"The Slumber"
Chapter 8
~Discovery~
By: Willow Mae

The men had gathered in the sitting room as Kunzite had requested, each prepared for dinner. Nephrite had changed from his horse costume and into more formal yet comfortable attire. His black pants buckled over shiny black shoes. He wore a deep green silk shirt that was mostly covered by an elegant black jacket. He had opted to leave his chestnut hair hanging, as had Kunzite, who had chosen a different outfit to wear to dinner. His light blue suit was clean cut wool, the fibers accenting his silver hair. A golden shirt brought out the tone of his skin and made his eyes burn brighter than usual. Jadeite was dressed similarly to Zoisite, as the two had opted to wear cleaner versions of their general's suits. Once the men had assembled, Kunzite motioned for them to be seated.

"So, Kunz, what's up?" Jadeite flopped sideways onto one of the chairs, a casual grin on his face. Kunzite raised an eyebrow at his informal manners but let it pass.

"Before we are taken to dinner I wanted to make sure a few things were made clear." Kunzite informed his generals. "First, let me remind you that so far we are guests, not prisoners. Let us keep it that way, and not aggravate the ladies further. " He looked pointedly at Jadeite, who did his best to look innocent. "Second, let me also remind you that we are still at war with Beryl. We are only here until Endymion is well, and then we are back into battle. Try not to let yourself be distracted."

"Oh come off it Kunzite. We're not that irresponsible." Nephrite admonished. Jadeite nodded his agreement, and only Zoisite noticed their leader's eyes begin to narrow. He hurriedly jumped in to save his friend's necks.

"All they're saying is that we understand how serious things are." Zoisite soothed quickly. "We'll be on prime behavior, I assure you. After all, everyone is curious about this place. I doubt we would want to risk learning something valuable by being immature."

"Just the response I'd expect from you." Kunzite replied, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly in amusement. "Very well. We shall be patient and observe our surroundings. Who knows, we may even make some allies. They seem to have as deep a hatred of Beryl as we do. A hatred they may take action upon, if we play our cards correctly."

"I wonder what Beryl did here to make them hate her so." Nephrite spoke gruffly, a hint of reproach in his voice. "The land is pure and feels uncontaminated. Like she forgot to destroy it." The pain that pinched in his throat was evident to the rest of the generals, and they all knew that the tall man was reliving the destruction of his own lands.

"A keen observation." Kunzite replied. "But something must have happened here to forge such hatred. I wonder what the rest of the people in this place feel, and where they are. We haven't seen anyone but those four."

Jadeite snorted. "Well, considering that we've been locked in this room for most of our stay, we wouldn't have had a chance to see any of the others." He raised his hands in submission as the others shot him a warning glance. "I know, I know. I'm cool, don't worry."

"Kunzite does seem to have a point, though." Zoisite mused. "This place has an eerie emptiness to it. There was nothing in the gardens but flowers. Not even birds or insects. And for all the vastness of this palace, one would expect to hear servants or other guests talking or going to and from, but we only hear our own footsteps."

"Perhaps there are some puzzles that are best to let lie." Kunzite pointed out, seeing the familiar look in Zoisite's eyes that signaled he would soon be lost in deep thought. The glaze faded from the general's eyes and he smiled wistfully.

"Yes, yes of course." He glanced at his pocket-watch to hide his thoughts. "Isn't it about time for them to be returning?"

As if on cue, there was a knock on the door and the sound of keys scraping against the lock. The door swung open and in the doorway stood Minako. She still wore the same peach gown as before, but her hair was tied with a large red bow on the side, so that piles of her golden hair spilled over her shoulder instead of down her back. Giving a tiny curtsey she entered the room.

"Dinner is ready." She smiled cordially. "Please follow me to the Great Hall." The men bowed stiffly and followed from the room.

Mina led the generals through the twisting halls silently, unsure of what to say. Before coming to escort the guests, Rei had reported that their story was true. To the senshi leader's surprise, the fiery warrior also expressed her desire to let the men stay and to place trust in them. While this sudden change in Rei's opinion startled Mina, what startled her even more was the realization that she herself had intended to trust the Terrans faithfully from the start, even if she hadn't realized it. These thoughts agitated her mind and buried her usually perky personality beneath a mask of confusion. Luckily for her, the walk from the men's quarters to the Great Hall was quick. She pulled on the massive doors before her and ushered the men into the very same hall that had hosted the Princess's eighteenth birthday.

"Please be seated." She said, motioning towards one side of the table. The gentlemen complied, too astonished by the grandness of the Hall to say anything. The great oak table had been set with Makoto's delicacies, and each of the sconces attached to the tall marble pillars around the room had been lit. The high domed glass ceiling was colored with sunset. When the men had been seated, Minako sat in the chair two seats off the right of the head, directly across from Kunzite. "The ladies will be arriving shortly." She smiled again. Everything seemed silent.

"Thank you, Lady…" Kunzite prompted.

"You may call me Lady Venus." Minako supplied graciously. The men exchanged glances at the strange name but said nothing.

"Well, it looks like everyone's here then." A new voice supplied. Mercury stepped through a smaller entrance into the Hall and was followed by the other two ladies. Mercury still wore her blue dress, but she had taken off her glasses and placed a creamy gardenia in her blue locks. Jupiter and Mars had also changed from their senshi suits into gowns. Jupiter wore a simple dress of mint, and had left her hair in the bun from cooking. Mars had also left her hair piled messily upon her head, and had changed into a sleek crimson and plum dress. The men watched silently as the three came and took their seats to the left of Venus.

"Everyone?" Jadeite asked, looking at the other hundred or so chairs left along the table and the three empty chairs at the head.

"We are all present." Jupiter confirmed solidly. "Eat. I've prepared a nourishing meal."

To prove their point, they served themselves from the steaming silver platters. Forgetting all about the fact that the lady had prepared the meal instead of the cook, the generals were no longer hesitant and served themselves quickly. The food filled their eager bellies, for they had not eaten since that morning before the battle that had taken them to this castle.

"Thank you. This is wonderful food."

"We're not here to discuss the meal," Rei snapped suddenly. "But to discuss your stay."

Jadeite took a sip of his wine to hide his expression, but his eyes flashed. Earthling. he sent to his friends maliciously.

Calmly, Jade. Nephrite responded in kind, though he couldn't keep the chuckle from his mental voice.

"We cannot allow you to leave before your friend heals completely." Mercury stated, oblivious to the conversation being held by the gentlemen. She did not mention the fact that no one was entirely sure how to let the men leave anyway.

"We wouldn't want to leave sooner, truthfully." Zoisite assured them, but he felt perhaps he had said something wrong when eyes narrowed suspiciously at him.

"Quite. And it will be some time before he is fully healed."

"How long?" Nephrite demanded, anxious for his liege. "There are things we must attend to elsewhere! Who will lead the troops against…" he trailed off, remember it wise not to mention the Queen.

"I'm afraid these duties must be put aside for the time, my lord." Venus apologized. "For our own safety, we must restrict you to this place. However, we will try to make this as comfortable for you as we can."

Jadeite couldn't contain his irritation. "What, by locking us up every night?" He sneered, ignoring the warming, angry glares of his companions. His eyes locked with Rei's and her lip curled angrily.

"That's what your do with vicious beasts." She hissed snidely.

"Peace!" Venus ordered her. Reluctantly, Rei cast her gaze away.

Jadeite… the tone was warning.

I know! I know! I'm sorry. It won't happen again. Promise.

Good.

"The lock was for our safety as well as yours. It has been a long time since we've had visitors." Lady Venus explained. It felt good to be in the diplomatic seat again. She continued. "You will house yourselves in the East Wing, where you are now. If you are compelled to explore, the grounds are open to you, as is the South Wing and the rest of the East Wing. If you have any needs, we are in the North Wing. Call us and we will do our best," She looked pointedly at the other senshi, who met her gaze and nodded. "to provide you with what you need."

"Thank you for your hospitality and generosity, milady." Kunzite said diplomatically.

"If I might be permitted to ask, how are we to call upon you?" Zoisite inquired.

"Ah yes. May I present the ladies Mercury," Ami did her best to curtsey in her chair. "Jupiter," Makoto gave a slight not of her head. "and Mars." Rei met their eyes with a piercing violet gaze.

"The pleasure is ours." Kunzite replied smoothly to the introductions. "I am Lord Kunzite, and my companions are Zoisite, Nephrite and Jadeite." The men gaze formal half-bows in their chairs. They continued to eat for some time, silence heavy in the large room. Soon the sun had almost completely faded from the dome and the hall blazed with the shadowy light given from the sconces.

"If I might inquire-" Zoisite began in an attempt to break the disheartening quiet, but Lady Venus held up a delicate hand to silence him. All the women had their heads turned to the glass ceiling where the last rays of sunlight faded into darkness.

"The sun is about to set. Excuse us." Jupiter stated softly. As a group, the women rose and walked out onto the Great Balcony. Curious about their hostesses' actions, the men stop eating and followed them out. Each of the ladies stood with her eyes fixed on the sky, calmly gazing out as the sun went to sleep. There was such an air about them that no one dared breathe, let alone speak. Yet, Nephrite had to ask.

"What is so special about sunset?" He murmured by Jupiter's ear. She didn't turn to him, but answered.

"It is a time to meditate on our fates." She whispered. "We always watch Earthrise, wherever we are at the moment. It is ritual." Her words were heard by all in the quiet stillness on the balcony. The generals exchanged nervous glances.

"Earthrise??"

Then they saw it. Rising beautiful, proud and blue just above the horizon, Earth came into view. The women all inhaled deeply and closed their eyes. The generals staggered back in shock, tacking support from each other and the pillars that lined the balcony as their eyes widened and stayed transfixed on the great globe rising before them. The Earth continued her ascent in all her majestic glory, a great sphere of blue and white swirling together in a gentle dance. From so far away, the men had trouble recalling that beneath that beauty a cruel and bloody war ravaged the entire planet. Everyone was caught in the magic of the rise, held in suspense and awe.

"Where the hell are we?" Jade breathed, his eyes wide and glued to the planet floating among the first stars of the night. Lady Venus slowly opened her eyes and smiled as she turned to him.

"Didn't you know? Welcome to the Moon, my lords."

"The Slumber"

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