Wow! That took a long time! So sorry everyone…but you know how school and writer's block works. I hope you enjoy this long awaited chapter. I really do appreciate every review that was sent! I read them all…twice! I'm so happy you are all enjoying the story. I hope this chapter makes sense. Feel free to review this one as many times as you like! The more the merrier! Have fun!

Lady Hino

>>>>>

"That's wonderful, Jed," she said softly.

Jed continued to leaf through the book with a somewhat awed expression. "I may not be able to recall what this book is mentioning, but at the same time everything seems so clear and understandable…as if I have known this book even before I ever opened it," he said with pride.

Rei didn't know what to say. It was as if his memory was returning as fast as lightening and she felt as though at any moment he would forget who she was. "I am very happy for you," she said with a gentle smile.

Jed turned to look at her, his eyes bright with joy. "I have you to thank," he said.

She didn't know what to say to that and simply touched a finger to the binding of the book he held. "You need not thank me. This was bound to happen," she replied finally. Then, of a sudden, Rei caught her breath for Jed had wrapped a strong arm around her waist and pulled her hard against him.

Her head felt light and her limbs went weak, but she held herself as still as possible for fear of what was to come. His body was hard and tense against her own and his lips were a breath away from her brow. She stared intently at his collarbone that peeked through the loose shirt he wore and breathed slowly, knowing all the while that his eyes were glued to her. "Sir?" she whispered.

Jed couldn't help himself. Every minute of every day that he gazed upon this beauty, his mouth went dry, his body went rigid and his mind reeled with thoughts of moonlit nights and softly roiling waves. He desperately wanted to run his hands through her hair and breathe in the warm sweet summery scent of her. He wanted to grace her brow with kisses and stroke her body until she cried out with want. He didn't know what came over him when he grabbed her to him, wasn't sure if it was the best idea he could have had. He felt his body reacting to her and knew in that moment that if did not pull away soon; he would lose all his control. "Rei…" he whispered against her brow.

She wasn't certain what she was feeling. His warm breath on her skin made her heart beat faster and wilder against her chest. She licked her lips nervously and put a hand on his chest. She felt his body tighten, his arm around her waist gripped her harder. "I…" she began hesitantly.

Jed knew that she was scared, knew that he shouldn't have attacked her like he had. "I'm sorry, Rei," he said gently. He took a deep breath, inhaled the faint flowery jasmine sweetness of her skin and pulled away. When he looked into her eyes he noticed the haze that had come into them and he felt his body give a shudder. "I truly am sorry," he said.

Rei merely smiled lightly and turned to look at the trunk that still stood ajar. "There are many things in here," she said pulling out a deep blue silk shirt that gleamed in the sun. She knew that if this were to lie against his skin, the color would only serve to deepen the already mystifying blue of his eyes.

He turned away from her, slightly embarrassed by his uncontrolled action, but also confused and dazed at what was happening to him. "Yes…" he replied softly, "There are many things…I only wish that they made an whit of sense to me…"

>>>>>

"Which way do we turn?" a voice said from in front him. He was staring straight into the sun, the brightness blinding him but warming him at the same time. He brushed his dark hair from his eyes and turned in the direction of the voice.

"I would guess east," he said to the voice.

"East, west…north, south…this search has gone on for far too long! It is obvious that we do not know which way to go at all," said the man on the right.

"If only that damned bird had not flown away so quickly. He would have shown us the way if someone had not stalled to high heaven, packing away the rest of his life!" shouted the man on the left.

The last man who was behind the other three rolled his eyes and pointed toward the sky, "If only the sun were to lay herself down to sleep, I'd be able to map out a route based on the night sky," he said, ignoring the angry soldier.

"Listen to all of you! We are looking for Jadeite! Stop fighting like a couple of young hens and pay attention! I do not want to lose a general; I will not lose a general so you will all listen to me and stop instigating the others."

"He's right," said the very regal voice said in front of him, "This bickering will get us no where. Concentrate, men. If we do not find him, something terrible could be the result. I know all of you see Jadeite as a brother, how would you feel if your brother had been hunted and eaten by wolves because he is too weak from some fierce wound to fight them off?"

"But that would never happen," said the cocky voice from the right. "He is too powerful to let mere angry beasts attack him."

"Not if he is seriously wounded. Just the other night, the stars seemed to have rotated and Mars and Venus shown brighter in the sky that they had ever done before. Something strange is happening in the universe. It was almost as if Mars and Venus were sending signals to the universe."

"No, that cannot happen," said the man in the middle. He ran his hand through his dark hair again and looked up into the sun, feeling the warmth on his face, but merely coldness in his chest. "The stars always have a purpose to their actions. You are probably reading too much into the light coming from them and perhaps being out in the country, the light is different. As for Jed…if he were dead, I would know. As it stands, he is merely a dot in my mind that I can not grasp hold of. It is as if his mind is in another place, yet his body is still on earth. I can feel his physical presence. It is as strong as all three of you, but when I try to delve into his mind to bring his face into view so that I may find him and bring him home, he runs. I know not what this means, but I do not like it at all…"

The others in his company merely looked down at the reins in their hands and said nothing more. Their leader kicked his heels into the horse's flanks and spurred him toward the east. "I will find you, Jadeite…" he whispered as he raced through the trees, the other three men and a dozen more soldiers following him quickly. "Do not give up on me…I have not given up on you…"

>>>>>

Jed stared out into the ocean, stared at the winking stars in the sky. He wasn't certain he could recall any of the names of the stars and planets, but he noticed the strange pattern they seemed to flash. As if one were alerting the other of some sort of danger…

He turned to look at the small cottage nestled in the trees. There was smoke coming from the chimney and he knew that the occupant inside was preparing dinner. He had found a small knife inside the trunk and discovered that he was deft and able to throw it accurately from long distances. He had gone off to practice after his embarrassing display earlier. He threw and tossed and made that knife fly so many times at a small tree that when he was finished, he feared the tree would fall over with the merest breath of wind. But it had helped to clear his mind…well…clear it from the mess that it was in.

He had managed to kill two rabbits and a bird with his knife and had delivered them to Rei the moment he cleaned them. He wondered at his instinctual abilities to kill a creature, skin, and then clean it. The past life he led must have been one of hardships for he found he was quite adept at fending for himself; though day by day he found himself wanting more and more to depend on a raven-haired angel.

Just then a sound in the trees caught his attention. He turned toward the forest behind the cottage and walked swiftly toward the sound. He was silent as he approached the rustling in the bushes. His feet trod gently on the ground and his eyes remained unblinking as he came up upon the sound. He pulled his knife from his boot and held the handle up near his shoulder, ready to throw it if the need arose.

As he came closer to the sound, he paused and readied himself to toss it and just as he brought his arm back, a head popped out of the brush and he was staring into startling blue eyes similar to his own. A shriek issued from the small mouth and he was so startled at what he uncovered that he threw the knife.

It landed right beside her ear in tree.

Another shriek.

"I am terribly sorry!" he said trying to approach her, but she had lashed out and was flailing her arms wildly. "I did not mean—"

"What in the name of Mars…Mina?" came the angel's voice.

"Rei!" the girl cried her hands stopping in mid-air. She had not realized she was grabbing onto Jed's shirt until she stopped to stare at her friend. "Rei!" she cried again, releasing Jed, "He tried to kill me! He threw a knife! He was going to skin me alive and feed me to the alligators!"

"There are no alligators here…" Jed whispered.

"That is beside the point! You were going to kill me!"

"I heard a noise in the brush and I was merely trying to protect Rei," he said gently.

Rei blinked in his direction and then shook the haze from her mind and turned to her friend. "What are you doing here?"

Minette flung her heavy gold hair over her shoulder and then glared at Jed. "I was coming here to protect you from this…this…"

Jed raised an eyebrow at her.

"This man!" she said finally. She was huffing in her anger at almost having a knife released in her throat.

"You should not be down here," Rei said.

"And neither should he!" she screeched back.

Jed grimaced at the sound and then turned to look at Rei. There was a laugh in his eyes that she could not miss and she almost succumbed to smiling herself, but controlled herself and walked toward her friend. "Here, Mina, come with me…" she said and took her hand.

"My name is not Mina!" she said suddenly.

Rei shook her head. "It's too late. He knows my name and it's obvious that he knows yours as well…seeing as how we've been using it constantly these past few minutes," she said softly.

"I don't like this at all…"

"Rest assured, lady, that I will not divulge your secret to anyone besides the birds and fish," Jed said with a wicked grin.

Mina turned to look at him and lifted her chin into the air. But she did have to admit, he was devilishly handsome, this golden bronzed man with his honey-gold hair and sparkling blue eyes. They were darker than hers and didn't have the same gleam of silver as hers did, but they were lovely.

As the two girls headed toward the cottage, low whispers wafting his way every other word, a prick at the back of his mind alerted him to a new presence approaching. Well, he thought that was what the feeling was but he couldn't be sure. He had never felt this before…or had he? He turned and looked behind him, willing something to come out of the shadows. His hand remained still by his side, the retrieved knife loosely held. It wasn't a threat he was sensing, but what was it? His brow furrowed as he stared into the shadows of the trees. The dark beyond the light of the cabin seemed strange and eerie…but he knew that the prick he felt would not harm him.

He turned back in the direction of the cottage and saw Rei standing on the front step looking at him with her head cocked to the side. "You look worried," she said when he came up to her.

"Nay…not worried," he replied quietly.

"I have Mina inside dishing up the stew I made from your rabbits. Are you all right?" she whispered putting a hand on his sleeve.

He stared at that small delicate hand and inside his stomach lurched. He wanted to grab her to him again and feel the length of her pressed to his body. He wanted to lean down and pull her head forward for a kiss that would leave her stunned and bemused and craving more.

Instead, he patted her hand gently and smiled. "I'm well, my lady," he said softly.

"Just Rei," she replied.

Jed smiled and then waited for her to return the smile before he made to follow her inside. But just as he was closing the door, the prick turned into an incessant tingling and his brow furrowed curiously again. What was this? He looked back into the shadows he had been contemplating before and frowned. "What is it? Why are you looking for me?" he whispered to the night.

>>>>>

He came up quickly.

"What is it?" someone panted by his side.

He merely turned his head and looked to the right. "We're close…" he whispered.

"How can you be certain?"

He closed his eyes and reached deep inside of himself. "Damnit!" he yelled.

"Did you lose him?" another asked.

A shake of the head was his reply. "It's not that I lost him…it's more the fact that I cannot determine how he feels. I can sense him stronger now, but he is still but a speck on a large map. And he is…uncertain. There is something terribly wrong with him. His mind has never been this active but so…inactive at the same time."

"How is that possible?"

"His thoughts are running wild, he is thinking about everything around him, but…there is no magic freely flowing through his mind. It is as if it is blocked…I'm worried," he said softly.

"As are we all…"

"Come, he is this way."

"Our search has lasted us many days…"

"Do not complain to me. I will not rest until I find him and bring him home and see that he is well. I have grown since a toddler with all of you and I will not let it end now. Our lives are meant to continue. You serve me until I die and I do not plan on dying anytime soon…therefore you will all be together serving me as one."

The three of them stared after their lord as he raced toward the right. "We are not complete until the fifth one rides strong with us," said one of the older ones. His long silvery hair brushed against his cheek and he dismissed it with a wave of his hand.

They nodded in unison then raced after their lord, their capes flying behind them in velvety waves.

>>>>>

"You are not hungry?" Rei said softly.

Jed looked at her and then smiled gently. "I have much on my mind, is all," he said. He looked at the ladder that led up the stairs to the loft. "How is Mina?"

Rei shook her head and smiled. "Sleeping…she doesn't trust you but knows that there isn't much she can do about it. So…after I had a sound talking with her, she decided that it was too dark to return home and went up to sleep in my bed."

Jed frowned. "I feel terrible…you give up your bed to many people," he said.

She shrugged her shoulders, quite gracefully he thought…if it was possible. "I was trained to appreciate the little aspects that make up life. I could sleep most soundly on a wooden floor with a large fire roaring in front of me than the softest down mattress with silken sheets," she said staring into her own small fireplace. She wished then she had her fire in front her. The bright flames that lit up the large shrine always made her heart soar with renewed faith and belief in herself. Perhaps if she had that fire with her, she would be able to see what it was that caused Jed's strange memory loss.

She turned then to look at him and was surprised to find him staring at her. "What is it?" she asked skeptically.

Jed shook his head and then looked back down at his half eaten bowl of stew. It was quite tasty, the meat tender and the broth rich. "I wonder where my life was going before I appeared on your shore," he began, "I wonder about the strange sensations that run through my mind…I wonder why I cannot untangle the mess of thoughts in my mind."

Rei started to sit, but he shook his head again and she continued standing. When he rose from his own chair to tower over her, she felt a moment's worth of fear before she blinked resolutely and stared up at him. "I begin to wonder what sort of man you were before your memory was lost as well," she said softly.

"It is not a matter of what man I was…for I believe with all my heart that I was the same man. It is more a matter of what I was before my mind went blank. Was I a sea-fairing captain who lived out his days on a ship's prow with wind and sea water spraying into his face? Or was I perhaps a farmer who tilled his own lands with his own hands? Or perhaps an advisor to a great lord for this accent of mine cannot have come from anywhere but a court," he said as he moved even closer to her. "Or perhaps I was sent to you on this beach to help you."

Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Help me? I am not the troubled soul in this room."

"Nay…you are not troubled…you are trapped. But why I wonder would you feel this way?"

"You cannot honestly believe that you know my thoughts," she said with a definite tone of anger laced through her words.

"I may not know precisely what your thoughts are, my lady, but I can read your eyes as well as any mage…"

She blinked up at him again and felt her pulse quicken. Never had she seen such blue eyes staring at her with such a glow. It was almost as if he were delving deep into her soul, searching without effort to find her inner most desires and bring them to the surface. "I do not know you, sir," she said on a whisper, "You are so foreign to me…a stranger from a land I do not know."

A hand came up to caress her cheek, "I am but a stranger to myself," he replied. "I do not know who I am or where I come from…but at this moment…I feel that I was brought to your shore…nay, to you…for a reason. If it means that I came to caress your cheek and kiss your eyelids when you cry for your homeland…"

"How did you—"

"—or if it means I am sent here to stroke your hair as you stare into the endless night and all you to rest your head on my shoulder when you weep for loved ones—"

"What?"

"—Whatever the reason may be…I believe that I am here for you."

She was looking at him in shock. How in the universe did he know that she cried herself to sleep some nights? Desperate to be home with her mother and father and brother? How did he possibly know she stared at the sky, willing Serenity to call them home? How? "I do not…"

"I may not have a mind, Reina…but I have a heart and when tears slip from your eyes, my heart tugs painfully in my chest. When you feel sorrow, I only know sorrow…" he leaned down and cupped the back of her head in his palm, "When you pray for absolution, I want to lay my head on a stone slap and give up my life if only it would help you find absolution…"

She felt tears in her eyes. "You cannot mean what you say…"

Jed was almost nose to nose with her. She could feel his warm breath on her lips, feel his words as he whispered them against her mouth, "I do not know why it is I feel this way…perhaps it is because I do not have a mind to call my own and therefore I must prey on yours…but I know I feel it." And before she could utter another word, his mouth had descended upon her own. She felt lightheaded and warm; his lips were soft and gentle as they caressed hers. She felt his head tilt to the side, felt his hand slipping further into her hair, his fingers tangling in the massive locks. Her head was spinning and her mind was going blank. All she felt was his warmth and his strength.

Jed pulled away and looked down at her closed eyes. It had felt like heaven; like a fresh rainbow after a storm. He couldn't stop, didn't want to stop. He leaned down again and possessed her with a kiss that shook her entire body to the core. He was savage now, the kiss hard and hot and beautiful. She felt his hand pull out of her hair and his thumb pressing lightly on her chin. She opened her mouth slightly and felt his tongue plunge in. Her knees gave and she nearly fell to the ground in a puddle of liquid fire, but his arm came around and he pulled her hard against his body. She felt a new string of sensations fly through her and gave out a soft whimper because of them.

He couldn't believe how responsive she was. She was like holding molten lava in his arms; her hands were grasping his shirt, her tongue copying his own thrust for thrust. He felt himself growing harder and harder by the second. He wanted to pull her down with him in front of the fire and ravage her. When he heard her whimper in the back of her throat, he let out his own groan of satisfaction.

Just then the tingling that had been plaguing him the entire night, the sensation that had robbed him of his thoughts turned into a pounding and he pulled away from her suddenly, causing her to grasp onto the table in an effort to steady herself. Her breath was harsh and fast, her chest rising and falling rapidly. "Jed?" she said breathlessly.

He pressed his fingers tightly to his temples and began rubbing hard. "Something…someone…is calling me…" he said through gritted teeth. "It hurts…"

Rei rushed forward, the passion of just a few seconds ago forgotten. "What do you mean someone is calling you?" she asked in all seriousness. She was pressing her own hands to his temples, brushing his fingers away in an attempt to delve into his mind. "What is happening?" she asked herself as he fell to his knees.

His breathing was harsh and ragged, as if he had run ten miles without stopping. She stared hard into the blue eyes that were misted over with pain, that were clouded with confusion. "Jed!" she cried to him, "Do not concentrate on the pain."

Footsteps were heard upstairs and down from the ladder came Mina, her eyes wide with fright. "What's happening?" she asked.

"I do not know," Rei said and turned back to Jed. "Jed…"

Mina, though her instinct told her no, raced to the cupboard and found a cloth that she dipped into fresh water that had been placed near the fire. She rushed back to Rei and handed her the cloth and watched her friend press the cool cloth to his forehead.

"My name…he's calling my name…" he said and closed his eyes in an effort to escape the strange sensations. It felt like fire burning in his head, felt as though his head were going to explode at any moment. There was too much…too much of something running wildly through his brain. He felt only sharp, hot jolts of pain and wanted desperately to escape.

Rei turned to Mina, "I don't know what's happening…" she said and Mina saw the fear in her eyes. This was the first time Rei had shown any emotion toward a man that was more than mere amusement.

All of a sudden the pain in Jed's head began to recede and he opened his eyes with wonder. There was a thin sheen of sweat on his brow and his breathing was beginning to calm. "It's dulled," he said.

Rei let out a relieved sigh and removed her hands. "Thank the gods…" she whispered.

"Jadeite!" a voice boomed from outside.

>>>>>

All three of them turned toward the door. "What's happening?" Mina said startled.

Rei remained on her knees, her heart in her throat. "Oh no…"

Jed remained kneeling as well, his breathing still rough. "That voice…" he said softly, "That was the voice calling me…"

"Jadeite!" it came again.

Jed couldn't move; his limbs felt like stone. He turned to look at Rei who was beginning to close up on herself. He remembered just seconds before feeling her body warm and willing and eager to accept his own. Now she looked as though she would not dare think of kissing him again. What a shame too. It was such a beautiful kiss, the most exciting he had felt in a long time. He turned to look at the blonde girl and noticed her nervous hands twisting and untwisting her skirt.

"I'm coming in!" the voice cried out again. And before any of them could move, the door had been shoved open and a dark shadow stood at the threshold.

There was a sword in his right hand and a dagger in the other. He wore a dark, elegant black velvet cloak and high shiny black boots. His dark hair was tousled and even though Rei knew it was most likely dusty from dirt and grime, it shone glossy in the dim firelight. "Jadeite!" he cried, but this time it was happy and relieved. "I'm so glad I found you! Do you know how long I've been searching?" he said and rushed to his friend to pull him to his feet. He embraced him like a brother and then stood back to look at him.

Three more dark cloaked figures poured through the entrance next, all of them armed and ready for a fight. They kept their swords pointed directly at Rei and Mina. "What should we do with them?" the one with dark brown hair asked.

Rei stood and backed up next to Mina, then took her hand. "It's all right…" she whispered to her shivering companion.

The dark haired man did not answer. He was looking hard at Jed. "Jadeite?" he asked hesitantly.

Jed blinked and leaned over to look at the other three men who were holding their swords at the ready. He brushed passed the man and stepped in front of all three swords, his back to Rei and Mina. "You will not harm them, gentlemen," he said. He reached both hands out and made to block them from any attack.

"What is this?" the dark-haired man asked.

"It is exactly as it seems," Jed said, "You will not harm one hair on their heads."

"Step away, Jadeite," the silver-haired man said. He had an evil sort of grin on his face, as though he was looking forward to a kill.

"Nay."

"Step away! That is an order!" the dark-haired man said.

"Who are you to give me orders?" Jed replied.

The three men holding swords seemed to take in a breath all at once. And the dark-haired man's eyes narrowed. "What has come over you? I walk in here and you are on your knees, your brow sweaty, your eyes clouded, can you not see that these witches are doing something to you? Come, step away and I will give you a sword and let you kill them yourself."

Jed's own eyes narrowed at that. "These ladies shall not be harmed. They are innocent in all of this."

"Obey your prince!" the man with long blonde hair yelled.

Jed cocked his head to the side and stared daggers at the man who dared raise his voice. "I know no prince. I bow to no one," he said in response.

The dark-haired man stepped forward and all swords fell. "Jadeite…"

"Do not call me that! I understand that that is my name, but I will not accept it! I am Jed. Captain of ships. Farmer of pigs and goats. Servant to no one!"

"What say you?" the dark-haired man asked with a frown.

Jed merely backed up further and pressed the girls against a wall. He could feel Rei's hand resting lightly on his back, the palm open and cold. He wanted to turn around and wrap her in his arms, whisper that he would not let these strange soldiers lay a finger on her. "I say only what I know to be truth."

"But those are lies!" said the blonde-haired man, "Horrible, horrible lies. You are nothing of the sort! Farmer indeed!"

"He is right, Jadeite," said the dark-haired man. He stood at an even height with Jadeite. Their eyes were delving hard into each others. "You are Lord Warrior General Jadeite…"

"Honored and loyal servant to the Royal Prince Endymion…" said the brown-haired warrior.

"Second rank in the Prince's army," said the silver-haired.

"Noble Prince of the West…" the blonde-haired man said with a grin.

"Beloved brother and friend…" finished the dark-haired man. "Do you…not…remember?"

Jed raised a hand to his temple and began rubbing hard again. The strange tingling was still present. "I do not understand…"

Rei took a breath.

"Nay," Jed said looking back at her. She closed her mouth.

"I am Prince Endymion," the dark-haired man said. "Endy, if you will. This is Nephrite, Prince of the East," he said pointing to the brown-haired man. Nephrite bowed and then smiled, "Kunzite, Prince of the North," he said directing his attention to the silver-haired man who stood taller than any of them, "And lastly Zoicite, Prince of the South," he said indicating the last blond-haired man.

Jed sighed heavily and pointed to his temple, "Are you responsible for this?" he asked.

"If you are referring to the calling, then yes, I am."

Rei finally broke free from her prison behind Jed's back and stood in front of him, her face looking up into that of the Prince's. She took note that all three of the soldiers behind Endymion had raised their swords again. "My lord," she said and felt odd, "Your…friend…has no recollection of himself."

Endymion looked down at the beauty in front of him and allowed himself to smile for the second time in a week. She was a sight, this raven-haired girl with eyes brighter than the brightest violet. Her skin was pale, yet there was a blush of gold and pink just under the surface. Her lips were like pale pink roses and body was slim and very much curved in the right places underneath that poorly colored brown dress she wore. He wondered what she would look like bathed in silks of deepest purple or darkest red. "And who are you?"

Rei heard Mina's sharp intake of breath. "I am Jillian," she said without pause.

One of Endymion's eyebrows shot up. "Are you?" he said with a smile.

"Yes."

"And just what sort of relation do you claim to my general?"

She licked her lips nervously and Endymion watched that tongue like a hawk. "A while ago I found him on the beach just outside this cabin."

"He had been washed to shore?" asked the man called Nephrite. Rei turned to him and nodded. She took note that he was actually quite handsome. In fact all of them were very handsome men, including the prince. But their eyes were not as vibrant and alive as Jed's and their mouths did not give into smiles as readily.

"Like a beached whale?" Zoicite asked.

"Hush you insolent child," Kunzite said to him.

"He was badly injured. I nursed him back to health."

"Like a babe," Zoicite said.

"I'm warning you," Kunzite growled.

Rei continued, "When he woke the first time, he did not know anything but his name…Jed."

"But his name is Jadeite," Zoicite said.

"If you utter one more word…"

Rei rolled her eyes slightly, but Endymion and Jed both caught it.

She has a temper, Endymion thought.

Calm yourself, Reina, Jed wanted to whisper.

"So…is this true, Jadeite?" Endymion asked his general.

Jed merely nodded. "I suppose I am but a walking blank canvas. I can tell you that my name is Jed…I know how to skin a rabbit, I can throw a knife…I am a score and five…but not much can come after that."

Endymion frowned sharply. "This is very curious…I've never experienced memory loss before…perhaps Aslepius can see to you," he said.

Jed was wary. He pulled Rei behind him again then looked at Endymion. "I do not know if I can trust you," he said.

Endymion looked deep in Jed's eyes. He saw then the cloud that was resting just beyond the clear deep blue. The haze that he knew kept him from his mind. "You cannot…and you are right not to. I will camp outside your door, Mistress Jillian. I will not enter your threshold again. As for you, Jadeite…I will guard your life until your own is returned to you. In the morning you ride with me back to the Grand Palace where I will see to it that you are tended to and cared for."

But would he leave with this stranger? He knew he was telling the truth; knew without having to ask. He had said he didn't trust him because he did not want to give in easily. But when he looked into Endymion's eyes, stared hard into those slate blue eyes that held the answers to all the mysteries in the world, he knew he told the truth. He knew that Endymion knew his true identity. He would lay down his life if anyone disagreed. And he knew in the end that he would go with this man. The whirlwind of events was beginning to catch up to him and he wanted merely to stretch out near the fire and sleep away the day's events. He wanted to go back to staring up into violet eyes as his wounds were dressed and tended. He did not want to have voices in his head; he did not want an explanation for why blue fire spurted from his finger tips that day on the beach. But at the same time…he wanted answers. "I will not leave the woman who took me in," Jed said.

"Then she shall come as well…her mute friend too."

Mina shook her head and clung to Rei's hand. "We cannot!" she whispered.

"But you will," Endymion said. "You are on my soil, ladies…actually you are on Jadeite's soil if my sense of direction is correct. Therefore what is Jadeite's is mine and you will obey."

Rei bit her lip. She didn't know what had happened. In the space of one hour her life had been turned upside down. She had been kissed, her home had been broken into, and now the prince of Earth stood in front of her, commanding her and Mina to travel with him to his palace. What would the Queen Serenity think? She turned to look at Jadeite and frowned, there was such confusion and pain laced in those blue eyes of his.

"I do not trust you any more than I did when you first entered this cottage," Jed said to Endymion, though his mind had been made up. "I will not go willingly nor will I ignore your request," as the words came out of his mouth, an image of two young boys playing in the dungeon came to his vision. An older man came and scooped them from the stone cells and he could hear him yelling "Do not ever go in there again! Do you understand me Endy? Jed?" Jed didn't know what it meant and so he stored it in the back of his mind.

Endymion nodded and motioned his men to follow him out. "I do not know what to do," Endymion said when they were outside. He signaled for the remaining soldiers to set up camp and then turned in the circle of his generals, one side missing. "I have never seen this happen before," he said sadly. He looked weathered and beaten and his generals felt the burden of guilt and pain that Endymion was feeling. "I feel like I should have looked out for him better when he said he was journeying away. Why did I ever break the bond with him?"

"Because he asked you to," Nephrite said. "He asked that you allow him to travel for five days without the pull of your mind connected to his. It is not your fault. You cannot help the weather. You cannot help the route of his ship and nor can you change time."

Endymion pressed his hand to his head and frowned. "To think that I have found my general…only to realize that he has not found himself…"

>>>>>

Jed turned to look at Rei and Mina the minute Endymion left. "This is all so strange," he said.

"I know," Rei replied. She felt the strangeness flowing through her own body. She had been commanded to travel to the Grand Palace with none other than the Prince Endymion himself. This was certainly not the way to keep herself hidden from whoever was after her. What if she went to this palace and the assassin that had been sent after her found her and tried to kill her? This was not right, she could not go.

"I am glad you will come with me," Jadeite said then. Rei felt her heart drop. "I do not think I could attend a strange land without my nurse," he said with a grin.

Rei forced a grin and then sat down on a bench with Mina.

"We will be killed. If not at court, then by Serenity," Mina said. "What is happening?"

Rei shook her head numbly and jumped, startled, when Jed rested his hand on her shoulder. "I will protect you," Jed said.

Rei felt the frustration deep in her bones. How would he protect her when he was going with this stranger to discover who he was himself? Everything was happening too quickly and she had no power to stop it. As she turned to look out the window, she could swear she saw Mars and Venus blink a warning at her.

>>>>>

NOTE
None of the senshi have met the generals which is why there might be some confusion as to why Endymion is paying so much attention to Rei. Rest assured that he is not "cheating" on Serenity, but rather does not know about the princess. So, he is a young man on the prowl and any pretty female in his path had better watch out. Same goes for the other three generals. REVIEW!