A long time. I know. I hope you guys enjoy the update. I enjoyed writing it.

Chapter 8

A week had passed on the Terran planet. The paired off generals and princesses had been busy at work trying to calibrate the planet. Kunzite had taken Mina to places like court houses, prisons, churches, and orphanages. Mina needed to be at all the extremes this planet had to offer. Good, bad, neutral. She needed to read all of the bonds between the people in all these areas to make sure that her calibration was balanced. Kunzite knew that these would be the places to go because he had been to many of these himself. He often had to be present when it came to executing decisions whether it be judicial, executive, or legislative. He had to be a master at reading people who proposed laws, wanted certain decisions made, or those who needed to be judged. Mina was a natural at simply being in these areas and reading the bonds between the people.

Kunzite watched as the princess was finishing up her time in their current area. Her golden glow was receding from around her. The waves of energy that caused her shiny hair to flow were ebbing away. She opened her eyes and stood without a smile on her face or showing how the area had affected her. They were currently in an execution chamber. One of the more somber areas that they had visited. Mina did not enjoy communing in these areas. She felt every one of the executions that had happened. All their emotions, their thoughts, the thoughts of those that had been watching, and the thoughts and feelings of the person doing the executing.

She needed a drink.

Kunzite knew by the twitch of her lip that something was wrong. It was her emotional tell. As Mina walked closer to him, Kunzite stretched out his hand awaiting eagerly for her to take it.

"Everything alright, my Lady?" Kunzite said relishing the feel of her warm hand taking his.

"Yes, it's just today was…difficult," she said routinely stepping closer to his him and putting her palms on his chest. Kunzite let his hands fall on her waist as he closed his eyes to teleport. Mina had her hands clenched as they did this. She did not enjoy this method of travel though they had done it several times this week. When she felt her feet land back on hard ground she opened her eyes and saw they were back in the teleportation room. She felt Kunzite slowly slide his hands down her waist and push her back.

"Well I have got the perfect thing to take your mind off of today," He commented opening the door for her and making their way towards the War Room.

"Oh?"

"We have reports to read from Nephrite and Lady Jupiter on their progress of calibration," Kunzite supplied.

Mina pushed her hair back over her shoulder. "Yay. I am positively giddy at the prospect."

Kunzite laughed at her flat response. They were both drawn to the cracked open door where guttural grunts were coming from. Mina stopped and peeked in through the crack. General Nephrite and Lita were sparring. They both seemed very into their activity. Mina had never seen Lita so focused, unless it was just after she saw her father.

"I have never seen Nephrite so challenged before. Your friend is trying his skills adeptly," Kunzite commented. Though he knew why Nephrite was dueling with such gusto. The man was frustrated. Sexually frustrated. Kunzite knew that the stoic general had a soft spot for the Amazon princess, but out of his friends Nephrite had always been the least successful with women. Not for aesthetic reasons, but his friend, though quite apt, did not know to 'close' the deal.

Kunzite shook his head from his thoughts and noticed Mina looking at a fixed point towards the greenery outside.

There was something up with her comrades. The younger two princesses had been acting strange. Mina was not leader of the guard for no reason. Rei was usually very grounded due to her spirituality. Ami was also very level headed and practical. For the past week she had noticed subtle changes in her fellow princesses. Mars was less sarcastic than usual. She had actually been nice to the blond general whom she had to work with. Then she could have sworn she saw Ami being coy. Coy! Ami! With the dirty blond general paired with her. She needed to pull her guards back together. They were here to work not fraternize. The only one left was Lita. The warrior had been firmly at work every time Mina had checked on her. All Mina needed was her best warrior becoming flustered by a man.

Thank Aphrodite for Lita's daddy issues.

Mina was roused from her thoughts by a clearing of a throat. She mentally shook herself and turned her attention to the general behind her.

"I have a feeling I know where your thoughts are," Kunzite said as he led them to War room again.

"And where do you feel that is?"

"Where mine are: With our comrades."

He had to shake her from whatever reverie she was in. He would never get used to her royal appearance or lack thereof. He remembered the spectacular view of the front of her garb, but the back… He viewed the silhouette of her legs through the gossamer fabric of her skirt. He followed the path to her shapely buttocks and to the soft curved of her back. The only thing on her back was the crossing fabric of her halter.

He pulled his thoughts back to the present as he saw the princess think on his comment. Finally she sighed.

"Yes. My girls are rather distracted."

"As are my generals. Perhaps the reason is mutual infatuation."

"I was afraid of that. Of course we must discourage this."

Kunzite nodded. "Finally Lady Venus, we are in agreement."

"Yes. Who would have thought?" Mina said with a small smile. Kunzite returned the smile. Mina broke the moment and made to walk past him, butterflies growing in her stomach. What the hell is wrong with you? Did you not just say that the princesses and generals should not be fraternizing? And what are you doing? she thought to herself. Before she could leave she felt a rough hand grip her upper arm.

Mina faced Kunzite, the burn of his touch growing down her arm. "May I ask a question Lady Venus?" Kunzite said carefully. He loosened his grip, but did not remove it.

"You may. Though I guarantee no answer." Quit flirting Mina!

"Why are you so austere? A woman from your planet, especially the next ruler, should be more docile, no?"

He kept his grey eyes on her as he saw her thinking. Mina did not take offense to the question. This happened often where people thought Venusian people to be very loving and docile, and believers in free love. Though love was indeed the creed of her people, it was only within bond-mates. Intimacy between bond-mates was the most sacred. Within the bond-mate relationship was the only place her people showed emotions. And when they did, it was raw, fierce, and intense; thus why what the general consensus thought was untrue.

How do you phrase that in a few words?

"General Kunzite on my planet love is the most sacred and revered force only shared between, what your equivalent would be, married couples. Other planets hear stories of my people being passionate lovers, and they are, but only to their spouses. Bond-mates they are termed. Love is not offered freely to just anyone. There is trust, commitment, and want within love. And that is won," Mina explained never breaking eye contact.

"How does one win this privilege?" Kunzite asked pointedly.

Venus let her gaze lower as a blush crept up her cheeks at his intense curiosity. Calm yourself. You cannot begin to crush like schoolgirl over some brute human!

"Why inquire about knowledge you will never use?"

He did not know why now of all occasions he was acting on his carnal thoughts. This past week with the blond princess was torture. The first time they had to teleport was a test to his manly restraint. She wore close to nothing and most of her skin was bare and exposed. He could feel her soft creamy skin every time they had to be close to teleport. She was so damn sure of herself, and her confidence hooked him. She would round on her fellow guards and ask how they were doing, or if the needed anything. She was compassionate. Considerate. Yet with him she was rough, cordial, and sometimes indifferent. He did not want this reaction from her, not when she made him hot under the collar.

He pulled her so that her shoulder was at his chest and her ear at his lips. "Let's just say that I have motivation to win."

Mina felt something stir I her womb. She smiled coyly without looking at his face. "I would divulge, but I am sure the spoils would be more than you can handle." Mina! What are you doing? You are the leader of the guards of the Silver Allegiance. Act like it!

Kunzite's grip tightened. "You take pleasure in mocking my virility. Tell me Mina, is that your way of asking if I can handle you?" he said unabashedly, his warm breath tickling her ear. "Because I would love to show you."

Mina actually shivered at the promise in his words. Her royal symbol gleamed on her forehead. A thrill so delicious ran up her spine and grew goosebumps on her skin. All this without using her pheromones. She felt something familiar rise up within her. She was used to this banter. And she knew he enjoyed it too. A type of foreplay for the both of them. Mina turned so that her almost bare breasts were against his uniform. Her face was an inch away from his.

"Perhaps there is an implied challenge in my words Lord Kunzite, but to rise to it would mean throwing propriety and, at the moment, work out of the window," Mina said sensually, her hand trailing down his chest to the side of his abdomen, "You seem too by the book to do any of that. So I, in fact, have nothing to worry about."

She pulled away with a smirk at her last comment. She had been so innocent in a way when she baited him. He could tell that she was not used to flirting with men. She had read the rule book, but lacked the field experience. She wanted him to lose control. Kunzite was a disciplined man knowing how to act when pressured, but again, he was still just a man.

"You be the judge of that," he said with a frustrated groan.

He pulled her flush against his hard chest as his lips captured hers. Mina's eyes widened with surprise as she felt him was kissing her. She closed her eyes as she felt his warm mouth move against hers. She snaked one arm around his neck while the other stayed on his chest. Kunzite groaned as he felt her respond. His arms wrapped around her, and by the way she was responding he could tell she had wanted this too. She maneuvered herself on his body like she knew it. Kunzite's hunger increased for her as these emotions ran through him. He pushed the princess back until she hit a wall. He pinned her there and continued his brazen exploration of her body.

Mina was in shock of her behavior. At least her rational mind was. This had started off as a game. Flirtation. She had not counted on kissing the usually in control general as if he were a lover she hadn't seen for some time. Her body took over on instinct. It knew what to do to drive him wild, but what scared her more is that she knew what she liked to do to him. But how..? His hands felt like a welcomed friend. His lips were like a memory one often thought of with fondness. Her soul recognized him. Her leg hiked up on his hip. She melted as she felt his rough hand glide up her thigh. Mina broke the kiss for air, some sense coming back to her. This was too much too fast.

"Kunzite," Mina tried huskily. Kunzite continued his ministrations.

"Kunzite," Mina tried more firmly and with a soft push of his chest.

"Yes?" he asked still buried in her neck.

"We need to stop Kunzite."

"Why? Mina I just got you back," he said in his lusty haze with a growl and pressing his want against the apex of her legs. Mina moaned and gyrated against him in response.

"Got me back?" she asked breathlessly.

"Yes. Please don't take this from me," He said desperately finally pulling back to see her face. He was actually looking in to the beautiful blue eyes he loved. But they were looking back at him quizzically. He saw confusion and felt his stomach drop when he realized she didn't recognize him. She was looking at him with genuine curiosity. He felt his heart give a tight squeeze at that.

To her, he was still a stranger.

Kunzite backed off. His grip loosened and he let her go despite his soul screaming at him not to. With a clearing of his throat he thought it better to go with a modest sort of attitude to play it off.

"Pardon me. Kissing you leaves me a little….disoriented. I hope I have the same effect."

Mina blushed and smiled as she straightened up. "I believe you know the effect you leave on a woman, Lord Kunzite."

"On any other woman, perhaps," causing Mina to look at him with a raised brow, "but you are much harder to read."

"I am not a book, Lord Kunzite."

"No, you are more of a code in need of cipher."

Mina finally pushed her hair back with a calming hand. "We have reports to read remember?"

"I'd much rather start on that cipher," he said stepping forward.

Mina felt the waves of lust and attraction radiating off of him like heat. She placed a finger on the general's chest and pushed a little.

"Now would be the time for that famed discipline I have seen you exert, General Kunzite."

Kunzite backed off with a grin, but inwardly he was a bit disturbed. Why don't you remember Mina, but I do?

"So I read the updates that the three of you left for me. They seem very promising, most of all yours Ami. I think you'll be ready to commune with General Zoicite soon," Mina said collecting the stack of papers and tapping them twice against the table.

"Yes, Lord Zoicite has been very apt at locating the essential points that react best to me," Ami said with a fond smile on her face. Rei took notice, but Lita and Mina were none-the-wiser.

"Yours too Rei. These seem very good. Maybe another day or two and you and Ami will be able to return to your respective planets for a while," Mina said with a smile, though she had ulterior motives. The quicker the youngest princesses left the Terran planet, the better. They could not risk getting involved with Terrans. They were a distraction to a greater purpose and each princess had obligations to fulfill to their queen, and to their home worlds. Hypocrite much, Mina?

"Why would we need to leave so soon? There are still many things we could do while here," Ami interjected with furrowed brows.

"That is true Mina," supplied Rei, "Just because we are finishing up our main objectives doesn't mean we are done with the detail work."

Mina sighed rubbing her face with her hands. "Those details can be discussed tomorrow," she said getting up from her chair, "For now I am going to bed. I had to commune at a prison today and I am thoroughly taxed. Good night."

"Good night," Rei and Ami said simultaneously. Once Mina had left Ami turned her blue eyes to the quiet warrior staring off into the fire in the room.

"Are you staying up for a while Lita? Do you want to have a little bit of girl time?" Ami said with a small sparkle in her eyes.

Lita's green eyes stayed fixed on the fire, her lips wearing a smile that did not reach her face. "Not tonight," she said finally standing and looking at the younger princesses, "I trained particularly hard today with General Nephrite. I am beat. So I as well will say good night."

"Good night then," Rei said with a small smile.

Once the Jovian warrior had left the room, this left only the two younger princesses. Ami was now staring off into the same fire that Lita had been. Rei looked over at her and narrowed her eyes. Now would be a good time to bring up the events she had seen the other week when she had been around the War room.

"Are you going off to sleep too?" Rei asked starting off nonchalantly.

"No. I am not really sleepy yet."

"Why did you feel like having girl time?" Rei asked, "Is there something on your mind you want to talk about?"

Ami blushed at the question for it brought her back to a week ago when Zoicite had kissed her outside the War room. She had made the decision that night that she would no longer fight whatever was happening between them. For the first time in her life she felt feminine, wanted. To the general she wasn't just some walking brain, or someone to go consult matters of intel to. She was a woman. Zoicite awoke emotions within her that she had only glimpsed between her parents. After that night she and Zoicite made the agreement to remain discrete in front of others. When they were alone however, was a different story. Every time Zoicite had taken her to a calibration spot on the planet, it was usually next to some body of water where Ami felt more relaxed and at ease. He was always so gentle with her. He would let her set the pace of their rendezvous. Never did he dare to make advances that he knew would frighten her. The few times that he had kissed her now had been gentle and suave. On the downside though, he would always cut them off too early. Just when Ami would start to get wrapped up in the mood, he would pull away, rub his nose against hers gently, and rest his forehead on hers. Ami knew nothing of the inner workings of men. There were questions she had about certain aspects of her blossoming….whatever it was.

Hence her need for girl talk.

Ami looked away from the fire and to Rei's smiling and waiting face. "Rei… Have you ever kissed a guy?" she asked, her blue eyes not meeting Rei's.

Inwardly Rei grinned. It didn't take much to make the youngest princess open up. Emotions were not her strong suit. "Yes," Rei said calmly, "Why? Have you? Or…is there someone you want to kiss?"

Ami stood up and went to sit by the fire, her knees under her chin. "There might be….and he may already have."

"Ami!" Rei squealed. She stood up and went to sit by Ami next to the fire. "Oh my stars! You have you tell me everything! Where? When? How long? How intense?"

Ami chose those moment to let a giggle out while she buried her face in her knees. "Rei..." Ami groaned, "Please don't make this harder than it already is for me."

"I am sorry Ami, but I have to admit that out of all of us, you were the last one I would think to be asking me about kissing guys."

"I am not dead inside you know," Ami huffed. She knew she was aloof and calculating, but did people really see her as a robot?

Rei laughed. "It's not that you silly woman. It's everything. Your father, your demeanor, and the way you speak."

"What's wrong with all that?" Ami asked with a slight pout.

"Ami you're so fragile, so unexposed to the world. Much of that has to do with King Calder, but also yourself," Rei said placing a gentle hand on her friend. "You are much too innocent in your thinking and your actions. Most of all your unexperienced heart."

"I am the terminal nun aren't I?" Ami asked with a flat tone and half smile.

"You are just unacquainted with this area of life. And not knowing, not being able to prepare for it by reading a book, scares you doesn't it?"

Ami twitched her mouth to the side. "Damn your psychic abilities," Ami said staring at Rei's hand still on her shoulder.

"Ah, sorry," Rei said sheepishly.

Ami sighed. "You are right though. In most things I am well versed and studied, but when it comes to peer-bonding… I know nothing. I have no basis for comparison and that leaves me at a very bad vantage point."

"Hence again the girl talk," Rei said with a smile. "So what were we on before going off on a tangent….Ah yes, you kissed someone?"

Ami again blushed and looked away. "Yes…quite a few times actually."

"May I know who this person is? Though I am sure I can deduce."

"General Zoicite," Ami whispered with a small fond smile.

"Mm-hm. Just who I thought. How was it? And I don't mean physical details. How do you feel about it?"

Ami let her eyes wander back to the fire as she thought. "I feel…replete. Integral. Every time he kisses me from the very first one, I feel as though I'm home," Ami said. Rei watched as her friend's eyes became bluer than she had ever seen them. Her being began to hum with energy and glow blue. "When he takes me in his arms and I feel his strong lips touch mine, my mind goes blank. For once I don't think. I feel. I am one with him in that instant. There is no me and him, there is just us. The feeling is so intense that I don't know where mine ends and his begins, because I swear Rei that I can feel him too."

Rei listened to her friend talk and thought back to the moments she had been alone with Jedite. When he had kissed her next the volcano she thought she was going to burst from the emotion. Jedite had to pull away because the volcano had begun to rumble. Funny how aspects of the Earth could respond to her emotions. To add to it, Jedite had teased her about being able to make her cause volcanos to explode. With his ego, he did not need to know that. She too had felt that way though…with that kiss and all the following ones. She thought back to their last one.

Rei let out a gasp as she felt strong arms wrap around her abdomen.

"Gotcha," came the mirthful voice of her favorite general.

"Lord Jedite I thought we agreed to stay discrete? I believe this nullifies that agreement," Rei said with a smile turning in his arms to face him.

"I do apologize for being so forward, my Lady, but I saw you walking by and could not resist the urge to grab you and tell you that…You have a piece of tree in your hair."

Rei's brows shot up and immediately her hands went to hair. "I do?"

"Yes, right….here….," Jedite said pulling a small twig and leaf from her raven locks. Rei looked upon the twig and leaf that Jedite settle in her hand. Her cheeks heated with embarrassment and set the offending items on fire in the palm of her hand.

"Now that was a bit extreme. They did nothing to you," Jedite commented with a tsk of the tongue.

"They were in my hair. That is offense enough."

Jedite narrowed his eyes and gave her a knowing smile. "More like you were embarrassed to be caught in such a state by the object of your affections."

There goes his ego, Rei thought. "Please. Do not give yourself such importance, my Lord. I was merely annoyed."

Jedite let his laughter rumble in his chest. Rei felt this against her palms. "Don't be offended by simple vegetation, my Lady. It would take more than that steer my attention away," he said pulling her more closely. "In reality I should thank them for this."

"For what?"

"That simple twig and leaf were able to reveal to me what affect I can have on you," Jedite said huskily as he rest his forehead against hers. "I like knowing that I fluster you."

Rei sighed as he heard his low voice whispering to her. "You also have a way of making me forget my words."

"That's a blessing in disguise then. If you can't talk around me, then we'll just have to find another use for your mouth won't we?"

Before Rei could retort, Jedite had already used his well-positioned hands to pull her closer and seal their lips. Rei let her arms wrap around his neck as his left hand stayed behind her neck and his right arm was wrapped around her torso. Their kisses were never something to be taken lightly because Rei's ability to peer into a person's essence was based on physical contact. Everything that he thought and felt, she could feel. His lust and feelings of affections grouped with her own and she lost sight of which were her own and which her his. It seemed as though Jedite were privy to this too. For as their kiss grew in demand, it seemed to correspond to their rise in lust and feeling. It was as though he was at the receiving end of Rei's physic abilities, only he was peering into hers without knowing he was.

Jedite heard her whimper and nearly lost it. His rapacious behavior came out as he felt drunk with want. He let his right hand move from her torso to her shoulder and began to lower the straps of her corset. He repeated the same action with the other strap. He let his lips wander from her mouth, to her jaw, to her neck and collar bone. Breathy pants were coming from her as she let his emotions over run her him. Rei was able to open her eyes some and saw a gleaming in the corner of her eye. There was a bright light that she was too distracted to focus on, but it was familiar. Then an odd odor began to fill her nose.

Is that smoke? Is someone burning something? she thought. She managed to fully open her eyes and saw that a house plant was on fire.

"Lord Jedite…the plant….in the corner…it's on fire," Rei moaned out.

Jedite stopped his ministrations as he looked at her with a puzzled expression. "What?"

Rei smiled impishly as she pointed to the burning house plant.

"Oh! Let me run for some water," Jedite said making to leave.

"My Lord that is not necessary," Rei said extending an arm towards the house plant. Jedite stared as Rei willed the fire to diminish then disappear altogether.

Jedite walked closer to the princess and smirked at her as he gathered her back in his arms.

"What? Why the look?" Rei queried.

"So not only do I cause you to make volcanos shake, make you speechless, and burn innocent tree bits, but my kisses also cause you to make defenseless house plants burst into flames. I wonder what will happen if we were to really test our passions. I fear the Earth would not survive," Jedite taunted with a wolfish grin.

"As long as you don't survive along with it, I'd call it even," Rei said with an indignant huff.

Jedite laughed. "And you say that when you're not mad at me. Let's go. There's more we need to do," he said veering her off to their next communing point.

"I know exactly what you mean," Rei heard herself saying. It was Ami's turn to be surprised.

"Oh you do?" she said inquisitively.

Rei let the blush reach her cheeks and her eyes fall. "I may have had my own encounters with General Jedite."

Ami clapped and smiled widely. "Rei! I thought he thoroughly annoyed you."

"He does, but in a charming way."

"And you feel with him the way I described I do with Zoicite?"

"To a tee," Rei said nodding. "Only…Ami I am going to sound crazy, but…don't you feel like we know them?"

"Yes!" Ami exclaimed, "I do. Even Zoicite said that he felt like he knew me."

"Jedite said the same thing…well thought the same thing."

"I wonder…" Ami trailed off.

"What?"

"Well…who is to say we don't?" Ami postulated.

"…The fact that we just met them 8 days ago?"

"Yes, this time."

"Ok…you're going to have to catch me up on your thoughts, because obviously I am missing something," Rei stated puzzled.

"Serenity used the Silver Crystal to restore us to our natural places. We know that our memories have been tampered with. Who says that in the pre-restoration era we didn't know the generals?" Ami queried with growing awe in her voice.

Rei felt her stomach drop.

"Holy Ares….you could be right," Rei said giving Ami a realizing expression. "But how do we find out if that is true? Where do we begin to look?"

"We have that at our disposal already. We are to commune with our generals soon. You know as well as I do that when we do we will be seeing every memory they have had of their life, and they will see ours. I have a feeling that this will dispel whatever doings the Silver Crystal did 3 years ago."

Rei frowned at that. "If you're right and we regain our memories of our past lives…The question is should we know? There is reason why Serenity used the Silver Crystal when she did."

Ami nodded. "That is true. But think about it Rei. If we are feeling this intensely now without our memories, how much more would it be with them? Don't you want to find out?" she said whispering towards the end as if she were scheming.

Rei smiled at Ami. "Yes I do."