Chapter Four
Stargazing
"You know, I've never been to a ball that big on Earth," Jadeite said the next day. "And the girls here are a lot prettier. Did you know that I danced with seven different girls last night?"
Zoisite smiled at his young companion's enthusiasm, even though he couldn't share it. Typical teenager, he thought with amusement. "You did mention it once or twice," he said aloud.
Jadeite nodded. "I had a lot of fun last night," he reiterated. He looked up at Zoisite, struck by a thought. "Ah, and it was incredible when you played the piano and Princess Minako sang! You two sounded so good together!"
Zoisite's smile faded and he sank back into his chair. I wish people would stop saying that, he thought, bitterly remembering the unpleasant emotions Princess Minako had been causing him. Her singing had been lovely, but still...
"I take back what I said about you playing the piano well!" her angry voice echoed in his head. He shook his head and frowned. Don't dwell on it, he ordered himself fiercely. These Moon vixens are nothing but trouble. If you let your guard down for just an instant, they'll get inside your head and rob you of your senses.
"Zoisite, what's wrong?" Jadeite asked in concern, shaking Zoisite from his reverie. "You look like you're going to be sick. That's how Nephrite looked last night! Do you think something is going around?"
"Undoubtedly," Kunzite said, entering the common room from his own suite and attaching his cape to his shoulder pads as he walked. "It's an infectious disease caused by exposure to beautiful young women. I believe it's called 'lovesickness'." He chuckled. "You'd best be careful, Jadeite, or you'll catch it too!"
Jadeite laughed; Zoisite, on the other hand, scowled. "Be quiet, Kunzite," he snapped.
Kunzite laughed aloud and opened the door leading to one of the many palace hallways. "Where are you going?" Jadeite called after him
"I'm going to take a look around the Kingdom, and, while I'm at it, try to find something to mend my cloak with. It's coming loose on the right side," Kunzite explained.
Jadeite nodded. "Have fun!" he said as Kunzite closed the door after himself.
In the privacy of the hall, Kunzite's expression changed. Lovesickness, he thought. I hope I don't fall prey to that myself. He turned briskly and strode away.
Still in the common room, Zoisite rose to his feet. "I'm going to go compose," he said, hoping its soothing effects would help calm his nerves.
"What, you're going too?" Jadeite asked disappointedly.
"If you're bored, find Nephrite and the Master," Zoisite suggested, "I believe they're walking the grounds."
Jadeite brightened. "That sounds like a good idea," he said, also standing. He hadn't had a chance to talk to Nephrite since the previous night, and now seemed a good opportunity–particularly to find out where Nephrite had disappeared to, exactly.
Out in the palace gardens, Nephrite walked in attendance of his master. "I think Serenity's ball was a fabulous success," Endymion was saying. "All of her hard work definitely paid off."
"Mmm," Nephrite agreed distractedly.
Endymion eyed him suspiciously. "So, where were you all evening?"
That snapped Nephrite from his reverie. "Huh? Oh." Nephrite looked down, his cheeks turning a bit pink. "I just went out on the balcony and talked with Princess Ami for awhile."
Endymion smiled knowingly. "I see that the two of you made up."
"Yeah," Nephrite said, searching for a new subject and trying to push Ami's face from his mind. "So what did I miss?"
"Did you hear about Zoisite and Princess Minako's little face-off?" Endymion asked.
Nephrite's eyes widened. "No, I heard nothing about that!" he said.
Endymion chuckled a little. "They did a duet, with him on the piano and her singing. They kept trying to outdo each other! Serenity's idea had been that if they performed together, they might let go of some of their animosity towards each other." He shook his head. "I think it did the opposite, though. Right after they finished the song, Zoisite said something to her that made her so angry that she left the ball." He sighed. "Zoisite's behavior worries me."
"I see," Nephrite said thoughtfully, not sure what to say in response to that.
"I have faith in him, though," Endymion added after a moment. "If you and Princess Ami were able to resolve your differences, then there's no doubt in my mind that Zoisite and Princess Minako can work theirs out as well."
The underlying dig about Nephrite's intrinsic stubbornness slipped past the general unnoticed, as his mind had already turned to other things. If Zoisite and Minako resolve their differences as Ami and I did... –In his memory, Nephrite saw Ami's sweet face, her gentle warmth– ...then we'll really be in for it.
"I thought the ball went wonderfully," Ami commented as she walked alongside Serenity.
"Yes, everyone seemed to enjoy themselves," Serenity replied. "Except Minako, of course," she added, frowning.
"Rei told me that she fought with one of the Shitennou," Ami said, her voice filled with concern.
"She did," Serenity said. "But it's strange; whatever he said to her seems to have really upset her. Minako is usually so imperturbable, but she's been acting more emotional recently. Zoisite seems to be having an effect on her." She considered this. "I suppose that could be a good thing, if only they would move past insulting each other..."
"Your Highness?" Ami asked, confused.
"Oh, it's nothing," Serenity replied quickly. "I was just thinking aloud, that's all."
The two continued down the garden path into an area filled with many white marble columns, overgrown with vines and climbing roses. Ami looked around at the beautiful setting contentedly; and as she and Serenity rounded the corner, they nearly ran headlong into Endymion and Nephrite, who were approaching from the opposite side. Endymion and Serenity met each others' eyes and smiled; Nephrite and Ami, on the other hand, each looked down towards the ground in embarrassment.
"Hello, ladies," Endymion said brightly. "What are you up to this morning?"
"Well, Ami was accompanying me on a stroll, and then she was going to go into town to get some sewing supplies, am I right?"
Ami, feeling her face growing warm for reasons unknown, nodded.
Endymion's eyes lit up. "Well, then–why don't I accompany you on the rest of your walk, and Nephrite can escort Princess Ami into town."
Nephrite jerked his head up at that. "Master!" he exclaimed.
"That's an excellent idea!" Serenity put in. "Nephrite, you haven't seen the town yet, have you?"
"Well...no...but..."
"Then it's settled!" Endymion cut him off, extending his arm for Serenity to take.
Nephrite sighed in exasperation. "Princess Ami, do you mind?" he asked, daring a glance in her direction.
"No, of course not," she replied, her cheeks tinged with pink. She curtsied, and, Nephrite following closely, departed.
Serenity and Endymion watched them go. When they had vanished from sight, Serenity turned to the Earth Prince. "We're wicked," Serenity said, grinning deviously.
"Ah, but that's what makes us so likable!" Endymion countered, bending and placing a playful kiss on his princess's lips.
"The shop we're going to is just off the main street," Ami said while she and Nephrite walked down the busy sidewalk outside the palace gates. As they went, Nephrite looked around in interest at the bustling throng of people performing their daily activities. "What do you think of it?" Ami asked, noticing his wandering eyes.
"Actually, I was just thinking that this looks just like an Earth town," Nephrite admitted.
Ami giggled and, fighting a blush, slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow. "Isn't that what we figured out last night?" she asked him. "That the Earth and the Moon actually aren't so different?"
"Last night," Nephrite repeated, his face turning as red as his hair. "Yeah, I guess you're right."
Ami smiled contentedly as she and Nephrite continued arm in arm. Yes, Your Highness, she thought, remembering her earlier conversation with Princess Serenity. I'd say that the ball definitely went well.
They passed a bakery and Nephrite inhaled the scent of warm, freshly baked rolls and loaves; they passed a florist and he caught a sweet perfume. The crowd swarmed noisily about them, yet, with Ami on his arm, he felt totally at ease, even in a foreign place. At least, he did–until he noticed that a good deal of the passersby were watching him intently.
"Ami," Nephrite said in a low voice, "Why are those people staring at us?"
Ami blinked and looked around. "Oh...I think it's because they don't recognize you," she admitted.
Nephrite furrowed his brow. "What, you mean every person in the Moon Kingdom knows each other?"
Ami laughed. "No, silly," she replied. "They just know me."
"Oh." Nephrite looked uncomfortably at the staring populace. "Don't you find that a bit...disconcerting?"
Still smiling, Ami shook her head. "Just ignore it," she said. "The shop is just around the corner, anyway."
Ami led Nephrite around a bend, through a brightly lit avenue and into a shop. Inside were innumerable bolts of fabric in a multitude of colors and textures. There were shelves of pattern books and racks adorned with spools of thread. Ami approached the front counter, where a kindly looking older woman, bespectacled and with her hair pulled back in a bun, sat.
"Good morning, Mistress Ami," the woman said.
"Good morning, Clara!" Ami brightly replied.
"Who's this strapping young fellow?" Clara asked, gesturing to Nephrite. Nephrite's eyebrows flew up. He could not recall ever having been referred to as "strapping" before.
"This is my friend Nephrite, one of Prince Endymion's vassals," Ami was saying. "He's accompanying me on my errands today."
Nephrite bowed politely. "Nice to meet you."
"A pleasure," Clara said, smiling broadly. She leaned in towards Ami and added, under her breath but not nearly quietly enough, "So polite, and so tall! A good catch, Mistress!"
Ami could feel her cheeks burning with embarrassment. "I just need some blue floss and a new embroidery hoop, please," she said quickly, steering the discussion away from Nephrite.
"Ah, yes, I'll fetch those for you, my dear," Clara said, adjusting her glasses and turning to the shelves behind her. "Does this mean I get to look forward to seeing another of your lovely pieces soon?"
"I'm going to embroider a throw pillow," Ami replied.
"Oh, wonderful," Clara said. "I shall look forward to seeing it."
"I see that you sew a lot," Nephrite said, commenting on Ami's familiarity with the shopowner. Clara was seeming more like a doting grandmother than just the proprietress of a shop to him.
"She does, she does," Clara answered for Ami, setting the embroidery hoop and the spool of floss on the counter and starting to wrap them in brown paper. "And she's so talented! She does the best embroidery I've seen in a good many years. You need patience for pieces like that, and Princess Ami certainly has that."
"I started with knitting," Ami explained. "I liked that, so I branched out to other things, like crocheting, embroidery, so on."
Nephrite nodded. Patience, he thought to himself. Just another on her list of virtues. I, on the other hand, am the epitome of impatience. He smiled. Maybe some of her good qualities will rub off on me.
"Here you are, dear," Clara said, handing Ami the package. "Be sure to let me see how your project turns out!"
"I will," Ami said, turning to leave. "Thank you!" With a wave to Clara, the two left the shop. "So, what else would you like to see?" Ami asked Nephrite as they headed towards the main street once more. "There's a lot in the Moon Kingdom that you have yet to experience."
Nephrite hadn't the faintest clue where to start, but before he could even open his mouth to tell Ami so, he was cut off by a deeper voice from behind.
"Imagine meeting you two here!" Kunzite said, appearing beside them.
"Kunzite!" Ami exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"I was looking for a place where I could purchase supplies with which to mend my cloak," he replied, "when I came upon an unlikely pair."
"Oh! Coincidentally, Nephrite and I just left the sewing shop ourselves. I was picking up some embroidery material," Ami said. "It's just over there, they should have what you need."
"I'd be pleased if you'd show me," Kunzite said. He cast a glance over at Nephrite, who seemed to be seething, and grinned.
"Oh...all right," Ami responded. She turned to Nephrite. "We'll just head back to Clara's shop for a moment, and then we'll get back to our tour of the kingdom..."
"A guided tour, you say?" Kunzite interjected. "I wouldn't mind one of those myself! Would it be all right if I joined you?"
"Well...I..." Ami stuttered, flustered. "I suppose..."
"It's fine, Princess," Nephrite interrupted. Kunzite's sudden appearance had ruined his good mood. "I just remembered, there's something I need to do back at the palace. You two go on ahead; I can see the kingdom at another time."
"Okay," Ami said softly. Nephrite bowed and strode off. Ami watched him go, trying to suppress her disappointment. "Shall we go?" Kunzite asked, extending his arm; and, trying to push Nephrite from her mind, Ami took it and led him in the direction of Clara's shop.
Zoisite sighed and stood. No matter how hard he tried, he simply could not get the music to come to him. This foreign place, the strange suite they'd put him in, the unfamiliar piano–it was all inhibiting his ability to do anything creative whatsoever. He needed to get away from the stifling atmosphere. Exhaling, he resolved to head outside. It may not be Earth, but at least he could relax in the welcome sunshine.
He wandered into the vast, unending gardens of the Moon Palace, searching for an isolated area where he could sit in peace. He followed a long, winding cobblestone path for quite some time, until it brought him to a seemingly abandoned courtyard, surrounded with fluted columns and hanging pots teeming over with greenery. It reminded Zoisite a bit of an area of the Earth Kingdom's gardens; although, of course, not as fine.
As he entered the courtyard, the first thing he noticed that was between the columns stood various marble statues of maidens in long gowns. In the center of the courtyard, where all the statues' empty eyes gazed, was a large fountain. Following their gaze, Zoisite realized for the first time that he was not alone in the courtyard: sitting on the rim of the fountain, intently watching the spray of the water, was Princess Minako of Venus. Her knees were in her chest, and she rested her cheek on them. Her shoulders were bare, and her black hair spilled down over her back, creating a portrait of perfect beauty.
Zoisite swallowed and stepped silently forward into the courtyard. His chest clenched and he felt himself nearly overwhelmed with desire seeing her sitting there like that. Desperately, he struggled to suppress these strong emotions. There wasn't the slimmest possibility that he could be attracted to one of those Moon vixens, he reasoned with himself, especially this one. It was a spell, one he must combat with all his will, no matter how hard it was.
Turning her head slightly, Minako sharply drew in her breath, noticing Zoisite's presence for the first time. She swiftly stood. "What are you doing here?" she demanded.
"I went for a walk," Zoisite said with a shrug. "I wasn't aware that I was under house arrest."
Minako said nothing in reply; she merely stood there, the light bouncing off the water and playing on her skin, her expressionless gaze never leaving Zoisite. He tried to tear his eyes off her form, but it was as if he was paralyzed.
Finally, Minako broke the silence. "You are free to go wherever you please. I was just unsure if your true intent was an innocent walk, or if you were hoping for another opportunity to insult me when my guard was down," she said coolly.
Her words cut Zoisite far more deeply than he expected them to. "That was not my intention," he said.
"Good," Minako said, striding past Zoisite to the courtyard's entrance. "Because I'll have you know, I won't fall for that twice. Nor will I let my guard down around you again."
Zoisite's temper flared. "And I assure you, the same goes for me," he snapped.
"Very well, then," Minako said, turning on her heel and leaving the courtyard.
Loathsome wench, Zoisite thought in disdain. And a hussy on top of it. Her attire alone was enough to drive even the most strong-willed of men to the brink of ruin.
He sat on the brim of the fountain where Minako had been perched moments before. Still...why was she out here alone? he wondered. No matter...it's none of my concern. He gazed around the courtyard, wondering for a bit about the identities of the women portrayed in stone, and why Venus had chosen this place as her refuge.
After a few minutes, Zoisite allowed himself a small smile. Suddenly, I feel as though I can write something. He stood, and left the courtyard behind him.
"Have you been avoiding me?" Ami asked Nephrite. Several days had passed since their doomed trip into town. Ami hadn't seen much of Nephrite since then; when she had, he had been with Endymion or the other Shitennou, and she hadn't been able to speak to him at all. Therefore, tonight after supper, she had intercepted him before she missed her opportunity.
"Why should I be avoiding you?" Nephrite inquired as they walked down the breezeway. He kept his eyes fixed on the vibrant pink sky, the blazing sunset, and avoided catching the gaze of Ami's prying eyes. He had been avoiding her, although he couldn't say for sure why he had been. Something about seeing Kunzite, his elder and superior, turn Ami's attention from him so easily had hurt Nephrite.
Ami chewed on her lip. "I don't know," she said. "I haven't seen you since we were in town a few days ago and Kunzite showed up, so I thought you might be mad at me."
Nephrite looked at her, startled. Suddenly, he felt miserable. He had been so selfish–he had thought only of his own feelings, not that he might be hurting Ami's. She was entitled to be friends with whomever she chose, regardless of how Nephrite felt about it. "I'm sorry, Ami," he said quickly. "It was nothing. I was just busy the past few days; it's hard to get a chance to talk to you without us being interrupted."
"I know," Ami agreed, thinking of how twice Kunzite had interrupted her time with Nephrite. Of course she loved her friend dearly, and enjoyed spending time with him; but it was exceedingly difficult to get Nephrite to open up, and every time Kunzite popped up, Nephrite pulled back into his shell. It was frustrating, to say the least. "I have an idea, though," she continued, turning out of the breezeway onto a path that led into the gardens.
"Where are you going?" Nephrite asked.
"I'm going to show you a place where no one will bother us," Ami replied brightly. "Come with me."
Nephrite arched an eyebrow, but followed her nonetheless. They had only walked along the path for a short while when Ami veered off, crossing a large expanse of grass. The sun had completely set when the pair arrived at a secluded area surrounded by willow trees. "This is the spot," Ami told Nephrite. "My secret place. We can talk as long as we want here, and no one will interrupt us."
Ami pushed through the long draping vines that hung from the willows' branches, Nephrite following close behind. He looked around in awe at the sparking blue pond and the various plant life surrounding it. "This is incredible," he said.
Ami smiled, sitting on the grass. "I knew you'd like it here," she said. "Wait until it gets completely dark–you can see every star in the sky."
Nephrite sat beside her on the grass, never taking his eyes off the beautiful Princess of Mercury. Every star in the sky? he thought wistfully. He could see no other star besides the one at his side. She is Kunzite's star, he reminded himself sullenly. One such as I shouldn't even dare to hope...
Kunzite wandered the empty halls of the Moon Palace. Where could she have gone? he wondered. He had noticed Ami at dinner, but not since. Jadeite and Endymion were back in the common room that joined each of the Shitennou's temporary quarters, playing chess; Kunzite had tired of watching their long game and Zoisite was no company whatsoever. As for Nephrite–who knew where he had gone off to now? He seemed to enjoy being alone anyway.
Kunzite had hoped to find some company with Ami, but she was not to be found in her suite, nor anywhere else for that matter. Kunzite had asked Serenity and the other Senshi if they had seen her or if they knew where she'd gone off to, but to no avail. Where could Ami have disappeared to?
He stopped short, suddenly remembering. Of course, he thought, smiling. He had suddenly realized where Ami had gone.
"Which constellation is your favorite?" Ami asked as she and Nephrite looked up at the twinkling diamond sky.
"That one," he said. "Ursa Major, the big bear." He paused, then admitted, "It's the easiest for me to find."
Ami giggled. "Bear?" she repeated.
"Yeah," Nephrite said, gesturing. "There's the body, and the neck and head."
Ami blinked. "Quite an imagination. It looks like a ladle to me."
Nephrite frowned good-naturedly. "Maybe you don't have enough of an imagination." He laughed, then changed the subject. "Which one is your favorite?"
Ami pointed. "That one."
Nephrite turned his head. "Ah, Orion, the mighty hero holding his club."
"Orion," Ami said. "That's not what I see when I look at that constellation..." Nephrite turned to face Ami. Her knees were in her chest, and her eyes reflected the starlight as she looked up at the constellation. "I see Mariel, 'of the Sea,' the first Princess of Mercury, guardian of the first Queen Serenity, who united all the worlds under the Moon Kingdom and the power of the Silver Crystal."
Nephrite shifted on his knees and faced her front on. "Ami," he said softly. Her eyes were shining, not from the reflected starlight alone, but from the tears welled up in her eyes.
"She was a brave and strong woman, who protected her queen from invaders with her powerful bow." Ami gestured to the three stars forming an arc over the constellation's body. Nephrite found that if he looked hard enough, he could see the first Mercurian Princess aiming her bow.
"Her loyalty to the queen was so strong, she was immortalized in the stars. She is my ancestor, and not just by blood. She was the first Sailor Mercury," Ami explained. "I have inherited her powers and her duty. I can only hope that I live up to her standards." Ami smiled. "I like to think that she is watching over me from her place in the heavens."
Nephrite smiled back at her. "That's a lot better than liking a stupid bear that looks like a spoon," he said, trying to lighten the mood.
Ami shrugged and rose to her feet, kicking off her slippers. Barefoot, she approached the pond and leapt onto the first stepping stone, holding her hands out for balance. "I love this place," she said. "It reminds me of my home."
Nephrite stood and walked to the pond's edge, watching as she hopped from stone to stone and back again. "Nephrite, how did you become Endymion's guardian?" Ami suddenly asked, looking over her shoulder at him.
"Me?" Nephrite said in surprise. "Well...I've known him since we were just children. My father was his father's guardian, and I became Endymion's."
Ami nodded. "It's the same with the Senshi. Another similarity between us." She spun on her heel, leaping to a new stone. "Such is our destiny."
"You make it sound like a bad thing," Nephrite said.
"No, no," Ami said hastily, shaking her head emphatically. "I didn't mean it that way at all. I love being a Senshi, even though I miss my home. I was just thinking out loud, that's all. We're lucky that our Masters are our friends, not tyrants that we are forced to serve."
Nephrite nodded. She's always thinking. Things that never would have even crossed my mind, that I always just took for granted. He watched her skip from stepping stone to stepping stone, innocent as a child. The strange, warm feeling returned, and he tried to remind himself of Kunzite, and why he should not get too attached to her, despite how hard it might be...
Just then, Ami slipped on one of the mossy rocks at the pond's edge. Her ankle twisted and her foot shot out from under her. "Ami!" Nephrite gasped, rushing forward and catching her as she started to fall. They stood there a moment, knee-deep in the water, Ami clutching his arms and trying to catch her breath.
At last, she looked up at Nephrite. "Thank you," she sighed. "That gave me quite a scare." She forced a little laugh.
Nephrite, however, remained solemn. Her slip had scared him, too, unnecessarily so. He looked down into her jet-black eyes and, suddenly, before her realized what he was doing, he leaned down and kissed her on the lips. The sensation was mind-numbing; sharp jolts of electricity shot through his skin, tingling all the way down to his feet. It took a full moment before he realized in horror what he had just done. His eyes flew open and he pulled away abruptly.
"I'm sorry," Nephrite stammered, taking a step back. "That was stupid. I should go now..." He started to turn, but Ami stopped him, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling his head back down to kiss her again.
It can't be, were the only coherent thoughts Nephrite could piece together. It can't be that she actually feels the same way! Pushing all other thoughts from his mind, he wrapped his arms tightly around her, pulling her tiny frame as close to him as he possibly could. For a long while they stayed like that, thinking of nothing else.
At last, Ami pulled her lips away from his, dropping down from tiptoe and, her arms wrapped tightly around his middle, buried her face in his chest. Her heart was pounding and her breath was short; through his jacket, she could feel Nephrite's own heart beating hard, and, squeezing her eyelids shut, she clutched him even tighter. Never in her life had she felt anything like this, and she didn't want to let it go, no matter what.
Nephrite rested his cheek on the crown of her head and absentmindedly stroked her hair. He couldn't believe this was happening. It was unreal. She chose me, he thought. He breathed in deeply, taking in her scent. If this is a dream, I don't want to wake up.
At long last, Ami shifted in his arms and looked up at him. "I have sand between my toes," she announced, smiling impishly.
Nephrite looked down and saw that her feet were nearly covered with the fine blue silt that lined the bottom of the pool. He laughed and said, as seriously as he could muster, "We can't have that." He scooped her up and carried her out of the pond. Once on the grass, he didn't set her down, but rather spun her around, causing the wet ends of her skirt to shower water droplets around them. Ami giggled and protested, and at last Nephrite complied, setting her gently on her feet and kissing her once more.
There was a slight rustling in the willows, unnoticed by the starlit couple. As quickly as he could, Kunzite silently made his way from the willow grove and back to the palace, trying desperately to drive the scene he had just witnessed from his mind. His breathing was ragged and uneven. Nephrite kissing her, that was understandable–how could anyone help but fall in love with Ami? But seeing her kiss him back, so willingly...it had been too much for Kunzite to bear, but he had been unable to tear his eyes away.
It's of no concern, anyway, Kunzite reasoned with himself. My first priority is serving the Master. This is no time for me to get involved with a woman.
Nevertheless, Kunzite could feel a hole growing in his heart, and it could only get bigger.