Somber Jadeite was roaming his apartment. The news about the extraordinary royal order had spread really fast.
"A personal channel! To that useless brat! For some rubbish! While I'm slaving away for the benefit and glory of my land 26 hours per day and still can't wheedle out cable Internet for official needs. O Metallia, why did you create me rational if the world is insane"
After treading a path on the floor he calmed down. "Hey, what if I will bring gold? The justice will triumph!.. Oh my, what did they do to me if I am speaking the language of Sailormoon already... Let's go look at the lists of national combined teams of men. Where would I seep in?"

Somber Nephrite was bashing around his mansion, but the censors and moderators wouldn't let his thoughts be published, though the general direction of his ideas was the same as Jad's: 1. "Why him?" 2. "Why not me?" 3. "Why not me!" But further his thought train followed another path.
"The lil bug won't get to the final stage even without my rivalry. Sure he'll run to Kunzite for help. They'll make a fine pair. I bet they're very skilled in horizontal skating.
And the Star Lord burrowed into the garbage can which was his bureau. Somewhere there should be the address of one parfait fan...

Somber Zoisite cowered behind a sofa and was choosing between crying and weeping. In the throne hall, looking at Kun's back, he almost forgave him. But when afterwards the Fire Lord hinted at support in all senses of this word Kunzite paled out to the shade of his cape, pleaded lack of time, incompetence and rheumatism, and disappeared totally.
A pair departed to the realm of lost possibilities. Zoi was left on his own. He pictured himself alone on a wide rink. How would he display energy, speed and force in such a depression? Also recently they had introduced a rule for men to pull trouser legs over skateshoes. Kunsaito-sama would have said that it's a shame to hide such a delicate ankle line. So let him see what he's losing! The Fore Lord rushed to an antic in search of an old SailorMoon suit. Why not? The skirt is short as required; the bows conceal lack of gender-specific curves. Well, to wear one outfit twice is bad style, but that's trifles. The search, though, revealed that he would not take on the ancient, of the first season, fuku anyway: hordes of moth liked it even more than Kunzite did. Definitely a new suit was needed. This one... it was made by Kun. Kunsaito-sama... Zoi flung the fuku away and fell sobbing into a pile of old clothes. He wanted to howl with despair. When, how had it happened that in his life nothing was left that was not connected with his Lord, his teacher, his love?

Meanwhile Nephrite was spending time at a Tokyo skating rink with Naru. Well, time had its revenge, and he wanted to scream. In his absence that moron Umino had been stuffing her with chocolate parfait, Beijing ducks and other high-calorie trifles. Now the phrase 'a cow on skates' would precisely describe her looks and skills. After picking her up from the ice for the seventeenth time in a row Neph believed he could make career in weight-lifting.
Automatically in his mind (or where such data were stored in him) he was flipping through the lists of his ex-girlfriends capable of balancing on skates for at least a minute. None among the Tokyo schoolgirls, none of the Tokyo college students, none of the victims of past days, too! There were also youma. Some of them even could skate... But they belonged to Kunzite. No dice.
Sure the stars know everything, but he could not appeal to them in the crowd. Engulfed in the joyless thoughts Nephrite failed to notice one female comet on skates, and their trajectories met with a great noise. The hit toppled him, and from the contact of his nape with the ice he saw stars without any meditations. Wow! He didn't lose the moment of luck and shouted silently: The stars know everything! Who is the closest good skater?
The stars were not real. They sprang from his head and knew not more than was stored there. But sometimes it is useful to refresh memories. The Star Lord saw a tall sporty chestnut-haired girl with green eyes, who was spiraling on a silvery skating rink lit by... the Earth!
Whew, to forget one's own fiancee, princess of Jupiter... Nephrite smashed himself on the forehead, and the stars dispersed. Yet the vision remained. The same stalwart gal faced him now, massaged her body parts hurt by the crash and discussed with Naru how flimsy and uncouth a modern man is.
"Not quite, miss", the man charged in attack of the maiden heart. "No gentleman would stand a collision with such ravishing beauty, undeniable talent and breathtaking elegance. And now let me take you to a couple of tour around the rink to atone for my endless fault for the first moments of inattention.
And so on and so forth. Neph and Makoto (sure it was she) glided away, leaving Naru in solitude and pondering over the treacherous men's love and women's friendship.

Jadeite was working in his beloved sphere of activity, and for once it should bring him dividends. He was content.

Zoisite woke up in the antic, on the same pile of clothes. When did he fall asleep? And what did he look like now? Probably he was grimy like a mouse - the surroundings were all grey with dust. Or not all?
He blinked. Useless. The sight wouldn't disappear. He could not help but squeak with delight. The fuku hang on its place, but every moth-eaten hole was covered with a patch in form of a red rose or a green leaf. And a note was pinned to the bow like a price tag. 'Good Luck'
Two words sufficed to send Zoisite dancing around the room squeezing the fuku and whistling merrily. Kunsaito-sama still loved him and thought of him!

Meanwhile Kunsaito-sama was standing on the very North Pole, and no blizzard could wipe away his dreary mood. Most of all he wanted to help his little rat, but.. he would never admit confess that he hates rinks as much as Zoi hated sewage pipes. It was one grand mistreating if his soul element. And the Ice Lord chose to offend Zoi-chan just not to see how puny mortals scratch a cold, perfectly level surface with iron thingies and flop onto it with sitting organs.
For clearing his guilty conscience he fixed the suit for Zoi, but the conscience would not get clearer...

to be finished next time...