Okay, not my traditional SD thing, but I got bored with that couple. I PLAN to make more stories with the other scouts, but PLANNING and DOING is two different things, which often don't coincide in my life. I had this written for quite a while, just couldn't get around to putting it up. Have fun!
I do not own Sailor Moon, not even in my wildest dreams.
Vows"Do you ever question your vows?" Diana asked her fellow priestess Raye. They were sitting at a temple in a deep forest.
"Never, why marry? Men only bring you sorrow and misfortune," Raye scoffed. Her black hair swished as she shook her head.
"I know, but it is okay to look right?" Diana further questioned. Diana had just taken her vows to help protect the temple, and had many questions at what she had just done.
"Yeah, sure. I mean, you can think that he is beautiful, but think of all the bad things he would do to you!" Raye exclaimed. She had made her decision at fourteen and had never looked back on it. "No more silly questions, go meditate on it," she told Diana. Diana nodded and skipped down the path and past the waterfall. Raye smoothed out her priestess robe and one-piece dress. She was chief priestess of the temple, but was still inferior to the head priest. She shuddered at the thought of a man still dominating her choices in life. She walked down the path and towards her room to change into something lighter. Today would be warm, and she did not want to sweat and mess up her perfect complexion.
"Raye, I thought I told you that you had door duty today". Raye turned to the only person higher then her, Priest Zu.
"I was just going to change into my summer robes master," she bowed. Inside she was fuming. This man had supposedly spiritual powers off the scale, but she saw nothing special about a man with no physical strength, and no hair.
"You better, you're defiant Raye, a trait you need to put in check," he sneered at her. He walked up to her and grabbed her face. "You are beautiful, a pity that you vowed never to marry," he spit in her face.
"It wouldn't make no difference to you," she hissed back.
"I am a male, if I did anything to you, it does not make a difference. The high one appreciates us more, therefore he made us first. We are allowed mistakes, and can do whatever we wish to you pathetic women, whose only job is to serve men," he laughed. He let go and pushed her towards the floor. "Go, out of my face. And watch out, you might not be a virgin priestess for much longer".
She felt like crying as she ran into her room. She hated them all, and no one, any body, was ever going to change that.
She walked out by the gates to see many of her fellow priestess, who bowed immediately, and she bowed back. "Good, have there been any visitors to our temple yet?" she asked. They shook their heads no. "Okay, better that then a whole hoard of drunk men," she said disgusted. They had got that the one night, and oh how she hated seeing them walk up and down while dirtying the pine floors that the priestesses, monks, and priests cleaned everyday.
"Madame, Priest Zu said you are to see him when you are done here," one girl informed her.
"Maybe, if I feel well," Raye responded.
"You would ignore his orders!" the girl marveled.
"I would just see him the next day," she covered up. Raye got done at the gate around ten; there was no WAY she was going to see that horrid man at that time of night. "And what I do is something totally different from what you must do". The girl nodded. "Girl, you go in and practice your chants, that is what will do you well, not attending to weary travelers," Raye told her. The girl eagerly scurried away. Raye remembered when she was a rookie, chanting, meditating, and fire readings was all she ever did. She had worked for her position, unlike that Priest Zu.
"Miss, there is a man on a horse, he looks like a soldier," a women said from atop the high platform.
"Let him in, I will go tell a doctor," she rushed inside. She heard the oaken door creak open and let him in. She found a doctor and he followed her to one of the guestrooms. The man slowly walked in, clutching his side. Blood had clotted, forming a gross scab so no more blood would flow.
"He is critically wounded, get some type of flower with a sticky substance," she told the doctor. He did so and applied it. "I call upon the power of Mars, the holy planet of the God of War. One of your servants has been wounded, I your priestess ask you to help him heal. Akuryo Taisan!" she yelled. The scroll in her hand floated to his wound and released a purple substance. The man looked at the two with a funny face.
"Where has my horse carried me?" he asked with a questioning look. His face was dirty, his shirt ripped, and armor damaged.
"No questions!" the doctor yelled. "First, cleanse yourself of sins, to the basin," the doctor commanded. The man got up and followed the doctor out of the door. "You, priestess, follow him and prepare the water!" Raye listened to the crazed shouting ugly doctor and went to retrieve some incense and soap.
"Hey pretty girl, maybe you can tell me where I am?" the man said to her.
"You are at the Temple of Mars sir, and do not call me that," she stuck her nose in the air.
"What, pretty girl? You're young, a girl, and pretty," he smiled.
"I am not a girl, I am head priestess of the temple!" she yelled at him.
"Well, what are you, eighteen?" he asked.
"That is none of your business!"
"Fine, can I at least know your name?"
"Priestess Raye," she replied.
"Well good morning, Raye-…"
"Priestess Raye," she corrected.
"Sorry, I am Jadeite, a soldier of the Imperial Japanese Army," he told her.
"Well, Jadeite-…"
"Master Jadeite will do," he smiled.
"JADEITE," Raye stressed. "I hope you find your stay hospitable".
"Sure, RAYE". Raye burned the incense as Jadeite soaked in the basin. The room was smoky, and Raye had also turned away as he undressed. He had smirked, but seeing a man naked was strictly forbidden. She scolded herself, why did she stick around, why didn't she let some lower priestess deal with him? "Raye, how old are you, seriously," he pleaded.
"Eighteen," she answered. "Are you done yet?"
"Listen Priestess Raye, I have just got back from a major battle, I have a lot of stuff on me that I would rather not talk about, it's worse enough that I had to smell it all the way here," he told her. She found herself giggling at this. "You think it's funny but I think it is gross," he responded. She immediately stopped laughing.
"I was not laughing, I had a slight cough," she covered up.
"Sure, if you want me to get out fine, but I have no clothes, so I guess-…"
"NO! Don't do that, I will get you a shirt and pants," she told him. She scurried away as she heard his laughter from the basin. She came back with a towel also. "I told you how old I was, how old are you?"
"Curious are we?" he asked her.
"No! I just thought I had the right to know," Raye blushed. She knew it was not her place to ask, but did she ever do anything that was right, on purpose?
"Calm down, I am twenty-four," he smiled. "Turn around, unless you wish to disturb those precious vows". Raye hid her face in her robe as he got out. She had the sudden urge to be a very naughty girl, but she doused her desire with a quick thought of Mars's wrath. "Okay". She turned to see him standing by her. "Where do you eat in this place?"
"Umm…I will show you," she said. She walked out of the room towards the eatery. "You have table manners, right?"
"Of course! What do you think I am, an animal?"
"All men are animals," she responded.
"There goes those vows again, you really don't get out much do you?" he asked her. "I am in the Imperial Japanese Army, we know table manners, tea ceremony, you name it!"
"I see," Raye nodded. She showed him the door.
"Raye, I see you are attending to our newest guest," Priest Zu came up. "Nonetheless, you must see ME later tonight," he ordered her. A look of panic burst onto her face. She had to go! She could not deliberately disobey the head of order in front of an outsider. Tears stung her eyes, not this, what had she done to anger Mars?
"Listen sir, she must stay with me, I do not know my way around here, and I am critically injured, would you take such a miraculous healer away?" Jadeite stepped in. He was a good five inches taller then Priest Zu.
"Right, w…what was I thinking!" Priest Zu stuttered. He nearly ran away. Raye marveled at Jadeite's quick explanation.
"You shouldn't let a guy like that take such an advantage over you," Jadeite said to her as they walked in to eat.
"Take advantage?! I am perfectly capable of handling myself and matters that are my own!" Raye hissed at him.
"Raye, he wants you, bad. He is a priest. He should no better! I invented half the things he just said! Women, war, and sleep, that is what I eat and drink," he told her. She halted and looked at him bewildered.
"I am not going to be pushed around by some overgrown washed up soldier!" she yelled. The crowd turned to her, and she blushed the color of her robe. Jadeite kept on walking, as if she had talked to a wall. "Hey, wait up!"
"Raye, as far as I am concerned, this is a couple day stay to recuperate, and while I am here, why not have a little fun?" he began. "I just saved you from whatever that guy was planning, and I don't hear a thank you! I want to eat in peace, but in beautiful company, so if you will?" he pointed to a pillow. She slapped him and ran from the room. "That went well," he said to himself.
Raye walked along the halls. She had gone to meditate and clear her thoughts after she had slapped him. She had the strangest feeling emanating through her whole body. She acted like an immature child around him. Not only that, she had the strangest urge to touch him. A bald priest interrupted her thoughts.
"Where is the man you were supposedly attending to, Raye?" Priest Zu came out from a door.
"I…I" Raye stuttered. "I…was just going to see him!" she said quickly. "I had to do some medicine hunting first".
"Really, then you will not mind if I tag along," he smirked. Raye prayed to Mars as she quickly dashed towards his room that he would be there. She closed her eyes as she looked in. He had his shirt off and was attending to his wound. "Sir, I have tracked down your priestess, what was she doing not by your side?" he asked maliciously. He knew he was being toyed with, and he could also play at this game.
Jadeite looked at Raye and saw the same fleeting panic in her eyes. "She was finding something to tend to my wound of course, that is what a healer does, unless I stand corrected," he replied. Raye almost broke into a jig but held it back.
"Fine, I leave you to attend to his wounds, and while you're at it, make sure he is good all night. We wouldn't want anything happening to one of Japan's finest, now would we?" Priest Zu laughed. "Raye, I would be careful, I could have you demoted with good reason, and then made into something like, my handmaiden?" he whispered and left the room. Raye collapsed where she stood. Jadeite rushed over to her.
"What happened?"
"I am sorry that I slapped you!" she whispered in between sobs. "And I hate that man, he puts me through misery, all men put women through misery! My mother dies from worrying over my father, and then I ran away to the temple," she cried. "No matter what I do, men hurt me, and Mars now protects me," Raye whipped at her dark eyes. "I am sorry, I will leave".
"If you leave, and Zu finds you, he will have you as his handmaiden, and things can only be worse. Stay here, and have some tea, and sleep!" Jadeite suggested. "We can talk about temple life, since it seems I will be here for a couple of days," he smiled. Raye slowly nodded as he helped her up. She quickly let go of his hand, and he just shrugged and went to a cup and handed it to her.
"Well, I wake up at four, and then meditate and do a fire reading. After I practice Karate with Diana, and then I am sent on a duty. Today it was gate, and tomorrow it will be attending to you," Raye said very professional.
"Interesting," Jadeite yawned. "Sorry, I am kind of tired. Um…I will sleep on the floor, and you can sleep on the bed," he offered.
"NO! Are you kidding me? Sleep in the same room as a man?" Raye asked.
"You heard Zu, all night," Jadeite stated. "It's not like we are sleeping together and naked, so get over it," he told her. He grabbed some pillow and a blanket. "Nice talking to you Raye". He blew out the lamp and settled down.
"I can't see anything!" she walked around in the dark. She stepped on a big lump, which yelped, and guessed it was Jadeite. "This will not do, Mars Fire Ignite!" she yelled. The lamp struck and she could see. Jadeite clutched his wounded side. "Jadeite, I am sorry! I could not see!" she apologized and was at his side. "Up on the bed, come on," she ushered him. He crawled up there as she looked at it. "You're fine, just sore, I will sleep on the ground," she bowed. He grabbed her hand.
"No…" he said in pain. "Sleep here, or else, bad back, and you won't be able to attend to me," he smiled weakly. She snatched her hand away. "Mars would be mad if you were not able to attend to one of his warriors with full strength". Raye thought about it, then nodded. She really didn't want to sleep on the floor; she was a girl of class, not floor sleeper.
"Good night sir Jadeite," she said to him.
"Good night Priestess Raye," he replied. Raye extinguished the light and slowly got under the covers, she was cold from the breeze that blew in through the window. "Raye, if you are cold, shut the window, I can feel you shivering all the way over here," she heard him mumble.
"Fine, fine," she answered. There was still that small spark in her that wanted to match a man in everything, and that even meant outlasting cold. She felt Jadeite move out of the bed, and find something on the floor, the other blanket! He covered her with it.
"Raye, don't lie, it shows in your voice," Jadeite laughed. Raye uncurled her body as the blanket covered her. "See you tomorrow". Raye didn't hear him as she went off into a peaceful slumber. Jadeite looked down at her and smiled. "May Mars strike me down, but it would be worth it," as he leaned in and placed a kiss on her cheek.
Raye cracked an eye open. The sun was just beginning to rise over the mountains. She smelled in the fresh air that streamed through the window. She turned in the bed, to stare at, a man?! Thoughts of the previous night came back to her. She hurriedly ran out and to her chamber to acquire heavier robes.
"Miss Raye, where have you been, we worried!" Diana yelled from down the hallway. Raye turned and looked at her.
"I was attending to the soldier that came in yesterday," she called to her. She disappeared into the dressing room and dressed into her morning garb. It fitted loosely to be able to practice her self-defense skills. "Diana, shouldn't you be meditating?"
"Oh, yeah, that's where I was headed," she covered and ran out towards the large room. Raye put her hair in a clump and tied a ribbon on it. She made her way to the outside stadium.
Jadeite opened his eyes to an empty bed. He got up to the sound of sharp shouts out the window. He looked out to see Raye kicking a large stuffed sack. She flew through the air with finesse and grace. He dressed and went out. He slowly walked up and grabbed her hand as she flung it back to strike. "Pretty girls don't fight," he smirked.
"Let go of me! This is morning training, are you crazy! Go back to bed," she yelled at him.
"A duel, I propose, me against you," Jadeite asked. There was no WAY Raye was going to let this get away from her.
"I agree to the proper ways of fight, and to not use the powers of Mars against you," she bowed. "Fight!" She attacked him and he blocked. He kept on blocking her attacks, until she used a deceptive technique, and got him in the face.
"You play dirty Raye, two can tango," he told her. He finally threw a kick, and Raye jumped over his leg. Amazed, he was not prepared for the hard kick that came after. He got back up and fired a rapid attack of fists. Raye blocked them as the full-fledged battle continued. Both, evenly matched, bowed after a half an hour of non-stop dueling. "You fight good Raye".
"Not bad yourself," she slapped him on the shoulder. He chuckled and lifted her up. "Put me down! What if someone sees you!" she yelled at him. He just laughed more as he neared the entrance. Raye swung her legs around, forcing him to loose grip and she landed on her feet. She smoothed her clothing and walked to the closet. "I will see you at lunch," she nodded, and walked away.
"You're one tough customer Raye…" Jadeite mumbled. "But you are transparent also, don't hide your feelings," he continued to mumble. "It is no good to dwell on past experiences," he shook his head. He walked into his room to find Priest Zu sitting on the bed.
"Sir, your stay is over," he informed Jadeite.
"What?!" Jadeite said bewildered.
"You fought, your wounds are healed, you are free to go," Zu said with the death look in his eyes.
"But sir, I must rest one more night for my horse, my whole atmosphere is not prepared for my leave," Jadeite explained.
"I will give you in exchange for your horse one of the temples," Zu urged.
"No, I would not trade that horse for one of yours that is for show only. Sir, it is only one more night, you will be well rewarded," Jadeite told him.
"No reward could repay what you have done, slept with a priestess!" Zu spat everywhere.
"Nope, didn't sleep with her, she was cold, and I was being a gentlemen. At least I am polite and ask when she looks like she needs something. I don't think she needs to see you at ten o'clock at night," Jadeite sighed. Priest Zu gave him a look of ice and stormed from the room.
Raye was out in the hall listening to it all. A man, an arrogant one no less, was sticking up for her! She heard Zu's footsteps leaving the room. She backed away from the door as he slammed it open. "Raye, I would watch your friend, he treads where he is not welcome," he hissed at her.
"I welcome a weary soldier in for care," she told him. A hard slap across her face thrust her to the ground.
"You do not disagree with a male, ever, especially one with power such as mine. You are a disgrace to the Temple of Mars; a handmaiden of mine would suit you better. If you would grow up and stop leaving those dreams of becoming head of this temple, you could concentrate on more important things!" he screamed at her. He swung his hand to hit her again, but it was halted by Jadeite.
"That is plenty from you Priest Zu, don't you have holy duties to attend to?" he asked calmly. Zu stomped off towards the mediating room. Jadeite knelt down to look at Raye's face. A blue bruise blossomed on her face as she got up by her own means. She stumbled and fell into Jadeite. She quickly recuperated and stood up.
"You should not have made him angry, Mars will wish worse upon you," Raye told him.
"No, that man is no man. He is but an excuse for one, a pathetic life form claiming to have cosmic power, nothing like what you have," Jadeite told her. "Thank you for caring for me, I will read in silence now," Jadeite bowed.
"Wait, can I read with you?" Raye asked. "The other priestesses have many questions, and some are difficult to answer, silence would be good now," she smiled. Jadeite raised an eyebrow, but did not question it. Jadeite sat in a chair close to the window as Raye sat on the bed and opened a book entitled "Fighting Styles from Okinawa". She paid no attention to her book, but to the man reading another book written by the philosopher Confucius. His blonde hair lazily flopped in his face and covered his blue eyes. Tall and lean, muscular, a man any women would long for. 'But not me,' Raye told her brain. Then she found him starring back at her.
"Is there something wrong?" he asked her.
"Oh, a beautiful bird was on the sill, I was just watching it. It flew away once you said something," Raye hid.
"Oh, okay," he replied going back to his reading.
"What does Japan look like?" Raye asked him.
"It's a small country, haven't you seen it?" he laughed. "You're in it".
"I have not been outside the temple in over five years," she told him. He shut his mouth and nodded.
"There are beautiful places like this, and then others that are like old battle scars, talked about, but not proud of. I have seen it all, the good, the bad, and the ugly. The Imperial Palace is probably the nicest place. It is large, with cherry blossoms, and rose bushes everywhere. The Emperor is nice, and so is his wife," Jadeite nodded.
"You have met the Emperor?" Raye marveled.
"He gives the orders in the country, so of course I have seen him," he smiled.
"Oh," Raye felt silly.
"Can't you like leave temporarily?" Jadeite asked. "You could go see the palace for yourself. Heck, maybe you will meet the Emperor," Jadeite laughed. "I remember when I had first joined the ranks, the Emperor is of my age, if not a little younger. He trained, ate, and starred at women. No girl would refuse him, but he wanted one to oppose, and finally he caught her, by accident. She was a maiden, and was wandering the palace to see what it looked like. She must have been, fourteen at the time, the Emperor, a Prince at that time, knocked into her, a girl with a women's body. The Prince could only lust after her. She had no clue he was the Prince, and refused him countless times. When she did find out, it was by my doing. The look on her face was pure horror. Comes out that she had liked him, but he was older, and she thought he hated her. She ran away, afraid of the punishment. The Prince, sped off on his horse, and went to look for her. They're married, and she is preparing to produce an heir, pretty soon I imagine," Jadeite nodded.
"You sound like you are real close to the royal family," Raye said.
"I am a general, and personal protector of the Emperor," he smiled. Raye's mouth dropped open and her eyes bulged out of her head.
"G…Gen…General Jadeite?" she stuttered.
"Yeah, has a nice little ring," he sat back. Raye stood up, as the window revealed it becoming dusk.
"I…I gotta go," she told him. She hurried out of the room. Jadeite shrugged and went back to his book.
"Wonder what she is so afraid about?" he pondered. "Let's see, I THINK she hates me, and she has screamed at me…maybe she is scared? I would be scared of me too," he laughed. It hit him like a cannon blow; he kissed her, a priestess, could she have known? And wished bad about him? And he was being one of Mars' important ones… crap! He got up and sped out the door. Why did he care what she thought? She was just doing her duties, right? "Wow, you're out of it Jed, man" he shook his head. He had been at war so long, he forgot how to impress women, let alone identify when one hated or loved him. "How does Endymion do it?" he said to himself again. He landed in the eatery. He saw a priestess and asked if she had seen Raye.
"She took a katana, and went out into the night. I wouldn't worry about her, sometimes I think she is royalty, or has some special divination," the priestess reassured him.
"That's what I am afraid of," he told her, and headed out. "I hope she doesn't do anything rash!" he rubbed his head. He ran out into the night, and saw fresh footsteps in the soft dirt he followed them until he heard running water, and sharp shouting noises. Raye was swinging the blade around, shouting different words. Jadeite stepped on a stick, and she held the sword in his general direction.
"Show yourself!" she demanded. He came out from the bush.
"You ran off awfully fast, is there something wrong?" he walked up to her. She backed away and shook her head. She was unaware that she was near a stream that looked at least five feet deep. She kept backing away, until she slipped on a loose patch of sediment. Jadeite grabbed her outstretched hand and pulled her to him. The sword tumbled to the ground and slipped into the river and floated down the stream. "Don't lie Raye, your not the only one that can sense lies," he said to her.
Raye shivered at his voice and wanted to pull away, her priestess self did, but her heart said to stay, and tell him the truth. "I won't be able to live with myself if I did something to scare or hurt you," he whispered.
"I'm fine, really," she said to him.
"Liar," he said in her ear. He was definitely sure now why Raye had ran, she liked him, somewhat, and that would be against everything she knew and believed in. "Don't lie to yourself and your heart Raye. I love you too," he said near to her face.
Sweat dripped down her face. How did he know? And was she finally admitting what she already knew? "But, you can't," she choked out.
"I can do whatever I want. Nobody stops me when I want something". He kissed her.
Raye cried. Not of sadness, but of anger and happiness at the same time. She was angry that he had just done what he was doing now, but she was happy that he loved her. She looked at his blue eyes, and she saw no lies. "But…we can't," she shook her head. She backed away and ran towards the temple. Jadeite slammed his fist against the tree.
"What are you thinking?" he told himself. He grabbed some water from the stream and splashed it on his face. He walked back to the temple and went in his room. He collapsed on his bed and drifted off to sleep. He would leave tomorrow, and leave these two days to a lovely memory.
Raye had cried herself to sleep last night. She awoke at her normal time and meditated. She loved Jadeite, no doubt about it, but she loved her life here also. She got up and walked to the balcony. She looked over to see Jadeite in his armor, freshly polished, preparing to leave. Some maidens were gathered helping load up his horse. He strapped his sword to his belt, and climbed on. He looked up to the balcony and caught Raye's eye. "Come with me, please," he mouthed. Raye thought about it one last time, it was now or never.
Raye jumped off of the balcony towards the ground. She landed daintily and ran to the horse. Jadeite held out his hand, a huge grin plastered across his face. He swung her in front of her and kicked for the horse to go.
The maidens screamed for Priest Zu who came out in a flash. "Raye, Mars will forsake you!" he yelled. "May he strike you down!"
"No, may he strike you Zu! You try to molest the priestesses. No one is safe. I have nothing to regret or be scared of. You are nowhere near anyone in this temple's skill. Mars will hopefully respect my decision to be with one of his most highly cherished warriors!" she shouted at him. The horse was out of sight when she finished. Jadeite and Raye rode towards the rising sun, and out towards the rolling hills of Japan.