tried to get this chapter out ASAP, so I hope you enjoy, bear in mind that if some things don't completely make sense, it means that I'm going to resolve them in the next chapter! Hehe...laughs menacingly I'm afraid some of you going to be slightly disappointed but remember the personalities of theses characters...especially a certain two that deal with situations by pretending they never happened.

To Viva: 'Bows' thankyou!

To Jasmine Deliria, Vampiress Lioness, Serenity's Angel In Heaven, Sere Emberwave, stargirl, O my God, Edens-MoonlightAngel, devilsheart, Forever His, shelum, Lady of Enchantment, SilverMo, Lirael The Daughter Of Ri, jane, Yuna Second Star: Woah! I'm overwhelmed there's so many of you! I'd like to thank you all individually for the amazing reviews you've given me, it's the reason why this chapters coming out when it is (I wasn't planning on updating till next month). For all of you who didn't like the evil cliffhanger, there's a lot more where they came from, though not really in this chapter. Thankyou so much guys thankyou!

To EtrnalRhapsodi: You see, the thing with endymion is that there's always a hidden agenda there, no matter what! But your right, he has proved his devotion to Serenity, and she has noticed, although she'd never admit it!

To Meghan McLaws: Thankyou so much for your touching review, it means so much to me to have people appreciate my writing, especially this story because I have put a lot of thought into it. Thankyou again. As for Serenity, you may be waiting on that for a while.

To Chikara: Thanks for pointing that out, but yep the first speaker is meant to be Damien, 'hugs' thanks for your review, and support!

To Sailor-Nekawaii: Yes, your right in regards to Jadeite's brother. And I'm honoured to be one of your two favourite authors. Although I am curios as to who the other is. Thankyou once again!

To mila: First let me say that your review really blew me away, and made my day, like WOAH! I'm glad that you picked up on the title of the story, to my understanding Tourniquet is something used to block the passage of blood, and I thought it was appropriate because Serenity is writing this story and its about all the things that keep her alive, and prevented her from committing suicide in the very beginning of the story. So that's why I changed the title from the Last galaxy knight. As to your Questions in regards to the Queen, let me say your on the right track, but the character of the queen is going to be a very important one, with twists that I doubt anyone will expect. I can't revel more than that. : ) And the Queens revenge will be explained in the later chapters. Damien, he's my problem child! I have no idea what to do with him. But yes he is meant to be a predominantly good character. And yes Luna will be making another appearance, her character is actually central to the remainder of the plot. I hadn't noticed that I made all the evil characters women, so good on you for picking that up! As to the Relationship between Endymion, Diamond and the Queen, well...you'll just have to wait on that one. Hehe. And as to Endymion having powers, that'll be answered in this chapter. Now as to how serenity hid herself in Artemis's palace, well she did have private quarters, and I always pictured that Serenity grows into her beauty as opposed to being born with it, and remember their constantly in training so her hair would almost constantly be grimy, and although she'd bathe her features would be covered with dirt most of the time. They have magical powers so armour wasn't essential, although when she did have to wear it, her breasts would be bound (and she's still growing so her body wouldn't have fully developed yet.) and I don't think it would have been too comfortable. After that she'd stick loose clothes and bind her breast enough to prevent any "jingiling." I haven't written much about the promised Knights time at Artemis's palace but that's how I imagined she did it.

To Deadly Diva: Last, but certainly not least. As to your first question, that was my bad, as Jadeite's words are in reference to Endymion. But there is a very good reason why the Queen favour Damien, so you are on the right track! Hehe. I'm a sere/endy junkie as well (as you can properly tell) so I've tried hard to make their characters click properly and I'm glad that their interactions seem realistic. As to Kunzite, (thanks for picking that up) that is meant to be Malachite. And yes there is a very big significance with the Martian uniforms, and it extends beyond just Jadeite's dilemma. Don't ever think that your picking my fic apart, I love getting your reviews and often they are the highlight of my day. Thankyou so much for you constant support. 'big big hugs'

You guys are definitely sick of me by now so here's the next instalment! Enjoy.

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There is no hope without redemption. My child, your temper is a vengeful one. Everyone is entitled to a second chance. I am certain that one day even I shall be begging you to give me a chance to restore my image in your eyes.

From the diary of King Aura II, Emperor of the Moon.

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I paced up and down slowly. I had barely gotten an hour of sleep the night before. I had replayed the events that had taken place again and again in my mind. The man was insufferable. I did not know if he was playing a game or if the words had been based on genuine feelings. Neither option was favourable. I took a deep breath trying to calm my senses. He could not love me. It was impossible. I shook my head and tried to divert my thoughts.

Only then did it occur to me that he had not returned the night before.

I swore quietly and scolded myself for being such a fool. He had taken his so called affections to another. Of that I was sure. After all our relationship was based on lust and the need to gain the upper hand. Nothing more. We both desired what we knew we could not have. We had both lived through regrettable childhoods to say the least. That was why I could read him so well. 'You have a lot in common,' a dark part of my mind whispered. I squished the thought quickly, and once again wondered where he had spent the night gone by.

The feeling of an ominous presence broke me out of my thoughts. What was disturbing was that it was not close. I stormed out of the tent, and ordered the nearest soldier to find Malachite and to lead him to my tent immediately. The poor soldier scurried off, a look of terror on his features. Moments later Malachite walked into my tent, not a hair out of place. His silver tunic was perfect and held no trace of even a single crease.

"What is it?" He asked his brows pulled together in worry.

"I want you to take Nephrite and transport back to the palace. I have a feeling that Davenport may just be a ploy for the palace to be left unguarded. Take Venus and Jupiter with you." He nodded and hurried away, his silver hair swaying behind him. I straightened my composure and joined the soldiers in their early morning training.

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"Zoicite!" Jadeite had seen his friend's back moving rapidly away from him, and had called in order to secure the man's attention. On hearing his voice Zoicite turned to face Jadeite.

"Yes?" He asked quietly. Jadeite took a moment to take a deep breath and ran a hand through his curly blonde hair.

"This may seem like a stupid question..."

"Don't worry, I'm accustomed to those from you." Jadeite glared while a satisfied smirk began to form on Zoicite's lips.

"What do the Martian uniforms look like?" Zoicite gave Jadeite a blank look, then shook his head and pondered the question for a few moments.

"I believe they are black with red embroidery." He replied looking into Jadeite's eyes. They had clouded with worry as a result of his words. "Why?"

"The uniforms of the men who killed my brother had white embroidery." The look of worry now extended to Zoicite's features. His lips formed a thin line that indicated there was a sour taste in his mouth.

"Do you believe you were mistaken?" Even before asking the question Zoicite knew the answer.

"No. I am certain the mark of Mars was embroidered on those uniforms." The two men stood in silence for long moments, both deep in thought.

"Why would anyone want to make you believe that Martians had killed your brother?" Zoicite whispered quietly. He did not like the look that had formed in Jadeite's eyes. It was the dark flicker that immerged before he drew blood.

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Malachite slowly wrapped his arms around Mina's waist. It had taken a full twenty minutes to convince Lita to hold Nephrite's hand. A smile slowly formed on his lips as he remembered the princess's antics. Nephrite's cold demeanour had only added to her fury. A small group had formed around them waiting to witness the teleportation. Malachite could feel his heart race at having Mina in his arms. He had desperately wanted to spend more time with her, yet his duties had prevented him form doing so. Slowly he focused his energy on the task at hand. He could feel himself beginning to glow, using his mental abilities he engulfed Nephrite and Lita in his powers. In a blink of an eye they were gone.

After they had reached the palace time seemed to have flown. The ladies had retired early in order to gain some well-deserved rest in comfortable beds. While his worn body also desired the comfort of a warm feather mattress, he was bound to fulfil his duties first. He and Nephrite scouted the outer rings of the palace. Both men could sense that something was indeed wrong. The presence of a threat was clear in the air. The enemy was lurking. When or where they would strike, was anyone's guess. Malachite issued orders to the guards to maintain a strict watch over the palace grounds and to inform him of any change, if it occurred, immediately.

"I shall consult the stars, see if they can provide us with any useful information." Nephrite declared quietly.

"Remember to get some rest." Nephrite smiled slowly and nodded his head in agreement before leaving. A slow smile formed on Malachite's lips; he knew that nightfall would provide him with the perfect opportunity to put his plan into practice.

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A small knock roused Mina from her sleep. She groggily walked towards the door. A small page stood on the other side, a letter in his hands. She took it from him and thanked him quietly, gracing him with a smile that made the poor page's heart melt. The envelope was made of paper that resembled white satin. Her name was written on it with elegant swirling letters. She opened it delicately, and a smile formed on her lips as she read the contents. It was a request from Malachite for her to join him for dinner. She spent the next half an hour or so ransacking her wardrobe convinced that she had nothing suitable to wear. Finally she decided on a form fitting off white dress that had an orange ribbon around the waist and allowed her hair to hang loosely around her shoulders. She then proceeded to spend long moments agonizing in front of the mirror convinced that her appearance was not well enough, and then attempting to convince herself that she was not trying to impress to silver haired knight.

After another half an hour or so she began to make her way towards the gardens. Her heart was pounding loudly as she reached the glass doors, and for a few moments she contemplated returning to her room. After taking a deep breath and regaining her composure, she slowly turned the golden doorknob and entered the gardens.

The sight that she beheld blew her away.

Moonlight had pooled into the garden, illuminating the crystal water drops that had formed on the leaves the night before due to the rain. The colours of the plants and flowers were vibrant and mesmerising. There was a small walkway made of white marble leading to the centre of the garden. There stood Malachite, his silver hair tied back tightly, his dark pants and tunic complementing each other superbly, while a red sash around his waist and golden embroidery broke up the dark mahogany. A mischievous smile appeared on his lips when his eyes caught hers. A small hue appeared on her cheeks as a result. He took long strides towards her, then gently took her hand and graced her knuckles with a soft kiss.

"You are enchanting Princess." Mina looked away shyly, normally she would flirtatiously smile or wink, but for some unknown reason she could not do so with him.

"You are too kind sir." She replied a smile forming on her lips. He gently took her hand and led her to a small table. A white satin tablecloth had been placed over its square surface. A twin candleholder sat in the centre of the table, while two plates had also been set with tantalizing food already arranged on them. To say the least she was overwhelmed. Many men had tried to gain her attention but none had gone to such lengths. This fact, while causing Mina to fell weak in the knees, also made her suspicious of Malachite's attentions, especially considering their first encounter. When they were seated Malachite initiated the conversation.

"I took the liberty of ordering for you, as the Princess Lita informed me of your tastes." Mina smiled up at him delicately, while taking a sip of her wine.

"I must confess Lord Malachite, that you have done all this for me, yet I know almost nothing about you." Malachite nodded his head slowly.

"What would you like to know?" He asked, a single eyebrow arched.

"Why people regard you as cold, when nothing could be further from the truth." For a moment she believed that she had said the wrong thing for a flicker of painful truth passed through his eyes.

"The rumours are not without merit. I have often treated women...with somewhat less respect then was acceptable. I am not one who wears his emotions on his sleave."

"Yes, I've noticed that." Mina remarked quietly, before returning her attention to the plate in front of her.

"You on the other hand are the opposite." He replied, his eyes studying her carefully.

"Those who have nothing to hide, hide nothing." She remarked simply, a sly smile playing on her features.

"You believe that I have something to hide." He stated calmly, his tone hinting of amusement.

"I am certain of it. One does not acquire a cold demeanour by choice. It usually takes hold of people through pain." For a few moments they ate in silence while he contemplated her words.

"There are other ways of masking pain. Perhaps one possible method would be choosing to forget the event took place?" He asked, once again watching her reaction. She looked up at him, and he detected a slight tensing of her features.

"Indeed. Yet you still have not answered my original question." She was changing the subject and he was well aware of it. Yet he knew that he should not push her on the subject, as it was too soon.

Trust was something that could only be born through time.

"I was the bastard son of a shepard. That is all I know about my father. I spent my first years with my mother, in a bordello." He paused for a moment when he noticed the expression of shock that passed her features. "She died when I was ten years old, a venereal disease I believe." His eyes had turned a stormy shade of blue. "I found my way to Artemis and the rest is history." He smiled for a moment catching her gaze. "So is the story of my life."

"Not quite what I was expecting." Mina said truthfully, yet her words lacked the condescension that most people held when learning of his humble beginnings. He nodded simply.

"I'm certain your childhood was quite different." He said arching an eyebrow signalling that he wanted to hear about her.

"I was raised amidst all the luxuries that life had to offer. Yet with pleasure also came responsibility. I've spent most of my life in these very palace walls, away from my home and my family."

"I've never had the pleasure of visiting Venus." Malachite replied, not failing to detect the glimmer of longing and love that appeared in her eyes at the mention of her home.

"It is truly beautiful. Venus is known for its rare oases, where the colours of leaves are more vivid than any other place in the solar system. Yet I admit that I also love the Venetian deserts. To many they are nothing but cracked orange soil, that seem to go on for eternity. But there is something truly magical in those never ending landscapes." She blushed quietly at her own words, causing a smile to form on Malachite's features. The night ended soon after that, with both parties leaving somewhat unsatisfied, as they had failed to gain the courage to take the leap and indulge in the customary first kiss.

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I could feel the perspiration running down my skin as I continued my taxing morning workout. After finishing my set of sit ups I laid on the floor for long minutes staring at the vibrant blue sky.

"What's on your mind?" Jadeite asked, falling beside me. I opened my mouth to reply but he cut me off. "Don't deny it, you only work yourself to death when you're trying to figure something out. And yes you are working yourself to death, so don't argue about that either." I shut my mouth promptly and sighed.

"You know me too well." He nodded gently, indicating that he wanted me to continue. "But it's not something that I wish to discuss." He rolled his eyes at my response.

"So it's Endymion." I glared at him, only to witness his infuriating smile. "Well maybe he would like to know that his wife is pinning after him so." He replied fluttering his eyelashes ridiculously. Even with all my self control I could not prevent a smile from forming on my lips.

"If you keep this up, I shall have to tell Rei of that unfortunate event that took place with you in the attack." I sighed, pretending to be pained at my own words.

"Even it is." He replied, his eyes dancing with laughter. I slowly got up and moved away from him back to my tent. My muscles were aching and they required the comfort of soft blanket. As I walked into the tent I saw him. He too had obviously spent the morning working out, for his bare chest glistened with sweat and his black locks were clinging to his forehead. I turned away from him and moved to the other side of the tent undoing my hair and letting it fall freely down my shoulders.

"So nice of you to finally return." I stated, my tone ice. I could feel his angry glare burning into my back.

"If you want to say something Serenity, then say it." He replied, his calm tone failing to mask his underlying anger. I turned around and faced him. He simply tilted his head and raised a brow under my glare.

"Where were you last night?" I asked simply crossing my hands in front of my chest. Another infuriating smile played on his lips making me want to slap him senseless.

"Jealousy doesn't become you Serenity." He replied with ease.

"So I do have something to be jealous of." I could feel the anger rising in my being from his cold, dismissive demeanour.

"You were the one that didn't want to keep me to the confines of a marriage bed." He replied simply, standing up and moving towards me. I was shaking with rage. I looked away from his heated gaze, closing my eyes, in order to regain my composure. I opened my eyes and shrugged my shoulders.

"I don't see why it should surprise me." He smiled sardonically and shook his head at my words.

"It's never enough for you is it?" He hissed the words, glaring at me. "I did not betray you Serenity. I am sure many men saw me drowning my sorrows at the local inn last night." A feeling of relief washed over me, followed quickly with a wave of guilt. Yet I could not bring myself to apologise. "When you finally learn to love Serenity, you're going to find yourself in love with me." He whispered the words harshly, grabbing my shoulders and pressing his body against mine, his lips were inches from my own. "I won't wait forever." With those words he pushed me away and stormed out of the tent leaving me with nothing but my guilt to keep me company.

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I scouted the village's borders with Zoicite at my side. The barren planes were deserted, and completely devoid of any movement.

"It's too quiet." I remarked simply, my senses on breaking point. "I can feel them building their presence around the palace, but almost nothing here."

"They cannot afford to attack the palace without gaining access to the weaponry first." Zoicite replied calmly.

"Then why haven't they made a move?" I asked quietly trying to detect some movement in the landscape before us.

"Perhaps they were waiting for the Galaxy Knight to leave." He said. a smile dancing on his lips. I glanced at him, a mischievous grin playing on my features.

"Well we'll be ready for them won't we?" He nodded

"Serenity, there is movement along the north." Jadeite's voice was clear in both our minds. We quickly raced to where he was. I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins in anticipation. As we reached Jadeite's side he slowly pointed to the horizon there I could see the horsemen moving rapidly towards the village. The distance would not allow me to estimate their numbers.

"No signs of magic yet." Zoicite murmured quietly.

"Jadeite, take the front line out to meet the intruders. Zoicite get the men to take their places around the village." Both men nodded and hurried away. Slowly I closed my eyes and focused my energy. I built a mental bridge to Nephrite and channelled his powers. I could feel myself beginning to glow and eerie mixture of gold and blue. I pictured the image I wanted to create in my mind. An unnatural wind slowly began to fiercely beat against my face, I gritted my teeth together in determination, 'How on earth does Nephrite do this on a regular basis?' I wondered silently. When the wind died down I knew that my will had be done. The illusion would prevent the enemy from detecting our presence.

They were in for a surprise.

I raced down to the scout's tent. No words can describe how grateful I was that they were both there. Rei glanced at me and instantly knew what had taken place. Amy slowly placed her book aside and looked at me questioningly.

"Where do you want us?" Rei asked, her voice holding the underlying courage of a seasoned warrior. She slowly fingered her transformation broach while saying the words. Hearing this, Amy got to her feet and nodded in agreement.

"I need you to make sure the villagers are away from the battleground no matter what happens." I told them quietly. They nodded silently, and Rei practically raced outside to do as I had requested. Amy hesitated for a moment and looked at me with fear in his eyes.

"Take care of him for me Serenity." I pulled her into my arms and embraced her gently.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure he's still around for the wedding." Amy chuckled softly at my words before thanking me quietly. She then walked out of the tent and attempted to catch up to Rei.

My mind was doing two hundred miles a minute, thinking of everything that could go wrong, and trying to come up with a means to prevent it.

"I assume the attack has started." I heard Nephrite's voice clearly. I replied that it had telepathically. "Do you want us to return?" I then instructed him to stay on guard at the palace, if the situation demanded their presence they would now. As I was engaged in the conversation I made my way to Jadeite. He was standing in front of our first line of defence. His hair blazing in the sunlight, his silver armour fitted him like a glove, although I knew he did not need it. A jewelled sword was in his hands glittering menacingly, while a matching dagger was attached to his hips. The men behind him were in perfect formation; it was no surprise as we had trained the soldiers strictly.

"You have no armour Serenity." He said glancing at me, a sly smile playing on his features.

"I was never one for armour."

"No, you were always the arrogant one." I detected a change in his demeanour after he had uttered the words. "It's been quite a while since we marched into battle." I nodded in agreement.

"Do not worry Jadeite, I have complete faith in you." He nodded silently. At that moment Zoicite moved towards us, I nodded my head towards him, acknowledging his presence.

"They are in place Serenity." I nodded slowly, and then turned my attention towards the soldiers in front of us. I could feel the nervous tension building behind us as the enemy drew closer.

"It is time." I whispered quietly. Jadeite nodded his head and began the charge.

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He watched in his mind's eye as his soldiers marched towards the town. A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he opened his eyes and drew in his surroundings. He was standing on a cliff edge, with lush forests just meters below and the sound of a distant waterfall to complete the tranquil landscape. He sighed once more; not even this paradise could save him from his demons. His words kept replaying in his mind. He swore quietly under his breath.

He had no idea what had possessed him to say it. He did not even believe in love. Lust, yes, that he had experienced many times, hate he could understand. But love? He ran a hand through his hair. Endymion was sure of one thing and that was that he did not want to loose her, despite the fight that they had had earlier that day. A sardonic smile formed on his lips. Why did it seem as though fate had taken every precaution to make sure that he would loose her?

He closed his eyes once again and it was as if he was amidst the soldiers in the battlefield. He could see her eyes burning with determination. She was not only fighting but also preventing the soldiers surrounding her from being injured. A flicker of green caught his attention. There were five of them, they were surrounding her, ready to attack and she had failed to notice. He swore profusely. Opening his eyes he concentrated on where he wanted to be and within an instant he was there.

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I slowly used my powers to push the enemy's front line back. Tightening my grip on the sword in my arms, I surveyed the battlefield. I could feel my nostrils flare in anger when my gaze fell on Endymion. I stalked towards him having every intention of using my powers to transport him away from the battleground. A flicker of a green uniform caught at the corner of my eye, and I slowly glanced around without appearing to do so. There were five of them, and they were conducting an organised assault. Their hands went up in unison. My heart almost stopped at the realisation. I flung myself at him, but instead of loosing his footing as I had expected he wrapped his arms around my waist and started to turn us both the other way. I was too stunned to react, but his reflexes had not been swift enough. I could feel the electric attack burn through my skin. I gritted my teeth, trying to remain conscious. His arms tightened their grip on me, and the last thing I saw was the panic stricken look in his eyes before being consumed by darkness.

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"Damien." The Promised Knights all looked up in unison. The source of the voice was undeniable - the mental call had been Endymion's. Jadeite turned and when he saw Serenity's limp body in Endymion's arms an unimaginable fear took hold of him. He grabbed the two closest soldiers, and instructed them to get Serenity to the healing tent immediately. He slowly closed his eyes; it was time to end this battle once and for all.

A bronze glow encapsulated his body and silver ribbons began to form around the enemy. Their countenances morphed from determination to fear. In a flash of brilliant light a large canyon appeared, holding the enemy's forces within it. Jadeite had made the structure weak purposely and minutes later it collapsed on itself ending the battle. He fell to his knees exhausted. He looked at the now crumbled rocks with a satanic satisfaction. 'Beware of the wrath of the Promised Knights when you hurt one of their own.' He thought silently. He glanced around him and saw the soldiers were gazing at him with a silent mixture of fear and awe. He bowed his head slowly indicating that the battle had been won, before collapsing from the energy he had lost.

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Endymion's heart was beating furiously against his chest as he ran, holding her body close to his, but his elevated heart rate was not due to the exertion. He closed his eyes and once again harnessed his powers to transport them to the healing tent. Damien rushed towards them the moment he saw Serenity's limp form. He indicated a bed and Endymion gently laid her on it. The two men glanced at each other and for the first time a flicker of understanding born through mutual fear passed between them. Damien slowly tore off the bottom half of Serenity's top. The wound was not deep, but the electricity had caused the skin to burn slowly severing it away from her bones. He slowly laid his hand on her wound. He could feel himself glowing green and watched as his power slowly soaked Serenity's wound. In a matter of moments the wound peeled off her skin leaving no trace of its existence. Endymion looked up at him questioningly, the look of worry clear in his eyes.

"She'll be fine." Damien replied calmly, he too could feel a sense of relief wash over him with the knowledge that his sister had not been seriously injured.

"Why hasn't she woken up?" Endymion asked anxiously, never taking his eyes away from her closed eyes.

"She used too much energy in the battle, the wound was the last straw. It'll will take some time for her to wake up." Endymion nodded slowly closing his eyes, allowing his senses to relax with the knowledge that Serenity was going to be okay. No words could ever explain the fear he had felt when Serenity went limp in his arms. The fear had been quickly followed with a wave of anger. The memory caused every essence of his being to call for the severe punishment of the man who was responsible for the attack.

At that moment Zoicite entered the tent followed by two men carrying Jadeite on a stretcher. Zoicite moved to Serenity's side and glanced at Damien with worry in his eyes.

"She'll be fine." He answered the silent question, before moving to Jadeite's side. After a moment he stepped away. "It is as I suspected - he's lost too much energy as well. They'll both be fine." Zoicite shook his head in a bemused fashion, a smile slowly dancing on his lips.

"Some things never change." He slowly took a seat and sat between his friends waiting for them to wake up.

"What has happened to Serenity and Jadeite? I felt a strong surge of energy and then I could no longer feel their minds." Nephrite's voice was clear in Zoicite's mind. He explained what had happened and reassured Nephrite that neither had been wounded seriously.

Rei and Amy slowly entered the tent. On seeing Zoicite Amy embraced him shyly, whispering that she was glad that he was safe.

"I should have made her promise to take care of herself as well." She said to no one, as she glanced at her sleeping friend. Rei slowly moved to Jadeite's bedside and ran the back of her hand against his cold cheek, a single tear falling from her amethyst eyes.

"There is no need to worry my lady, he will be fine. He has merely worn himself out." Rei nodded silently at Zoicite's words, and slowly sat down next to the sleeping Jadeite. She could not explain her actions, or the need she felt to be by his side. She gently brushed his golden hair away from his eyes, and took his hand in her own. When he awoke they would resume their squabbling, but while he slept they would have a truce.

No one had noticed that an enraged prince had left the tent.

He had hastily put on a dark cloak and it was now trailing behind him. His hair was flying around his face in an untamed manner, making him look like the devil himself. He saddled a black stallion with ease and rode into the night, his aim clear in his mind.

The men bowed as they saw their leader riding towards them. The rage was rolling off him in waves and thus no one dared to so much as breathe in fear of becoming the object of his anger. As he reached the palace he unmounted his horse and stalked through the black marble hallways. He reached the large oak doors and opened them quietly. There he saw Diamond, his head bowed over a mahogany table carefully studying a map. At that moment his brother turned, he opened his mouth to say something, but before he could Endymion harnessed his powers to throw him against the wall.

"I gave you strict instructions that no one was to attack her." Endymion had not yelled the words, but whispered them with dangerous malice.

"My guards had no intention of killing her, merely paralysing her for a short period so we could have her in our possession." Diamond answered calmly, meeting Endymion's heated gaze with his own. The two brothers could not have been more different, where one was dark the other was light.

"You are skating on very thin ice Diamond. Do not forget that you work for me. You obey my orders." Endymion growled, and stepped closer to the table so that it was the only thing standing between them.

"We had a deal Endymion. She belongs to me. You infiltrated the palace to gain us knowledge we could harness against them, and married the princess so you could turn her over to me for my services. That way our revenge would be complete." The two men stared each other down, neither giving the other an inch.

"There has been a change of plans." Endymion hissed. "You had no right to disobey my orders."

"She belongs to me Endymion." He paused for a moment regaining his composure. "Do you really believe that the men would follow you if they knew you were following the princess like a love sick puppy?" Within a blink of an eye, Diamond found himself pinned against the cold marble wall a hard hand pressed dangerously on his throat.

"You will do well to remember, brother dearest, that your life depends on nothing more than my good will. That the troops have vowed their loyalty to me. And that Serenity is my wife, whom you will never have access too." With those words he removed his hand from Diamonds throat and took a few strides away from him. Diamond rubbed his neck gently with his left hand.

"Do you really believe that she would choose you over me, when she finds out what you did to her father?" It took all of Endymion's self control to not rip the man to pieces with his bare hands. "Do you really think that she would choose you, when even our own mother preferred me?" His words were taunting. Endymion stepped back closer to his brother, a look of pure hate glittering in his eyes. A slow smile played across his lips, and he chuckled softly.

"Perhaps that would explain why all the women you seem to fall for wind up in my bed." He replied. The effect was instantaneous and Diamond was clearly enraged at the words.

"You'd go to war with me over a woman?" Diamond spat, his eyes burning with fire.

"No, Serenity merely provides me with a good excuse to do what I should have done years ago." He paused, glaring at the man he was forced to call brother. "Your services are no longer needed Diamond. Why don't you run back to Mother, and see if she can offer you something to do with your miserable life." Endymion mocked. Diamond attempted to use his powers against Endymion, but the possession of telepathic powers gave Endymion the advantage, and allowed him to avoid the attack easily.

"You cannot dismiss me so simply Endymion." Diamond growled.

"I believe I just did." With those words Endymion turned on his heel and left. He heard a vase crash against the wall as he was walking down the hall. Once sheltered in the forest Endymion allowed himself to think over the past. Never in his life had he wished that he could change his actions, until now.