Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon.
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Kunzite frowned as he read the letter in front of him. He looked up at Usagi's stricken face above it. He sighed and shook his head causing her face to fall.
"Usagi, I've looked at this paper a thousand times." he sighed. "There's no way around it-as much as I dislike the dangers, you'll have to be transferred over."
"But-" she began. "Isn't there a loophole or something! Kunzite, please!"
He shook his head again. "I've looked and looked, Usagi. It's an official order. There's just no way around it."
She said and let her head fall against his desk. "...not even for a pretty pretty please with sugar and-"
"No." he answered sternly then brightened trying to lighten the mood. "Did you realize what sugar and cherries would do to my blood? I'd have a heart attack."
She groaned. "Not funny."
His gaze softened and he patted her head. "I'm sorry, Usagi. Just a joke."
She looked up at him beneath his hand. "Kunzite, what do you really think about this?"
He sobered and shook his head. "I'm not sure, Usagi."
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Makoto hummed a song as she watered her potted plants that crowded on the balcony of her squat. The building had belonged to no one when she had moved in and after Nephlite had found that she had been saving up money to buy the place he had chipped and sealed the deal-the entire two story building was hers (and pretty soon, Nephlite's too!). One entire room was set aside from the others to house her plants.
Her gaze fell upon the Wilted Buddha Lotus and she smiled wistfully, remembering when Nephlite had given it to her. The lotus had already bloomed once so it was bare but at the stump of the flower, the bulging nubs of a bud peeked up at the top. Soon it would bloom again then she collect the petals and make a poultice for a poison antidote and stow it away hopefully never to be used.
Makoto grinned and began to wonder what she should make for Nephlite for dinner.
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Endymion looked down at the letter in his hand and crumpled up in his fist. He'd already been warned ahead of time of the letter's arrival but it was infuriating to actually see some of their best opportunities die and their alibis disappear.
It was still maddening three weeks later.
Astride his horse, Endymion glowered fearfully for a moment then shook his head. He turned his head and nodded to his advisor Taiki to ride up to his side. Taiki tapped the horse's side with his heels and sped up to his liege. "Your highness?"
"When we arrive to the White City, do not speak on be half of Yaten as soon as we first meet the Skeit."
Taiki scowled deeply at him and nodded. Just as Endymion had thought, Taiki had planned to pester Diamond as soon as they had arrived.
"My esteemed brother," Endymion emphasized with a sarcastic drawl, "will of course be too busy with "such paltry matters"."
"Yes, milord."
"So wait to the next day, then pester him." Taiki shook his head and grinned at his friend.
"Yes, milord."
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Minako cringed and fell back to her pillows with a pained huff. She sighed and rubbed her shoulders. Just a few days ago, the harems doctors had removed the stitches but her skin still itched and pained her. The seven angry red lashes had become seven angry red scars. Minako, who was admittablly a little vain, was extremely put out and sad whenever she caught a glimpse of the scars when she passed by a mirror.
Minako sighed and glared to the table not even a meter in front of her and "telepathically" willed the tea service to her. Of course nothing happened but damned if she didn't try it.
"Has the tea cups given you mortal offense or do not just like the flavor of the tea?"
Minako jumped, or close to that as she could while lying against slippery, silk pillows and craned her head around to the door. In front of it, Minako recognized the maid who's shoulder she had sobbed on. "Oh, it's you!" she chirped. "Come in, come in, sit with me!"
"Oh, milady, I couldn't possiblly-" she began but Minako became insintant.
"No, no! Come!" she called. "Come sit here, with me!"
The maid gave a small smile and crouched next to her and offered her the tea. "Tea, milady?"
"Oh, yes, please, thank you!" laughed Minako as she accepted the cup and drank from it. 'Finally!' she couldn't help but think. She sat the cup back on it's saucer. "You know I never got your name."
"Usagi," she laughed. "Call me Usagi."
"Usagi, well, it's a pleasure to finally get your-oww!" she yelped. She had been trying to sit up and she had felt her sore back being pinched by the unwilling scars. "Oh, oh, oww!"
"Are you alright, milady?" gasped Usagi. She had rather liked the Lady Minako, she was fresh and vibrant and funny-the only not so stiff other noble was Kunzite, who could be very serious and businesslike one minute then turn around and joke with her the next. She disliked seeing the beautiful Lady in such pain.
"Oh, yes," grimaced Minako, "It's just the scars-they pull every now and then when I try to move."
Usagi frowned, took her hands in hers and patted them reassuredly. There wasn't much that she could offer the young Lady but at the very least a little compassion could go a long way.
Minako blinked and smiled at the maid in front of her-such a dear she was, to be so worried about her well being! Minako patted her hand and smiled friendly at her. "Not to worry, it passes with time. So then, what's your name! I never caught it."
Usagi grinned up at her. "Usagi, milady."
"Usagi?" started Minako. "Usagi, is that your real name?"
Usagi lifted her brows but didn't comment. Minako grinned and quickly amended herself.
"It's just that-well, you see...oh, you have heard of the Silver Kingdom, right?" she asked. Usagi stiffened and nodded.
"Ahh...yes, I lived there, on the border!"
"Ahh," murmured Minako with a grin. "I thought so-you have the look of someone from the Silver Kingdom. Anyway, I remembering hearing that Usagi was a Silver Kingdom name-a nick name, yes?"
"Umm," murmured Usagi. "Yes, yes, it's my nick name..."
"Ah then, so what's your real name?"
Usagi stayed quiet then looked to the floor. "Ma'am, you see... I don't quite know my real name..."
"Oh! Oh, pardon me, I didn't mean to be rude!" exclaimed Minako, feeling a bit of a heel to upset her new friend. She sighed and waited a moment before beginning again. "Oh dear, you weren't there were you? When the capital fell-?"
"Oh, no!" began Usagi, quickly. "I lived on the border!"
"Ahh," started Minako. "that's good. The capital, I heard was a terrible mess-"
"It was."
"Oh," blinked Minako. "Did you see it?"
"Yes...yes, after it happened..." explained Usagi. She bent her heard a little more. "...I lost some family, you see."
"Oh, no!" gasped Minako. Usagi blinked and looked up at her. "Oh, oh, no, you poor thing!" she wailed and snatched her up in a hug. Usagi blinked and then hugged back too.
Stature fell to the wayside as two young girls cried their sorrows out to a harsh world, merely glad that they weren't as alone as they had thought.
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Endymion sighed in half relief when he had heard the call-a scout had spouted the city ahead. The ride there had not been so rough as particularly slow and he couldn't wait for a nice soft bed to lay his head down as they entered the city.
As they passed through the gates, Endymion dismounted, followed closely by Taiki. Barely ten minutes had passed before a harried messenger raced out to tell them they were expected in the royal court. Endymion nodded, hiding his grimace and followed the messenger into the palace.
Later that night, Mamoru would set on a bail of hay and decide that his time as Mamoru would have to be suspended. It was too bad-it seemed that his short time with Usagi would end too.
Really, he thought, I wish that our luck would hold out for a bit longer...
This, he thought, is going to take some great acting.
He really hoped his and Seiya's luck didn't run out.
whitey9h-I would love that very much. Hee, writing is going slow but I see the end in sight yet.
MoonPrincess6687-Thanks, it can be terribly hard to write though...
Allison-Nope, NOW'S his secret's out.
koldy-congrats, I think that was the shortest review yet.
Serenathy-Oh, it isn't so much that he made her cry as it is that she was kinda out of it and he more or less brought her to. She was in terrible shock. And now you know why I use Endymion and Mamoru non-interchangeably.
Megan Consoer-More is now!
Sapphire Midnight-Congrats on getting moved in now! Wai, I'm so sleepy...(snores)