Back to the Past! Be prepared for insanity! In this chapter and the next
chapter, Makoto and Ami butt heads with Nephrite and Zoisite. The guys may
act like total meanies in this chapter, but the two girls play just as
dirty in the next.
Disclaimer: If I owned Sailor Moon, would I be wasting away my life in front of this computer? Yeah, that's what I thought. I own nothing. I was a deprived child. -_-
' denotes thought
AN: =author's notes
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The Winning Losers Chapter Four: Battle of the Sexes--Round One!!!
*Past--Eight Years Ago--Moon Palace*
Young Princess Rei did her best to play polite hostess as she led the four young Earth princess to their private chambers, asking the guests about their home planet and giving short descriptions about some of the palace's architecture and history. She spoke kindly and noncommittally to them, but all the while ignoring that blonde-haired boy who looked at her so superciliously earlier. Jadeite looked the other way during the entire conversation between his friends and the red sailor-senshi-in-training. Rei didn't make an effort to get to know any of them, but she made small talk just to keep the awkwardness at bay. Kunzite, Nephrite, and Zoisite found Princess Rei to be a well-bred and intelligent though all five of them still kept the reserved air around them.
The palace of the Moon completely awed them. Not even their glorious castles on Earth could compare to the splendor of the palace. The columns and walls were a gleaming white, as if the building was just built, and the gold and silver decorations imprinted on the walls shined in pride. All sorts of classical paintings, some hundreds of years old, of peaceful landscapes, smiling people, and lively events, lined the walls, which seemed to come to life under the soft light of the shaded lamps. The halls of the Moon palace were elegantly and richly decorated, with all sorts of display cases set along the way, and they were incredibly spacious as well, the width of each hall being about forty-five feet.
But two egos were squeezing their way through.
'Can't this haughty girl talk about something more interesting,' thought young Jadeite scornfully. 'She's no different than those other royal brats. Her long hair takes up to much head space. How does she fit in a brain?'
'Moody prick,' Rei's inner voice sneered. 'He's not the type of guest I'd even allow to step foot on my planet.'
Rei was so engrossed in her thoughts that she suddenly had to stop when she realized that they had finally reached their destination. This startled Kunzite, so he stopped dead in his tracks as well, causing the other two behind him to smack into his back and each other. Jadeite's head was still pointed away from them, so he didn't see their unexpected stop. He rammed into Zoisite hard and tumbled backward, ending up with his back against the ground and his legs spread apart in the air.
"Ouuuch..."
Rei covered her mouth to hide her evil grin, but his companions out right lauged at him. Great friends, huh?
"You okay, buddy?" Nephrite chuckled as he helped his fallen friend up.
"Peachy, Neph. Just peachy," groaned Jadeite, rubbing his behind. 'That's gonna leave a mark.'
"I'm sorry," said Rei, not a trace of sympathy in her voice, "I was so lost in thought that I almost walked past your rooms."
"That's alright. I do that a lot," assured Zoisite.
Rei took out a golden key and unlocked the door, then handed the key to Kunzite. The room was equipped with anything for comfort or entertainment, and the decor was mainly a medieval theme, with decorative swords hanging over the mantle. The boys felt that their stay would be quite a nice one. "Well, these are your quarters during your stay. If you need anything, just pull on that silk rope next to each bed. A servant will hear the bell and come to your service immediately. Feel free to explore the palace grounds; their are maps located in the desk drawers just in case. Breakfast and lunch are served when you find the time convenient, but dinner is served exactly at seven-thirty. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask me." She shook the hands of each prince congenially, but when she and Jadeite shook hands, they tested each other's strength, and both of them were frighteningly strong. Before she went out the door, she wished them a pleasant stay, and then she was gone.
Jadeite secretly nursed his fingers behind his back. 'That's gonna leave a mark, too.'
He took the opportunity to vent about his mistrust of the fire senshi. "That girl is the devil incarnate! Did you all see the way she stared daggers at me?"
"Jed, everyone who first meets you thinks you're an asshole," reminded Kunzite. Zoisite and Nephrite nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, I thought that when I first met you," added Nephrite.
"What?!"
"Face it Jed. You're a prick. Some of us are good with the ladies," and here Zoisite ran a hand vainly through his long hair, "and some of us, meaning just *you*, are not."
"BACK TO THE POINT," said Jadeite stubbornly, "did you see the way she flicked her hair. Talk about vanity. She's worse than you, Zoi. And the way she wears her sailor skirt? Can we say 'slut'?"
"Better not let anyone hear you say that, Jadeite," warned Kunzite, "because that's the required uniform of Princess Serenity's future guard. They will kill you if you say that to them, and I really don't feel like saving your sorry ass today."
"Hey guys," Nephrite said, "I'm kind of hungry, so I'm gonna go to the kitchen to see if I can grab something to eat. You guys want anything?" No one else was hungry, so Nephrite made his was towards the kitchen alone. He didn't have breakfast that day because they were in such a rush to get to the Moon on time, and Jadeite stole his snack at the teleport station. Chocolate icing cakes were his favorite, too! 'Damn Jadeite. He stole Kunzite's mini cake, too.'
As he walked into the kitchen, the sweet aroma of freshly baked goodies assulted his nose, luring him further into the kitchen. On the counter was a plate of a miniature mountain of luscious chocolate pastries, topped with cool vanilla icing and spinkles from a rainbow, straight from the oven. Nephrite never drooled in his life, but he was close to doing so at that moment. He wasn't sure if the little cakes belonged to someone, but he reasoned that no one would just leave their irrestible creation out in the open without some kind of label saying "don't touch or I'll kill you" to warn off offenders.
'They were probably set out for guests anyways.' So Nephrite greedily snatched up one of the sweets and walked over to the ice box to retrieve a bottle of milk to wash down the sweet treat. He quickly devoured his first small cake, poured himself a glass of refreshing milk, and took another cake and bit off a huge chunk of it.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" screeched a voice from behind him. He quickly spun around to see a tall girl, as tall as him, covered from head to toe in flour. Her chef's hat was tilted to the side, and her high ponytail of auburn curls was also sprinkled with the white power. She wore a pink apron with the words "I'm the cook, so get out of my kitchen", which she wore over what looked like...a green sailor fuku? (AN: 'Fuku' means suit in Japanese).
Her butter-batter-whipped cream-smeared face was contorted in fury, and though her features were almost totally masked by a variety of ingredients, he saw her lustrous emerald eyes turn into threatening slits, aimed solely at him. She looked like a blood-thirsty monster from a swamp of cookies and cream.
"I'm-I'm so...umm...sorry? I didn't know these...delightful cakes, I must say, were not set out for guests."
The girl's voice boomed at him. "You're sorry?! You didn't even ask anyone who the cakes belonged to, and you go ahead and eat them anyway! I worked hard on those pastries, and the queen and her friends are having tea right now! Those were meant for them, not greedy little gremlins like you!!"
'So this must be that "talented cook" Queen Serenity was referring to- -Princess Makoto,' Nephrite remembered. 'She certainly doesn't act like a properly raised princess. How dare she call me a greedy gremlin!'
"Excuse me, you insolent little girl-"
"'Insolent little girl'?! Who are you calling little? You're, what, only fourteen! I'm just a year younger you, you pompous twit. Do you know who you are speaking to?"
"Yes, you're Princess Makoto of Jupiter, but you act like a ranting street urchin with that dirty mouth of yours! You are making the worst impression possible on one of your queen's guests. I am Prince Nephrite of the Southern Hemisphere of Earth, and I've never met a princess as disgraceful as you!"
Before Makoto could unleash the devastating curse words from her throat, Prince Nephrite grabbed another chocolate cake and walked briskly out the door, leaving behind a fuming Jupitarian princess.
Zoisite, who was thirteen years old, spent a good part of the afternoon studying the palace maps that the Martian princess had pointed out earlier. His eyes immediately lit up when he read the short caption about the Lunarian Library. He had heard much about the library; it was supposedly the largest collection of manusripts and books in the galaxy, and Zoisite was anxious to get there quickly to spend his day in the literary heaven.
From his rooms, one had to turn a right corner, go straight down the corrider, go up two flights of stairs, and go into the first door to the left. He actually memorized every nook and cranny from the map. He slowly pushed open the heavy cedar doors, and the sight before him took the words from his mouth.
The book cases lined every inch of each wall, and the ceiling above looked as if it exceeded the sky. The book cases towered over his small form, and the sweet smell of the pages wafted through the room, inviting him to read each and every book. The intriguing titles of the books, of every genre imaginable, from fairytales to indepth studies of ancient pottery, were written in fine gold calligraphy. The carpet was a spotless royal blue--his favorite color, and the enormous library was strangely warm for a large room. Then he noticed the distant sound of a crackling fire, probably coming from the other side of the room. He decided to follow the sound because a blazing fire meant that their was another person in the room.
As he deduced, there was a huge brick fireplace with a cheery fire going, and above the fireplace was a banner that read "Only the ingnorant find ingorance blissful." Zoisite couldn't agree more. Something else quickly caught his attention from the corner of his eye. A young girl of about eleven years old, with large reading glasses set upon her cute little nose ('She must read too much,' he mentally added), sat in one of the voluminous velvet armchairs, her small form nearly swallowed up by the cushion. A heavy book, which looked too heavy for such a petite girl, was set upon her lap as she read quickly, her eyes skimming back and forth at a speed Zoisite thought only he was capable of. She looked up at him, her big blue eyes magnified even more by the thick glasses.
Zoisite tried not to laugh. She reminded him of a bug.
"Good afternoon, Prince Zoisite; heir to the Eastern Hemisphere of Earth; future guardian of crown Prince Endymion Anima-Mundi, and future member of the Shittenou," the young girl rattled off fluidly. Zoisite was taken aback. He was just prepared to make his own introduction to her, but he was saved the trouble. Then he understood why she knew him. When she brushed back her long blue bangs behind her ear, he saw the telltale symbol of Mercury on her forehead, which was a similar color to her hair and eyes.
'Princess Ami Mizuno of Mercury,' his mind automatically recalled. 'Next in line of the Mercurian kingdom. Universally known for her study habits and photographic memory. Proclaimed child genius at age three.' He didn't think she was all that impressive. After all, he was a child genius as well, but he was not as overrated as her. She only got more fame because she was a princess of an entire planet and her family was associated to the Silver Millennium, whereas Earth was friendly with the Moon but on their own ruling terms.
"Good afternoon to you, Princess Ami." He bowed formally to her. Ami was not surprised he knew of her. She knew Prince Zoisite was just as intelligent as he was known to be.
Zoisite spotted a book on the coffee table next to her. It was a fine-looking book; it was a navy blue leather bound book encrusted with sapphires around the border. On the spine and the cover was in beautiful gold script 'Of Myths and Mercury'. Zoisite usually didn't judge a book by its cover, but that book's cover managed to peak his interest.
"Do you mind if I read this?" he asked.
"Be my guest," she replied as she read her own book.
Searching for a suitable reading spot, Zoisite finally settled down in one of the comfortable armchairs directly in front of the warm fire. He opened the book, and by glancing at the brittle pages, he realized that the book was probably an old one that was kept in very good condition. After the first few chapters, Zoisite couldn't put the book down. The book covered the true history of Mercury, dating back millions of years ago, and the famous myths and legends of the planet. But Zoisite's eyes were getting heavier and heavier by each page. The teleportation process was not easy on them, especially since they had gotten lost in the fluctuating space continuum three times, and Zoisite opted to study the map instead of to sleep like Kunzite and Jadeite. He placed the silky blue ribbon in the book to save his place, set the book down on top of the logs next to his chair, and dozed off.
The chocolate cake long ago eaten, Nephrite found himself in the verdant gardens of the Moon. Pastel, neon, and even metallic colored flowers were strategically planted everywhere, and their light perfume calmed down Nephrite's nerves. He felt just a twinge of guilt for yelling at Princess Makoto, 'But she was asking for it!'
He admired the skillfully carved ivory fountains and the crystal- clear pools and the quaint little gazebos. In the distance, he spotted a little glass shed. As he walked closer, he realized that it was a green house, like the one on his estate on Earth. He discovered that the door was unlocked, so he invited himself in to take a gander at the unique plants inside. He saw venus flytraps and exotic ferns on one side and daffodils and tulips on the other. Ivy vines hung down low from the glass roof, brushing against his shoulders. He saw an ingenious irrigation system set up so that every plant in the house was watered simultaneously, and he wondered how the different plants that were used to extremely contrasting conditions and that grew in different seasons could thrive in the same green house.
In the very back, Nephrite saw the most unusual yet mesmorizing rose bush he had ever seen in his life. The leaves were a misty silver and glittered in the sunlight, and not a thorn was in sight. The most exceptional thing about the rose bush was that each rose was a different color. Reds, blues, pinks, yellows, oranges, pale greens, whites, peaches, lavenders, and even golds and silvers mingled together to create a colorful mosaic of rose petals. Amazingly, each rose had its own special scent. Nephrite knew that Endymion would appreciate the roses.
"I always thought that Endy's obsession with roses was kind of fruity," he said to himself. He felt that growing flowers was more of a feminine hobby.
One would think that Nephrite would learn his lesson after the first time, but his hand involunarily reached up and plucked a perfect crimson rose and a velvety gold rose to give to Endymion so he could obsess over it all he liked.
'Besides, what are the chances some psycho princess is going to get on my case again?'
Something wizzed passed Nephrite's ear, and Nephrite was shocked to see that a pair of sharp gardener's shears were stuck in the trunk of one of the palm trees in front of him. The next second, a long lock of Nephrite's long brown hair fell to the ground. The blades cut off a chunk of his nicely grown-out hair, and then he realized that the huge scissors were barely a millimeter off from his skin.
He swiftly turned around to face his attacker, only to see a familiar green sailor fuku with a pink bow at the chest and one in the back at the waist of the pleated skirt. Princess Makoto, a.k.a Sailor Jupiter, was bent over in a way that told him that she was the one who threw the blades at him. Big surprise. But her face was washed clean this time, revealing a very appealing face, but the face was twisted in that same furious, maniacal expression, and she was as red with anger as the crimson rose in his guilty hand.
"You again!" she shrieked. "Are you some compulsive stealer or something? Are you a kleptomaniac? Keep your grubby hands off of things that don't belong to you!"
Nephrite knew it was his fault this time, but his youthful pride wouldn't let him apologize. "Why are you going insane over a stupid rose bush. I just picked two off the damn thing, and there's plenty more roses left."
"You utter fool! You retard! Do you know what that rose bush is? Of course you don't! I was growing that special rose bush as a gift to Princess Serenity for her birthday next month. It took half a year to grow it, and you've ruined it! You're nothing but a {censored censored censored censored censored censored censored censored censored}!"
Nephrite was feeling really bad for her at first, but the name calling and profanity was crossing the line. Using the technique Endymion taught him, he threw both roses at the ground so that the points actually stuck them up in the ground, and immaturely stomped on them right in front of her. Even when they were sufficiently smashed into the ground, he continued to jump on the flattened petals like a crazed monkey. Then he did something he had never done before--he made a face at her. Then he stormed out of the green house.
Makoto was out for revenge, now.
Sometime during his sleep, Zoisite felt dreadfully cold. His mind subconsciously registered that the fire must've died out, so he blindly reached over to the pile of logs next to his armchair and threw a log on the fire. He felt the warmth of the rising fire and snuggled back into his chair. An instant later, a sharp shriek made him jump up, wide awake.
He saw Princess Ami kneeling next to the fireplace, fantically using the poker to save something from the flames. Her eyes widened in horror, and he was actually pained to see fresh tears well up and fall down her cheeks. Finally, he looked into the fireplace to see what she was so upset about.
The book he was reading was being engulfed in the flames.
'Oh no! I must've thrown 'Of Myths and Mercury' into the fire in my sleepy stupor!'
Ami pulled herself up to look Zoisite straight in the eye, although he was more that a head taller than her. The icy fire in her eyes was more ferocious than the flames in the fireplace.
"How could you throw my book into the fireplace, you beast?!"
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to! I was cold, so I thought I'd throw a log into the fire, but I had forgotten that I set the book on top. Honest!"
"How could you be so irresponsible, especially with other peoples' belongings?"
"Hey! I said I was sorry. You don't have to call me irresponsible. Look, if it means that much to you, I'll just buy you a new one, okay?"
"Buy me a new one, he says! All you pretentious princes are all the same. You think that money can get you out of anything. YOU'RE WRONG!" Ami never thought she could scream like that, but this horrible boy brought it out of her. "That book you just threw so carelessly into the fire is a priceless family heirloom. It's a one of a kind! How can you repay me? Give me back my book! Give it back!"
To Zoisite's surprise, and moreover, to _her_ surprise, she started beating her little fists on his chest, screaming, "Give me back my book!"
He quickly grabbed her wrists to stop her from messing up his clean uniform and gently pushed her back into a chair. "I already apologized. What do you want me to do? Get on my hands and knees and beg for your forgiveness? If you're so smart, you can rewrite it from memory."
"You're so STUPID! You can't rewrite the history behind that book you just destroyed! It's been in my family for thousands of years! It's irreplaceable!"
Zoisite couldn't believe his ears. 'ME? STUPID? Does she know who I am? I'm Zoisite Aufait, the smartest boy, and probably person, in this solar system!'
"You're so materialistic! It's *just* a book. If you were such an intellectual, you would know that the stories and the history that was told are of real importance and value. Who cares about the actual book. Books can be made again and again! As long as you remember the information, which I'm sure you do, then you shouldn't worry."
'How can he be so careless and unfeeling?' Little Ami's mind questioned. She was too angry and shocked at his impertinence to reply.
"I swear," he continued, "girls prize materials more than the substance contained in them. Amazing! That's why males are the superior sex...we don't fuss over that kind of stuff, unlike you girls! Girls just know how to complain and whine! Hmph!"
"Get out of this library this instant! I never want to hear your nonsense or see your imperious face ever again!" she yelled.
She didn't have to tell him twice.
To be continued..... *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Next chapter: Ami and Makoto get sweet revenge! Then after that chapter, Minako and Rei go head to head with Kunzite and Jadeite. Stay tuned and witness their evil antics!!!
Mwhahahahahah!
REVIEW!!
Disclaimer: If I owned Sailor Moon, would I be wasting away my life in front of this computer? Yeah, that's what I thought. I own nothing. I was a deprived child. -_-
' denotes thought
AN: =author's notes
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The Winning Losers Chapter Four: Battle of the Sexes--Round One!!!
*Past--Eight Years Ago--Moon Palace*
Young Princess Rei did her best to play polite hostess as she led the four young Earth princess to their private chambers, asking the guests about their home planet and giving short descriptions about some of the palace's architecture and history. She spoke kindly and noncommittally to them, but all the while ignoring that blonde-haired boy who looked at her so superciliously earlier. Jadeite looked the other way during the entire conversation between his friends and the red sailor-senshi-in-training. Rei didn't make an effort to get to know any of them, but she made small talk just to keep the awkwardness at bay. Kunzite, Nephrite, and Zoisite found Princess Rei to be a well-bred and intelligent though all five of them still kept the reserved air around them.
The palace of the Moon completely awed them. Not even their glorious castles on Earth could compare to the splendor of the palace. The columns and walls were a gleaming white, as if the building was just built, and the gold and silver decorations imprinted on the walls shined in pride. All sorts of classical paintings, some hundreds of years old, of peaceful landscapes, smiling people, and lively events, lined the walls, which seemed to come to life under the soft light of the shaded lamps. The halls of the Moon palace were elegantly and richly decorated, with all sorts of display cases set along the way, and they were incredibly spacious as well, the width of each hall being about forty-five feet.
But two egos were squeezing their way through.
'Can't this haughty girl talk about something more interesting,' thought young Jadeite scornfully. 'She's no different than those other royal brats. Her long hair takes up to much head space. How does she fit in a brain?'
'Moody prick,' Rei's inner voice sneered. 'He's not the type of guest I'd even allow to step foot on my planet.'
Rei was so engrossed in her thoughts that she suddenly had to stop when she realized that they had finally reached their destination. This startled Kunzite, so he stopped dead in his tracks as well, causing the other two behind him to smack into his back and each other. Jadeite's head was still pointed away from them, so he didn't see their unexpected stop. He rammed into Zoisite hard and tumbled backward, ending up with his back against the ground and his legs spread apart in the air.
"Ouuuch..."
Rei covered her mouth to hide her evil grin, but his companions out right lauged at him. Great friends, huh?
"You okay, buddy?" Nephrite chuckled as he helped his fallen friend up.
"Peachy, Neph. Just peachy," groaned Jadeite, rubbing his behind. 'That's gonna leave a mark.'
"I'm sorry," said Rei, not a trace of sympathy in her voice, "I was so lost in thought that I almost walked past your rooms."
"That's alright. I do that a lot," assured Zoisite.
Rei took out a golden key and unlocked the door, then handed the key to Kunzite. The room was equipped with anything for comfort or entertainment, and the decor was mainly a medieval theme, with decorative swords hanging over the mantle. The boys felt that their stay would be quite a nice one. "Well, these are your quarters during your stay. If you need anything, just pull on that silk rope next to each bed. A servant will hear the bell and come to your service immediately. Feel free to explore the palace grounds; their are maps located in the desk drawers just in case. Breakfast and lunch are served when you find the time convenient, but dinner is served exactly at seven-thirty. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask me." She shook the hands of each prince congenially, but when she and Jadeite shook hands, they tested each other's strength, and both of them were frighteningly strong. Before she went out the door, she wished them a pleasant stay, and then she was gone.
Jadeite secretly nursed his fingers behind his back. 'That's gonna leave a mark, too.'
He took the opportunity to vent about his mistrust of the fire senshi. "That girl is the devil incarnate! Did you all see the way she stared daggers at me?"
"Jed, everyone who first meets you thinks you're an asshole," reminded Kunzite. Zoisite and Nephrite nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, I thought that when I first met you," added Nephrite.
"What?!"
"Face it Jed. You're a prick. Some of us are good with the ladies," and here Zoisite ran a hand vainly through his long hair, "and some of us, meaning just *you*, are not."
"BACK TO THE POINT," said Jadeite stubbornly, "did you see the way she flicked her hair. Talk about vanity. She's worse than you, Zoi. And the way she wears her sailor skirt? Can we say 'slut'?"
"Better not let anyone hear you say that, Jadeite," warned Kunzite, "because that's the required uniform of Princess Serenity's future guard. They will kill you if you say that to them, and I really don't feel like saving your sorry ass today."
"Hey guys," Nephrite said, "I'm kind of hungry, so I'm gonna go to the kitchen to see if I can grab something to eat. You guys want anything?" No one else was hungry, so Nephrite made his was towards the kitchen alone. He didn't have breakfast that day because they were in such a rush to get to the Moon on time, and Jadeite stole his snack at the teleport station. Chocolate icing cakes were his favorite, too! 'Damn Jadeite. He stole Kunzite's mini cake, too.'
As he walked into the kitchen, the sweet aroma of freshly baked goodies assulted his nose, luring him further into the kitchen. On the counter was a plate of a miniature mountain of luscious chocolate pastries, topped with cool vanilla icing and spinkles from a rainbow, straight from the oven. Nephrite never drooled in his life, but he was close to doing so at that moment. He wasn't sure if the little cakes belonged to someone, but he reasoned that no one would just leave their irrestible creation out in the open without some kind of label saying "don't touch or I'll kill you" to warn off offenders.
'They were probably set out for guests anyways.' So Nephrite greedily snatched up one of the sweets and walked over to the ice box to retrieve a bottle of milk to wash down the sweet treat. He quickly devoured his first small cake, poured himself a glass of refreshing milk, and took another cake and bit off a huge chunk of it.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" screeched a voice from behind him. He quickly spun around to see a tall girl, as tall as him, covered from head to toe in flour. Her chef's hat was tilted to the side, and her high ponytail of auburn curls was also sprinkled with the white power. She wore a pink apron with the words "I'm the cook, so get out of my kitchen", which she wore over what looked like...a green sailor fuku? (AN: 'Fuku' means suit in Japanese).
Her butter-batter-whipped cream-smeared face was contorted in fury, and though her features were almost totally masked by a variety of ingredients, he saw her lustrous emerald eyes turn into threatening slits, aimed solely at him. She looked like a blood-thirsty monster from a swamp of cookies and cream.
"I'm-I'm so...umm...sorry? I didn't know these...delightful cakes, I must say, were not set out for guests."
The girl's voice boomed at him. "You're sorry?! You didn't even ask anyone who the cakes belonged to, and you go ahead and eat them anyway! I worked hard on those pastries, and the queen and her friends are having tea right now! Those were meant for them, not greedy little gremlins like you!!"
'So this must be that "talented cook" Queen Serenity was referring to- -Princess Makoto,' Nephrite remembered. 'She certainly doesn't act like a properly raised princess. How dare she call me a greedy gremlin!'
"Excuse me, you insolent little girl-"
"'Insolent little girl'?! Who are you calling little? You're, what, only fourteen! I'm just a year younger you, you pompous twit. Do you know who you are speaking to?"
"Yes, you're Princess Makoto of Jupiter, but you act like a ranting street urchin with that dirty mouth of yours! You are making the worst impression possible on one of your queen's guests. I am Prince Nephrite of the Southern Hemisphere of Earth, and I've never met a princess as disgraceful as you!"
Before Makoto could unleash the devastating curse words from her throat, Prince Nephrite grabbed another chocolate cake and walked briskly out the door, leaving behind a fuming Jupitarian princess.
Zoisite, who was thirteen years old, spent a good part of the afternoon studying the palace maps that the Martian princess had pointed out earlier. His eyes immediately lit up when he read the short caption about the Lunarian Library. He had heard much about the library; it was supposedly the largest collection of manusripts and books in the galaxy, and Zoisite was anxious to get there quickly to spend his day in the literary heaven.
From his rooms, one had to turn a right corner, go straight down the corrider, go up two flights of stairs, and go into the first door to the left. He actually memorized every nook and cranny from the map. He slowly pushed open the heavy cedar doors, and the sight before him took the words from his mouth.
The book cases lined every inch of each wall, and the ceiling above looked as if it exceeded the sky. The book cases towered over his small form, and the sweet smell of the pages wafted through the room, inviting him to read each and every book. The intriguing titles of the books, of every genre imaginable, from fairytales to indepth studies of ancient pottery, were written in fine gold calligraphy. The carpet was a spotless royal blue--his favorite color, and the enormous library was strangely warm for a large room. Then he noticed the distant sound of a crackling fire, probably coming from the other side of the room. He decided to follow the sound because a blazing fire meant that their was another person in the room.
As he deduced, there was a huge brick fireplace with a cheery fire going, and above the fireplace was a banner that read "Only the ingnorant find ingorance blissful." Zoisite couldn't agree more. Something else quickly caught his attention from the corner of his eye. A young girl of about eleven years old, with large reading glasses set upon her cute little nose ('She must read too much,' he mentally added), sat in one of the voluminous velvet armchairs, her small form nearly swallowed up by the cushion. A heavy book, which looked too heavy for such a petite girl, was set upon her lap as she read quickly, her eyes skimming back and forth at a speed Zoisite thought only he was capable of. She looked up at him, her big blue eyes magnified even more by the thick glasses.
Zoisite tried not to laugh. She reminded him of a bug.
"Good afternoon, Prince Zoisite; heir to the Eastern Hemisphere of Earth; future guardian of crown Prince Endymion Anima-Mundi, and future member of the Shittenou," the young girl rattled off fluidly. Zoisite was taken aback. He was just prepared to make his own introduction to her, but he was saved the trouble. Then he understood why she knew him. When she brushed back her long blue bangs behind her ear, he saw the telltale symbol of Mercury on her forehead, which was a similar color to her hair and eyes.
'Princess Ami Mizuno of Mercury,' his mind automatically recalled. 'Next in line of the Mercurian kingdom. Universally known for her study habits and photographic memory. Proclaimed child genius at age three.' He didn't think she was all that impressive. After all, he was a child genius as well, but he was not as overrated as her. She only got more fame because she was a princess of an entire planet and her family was associated to the Silver Millennium, whereas Earth was friendly with the Moon but on their own ruling terms.
"Good afternoon to you, Princess Ami." He bowed formally to her. Ami was not surprised he knew of her. She knew Prince Zoisite was just as intelligent as he was known to be.
Zoisite spotted a book on the coffee table next to her. It was a fine-looking book; it was a navy blue leather bound book encrusted with sapphires around the border. On the spine and the cover was in beautiful gold script 'Of Myths and Mercury'. Zoisite usually didn't judge a book by its cover, but that book's cover managed to peak his interest.
"Do you mind if I read this?" he asked.
"Be my guest," she replied as she read her own book.
Searching for a suitable reading spot, Zoisite finally settled down in one of the comfortable armchairs directly in front of the warm fire. He opened the book, and by glancing at the brittle pages, he realized that the book was probably an old one that was kept in very good condition. After the first few chapters, Zoisite couldn't put the book down. The book covered the true history of Mercury, dating back millions of years ago, and the famous myths and legends of the planet. But Zoisite's eyes were getting heavier and heavier by each page. The teleportation process was not easy on them, especially since they had gotten lost in the fluctuating space continuum three times, and Zoisite opted to study the map instead of to sleep like Kunzite and Jadeite. He placed the silky blue ribbon in the book to save his place, set the book down on top of the logs next to his chair, and dozed off.
The chocolate cake long ago eaten, Nephrite found himself in the verdant gardens of the Moon. Pastel, neon, and even metallic colored flowers were strategically planted everywhere, and their light perfume calmed down Nephrite's nerves. He felt just a twinge of guilt for yelling at Princess Makoto, 'But she was asking for it!'
He admired the skillfully carved ivory fountains and the crystal- clear pools and the quaint little gazebos. In the distance, he spotted a little glass shed. As he walked closer, he realized that it was a green house, like the one on his estate on Earth. He discovered that the door was unlocked, so he invited himself in to take a gander at the unique plants inside. He saw venus flytraps and exotic ferns on one side and daffodils and tulips on the other. Ivy vines hung down low from the glass roof, brushing against his shoulders. He saw an ingenious irrigation system set up so that every plant in the house was watered simultaneously, and he wondered how the different plants that were used to extremely contrasting conditions and that grew in different seasons could thrive in the same green house.
In the very back, Nephrite saw the most unusual yet mesmorizing rose bush he had ever seen in his life. The leaves were a misty silver and glittered in the sunlight, and not a thorn was in sight. The most exceptional thing about the rose bush was that each rose was a different color. Reds, blues, pinks, yellows, oranges, pale greens, whites, peaches, lavenders, and even golds and silvers mingled together to create a colorful mosaic of rose petals. Amazingly, each rose had its own special scent. Nephrite knew that Endymion would appreciate the roses.
"I always thought that Endy's obsession with roses was kind of fruity," he said to himself. He felt that growing flowers was more of a feminine hobby.
One would think that Nephrite would learn his lesson after the first time, but his hand involunarily reached up and plucked a perfect crimson rose and a velvety gold rose to give to Endymion so he could obsess over it all he liked.
'Besides, what are the chances some psycho princess is going to get on my case again?'
Something wizzed passed Nephrite's ear, and Nephrite was shocked to see that a pair of sharp gardener's shears were stuck in the trunk of one of the palm trees in front of him. The next second, a long lock of Nephrite's long brown hair fell to the ground. The blades cut off a chunk of his nicely grown-out hair, and then he realized that the huge scissors were barely a millimeter off from his skin.
He swiftly turned around to face his attacker, only to see a familiar green sailor fuku with a pink bow at the chest and one in the back at the waist of the pleated skirt. Princess Makoto, a.k.a Sailor Jupiter, was bent over in a way that told him that she was the one who threw the blades at him. Big surprise. But her face was washed clean this time, revealing a very appealing face, but the face was twisted in that same furious, maniacal expression, and she was as red with anger as the crimson rose in his guilty hand.
"You again!" she shrieked. "Are you some compulsive stealer or something? Are you a kleptomaniac? Keep your grubby hands off of things that don't belong to you!"
Nephrite knew it was his fault this time, but his youthful pride wouldn't let him apologize. "Why are you going insane over a stupid rose bush. I just picked two off the damn thing, and there's plenty more roses left."
"You utter fool! You retard! Do you know what that rose bush is? Of course you don't! I was growing that special rose bush as a gift to Princess Serenity for her birthday next month. It took half a year to grow it, and you've ruined it! You're nothing but a {censored censored censored censored censored censored censored censored censored}!"
Nephrite was feeling really bad for her at first, but the name calling and profanity was crossing the line. Using the technique Endymion taught him, he threw both roses at the ground so that the points actually stuck them up in the ground, and immaturely stomped on them right in front of her. Even when they were sufficiently smashed into the ground, he continued to jump on the flattened petals like a crazed monkey. Then he did something he had never done before--he made a face at her. Then he stormed out of the green house.
Makoto was out for revenge, now.
Sometime during his sleep, Zoisite felt dreadfully cold. His mind subconsciously registered that the fire must've died out, so he blindly reached over to the pile of logs next to his armchair and threw a log on the fire. He felt the warmth of the rising fire and snuggled back into his chair. An instant later, a sharp shriek made him jump up, wide awake.
He saw Princess Ami kneeling next to the fireplace, fantically using the poker to save something from the flames. Her eyes widened in horror, and he was actually pained to see fresh tears well up and fall down her cheeks. Finally, he looked into the fireplace to see what she was so upset about.
The book he was reading was being engulfed in the flames.
'Oh no! I must've thrown 'Of Myths and Mercury' into the fire in my sleepy stupor!'
Ami pulled herself up to look Zoisite straight in the eye, although he was more that a head taller than her. The icy fire in her eyes was more ferocious than the flames in the fireplace.
"How could you throw my book into the fireplace, you beast?!"
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to! I was cold, so I thought I'd throw a log into the fire, but I had forgotten that I set the book on top. Honest!"
"How could you be so irresponsible, especially with other peoples' belongings?"
"Hey! I said I was sorry. You don't have to call me irresponsible. Look, if it means that much to you, I'll just buy you a new one, okay?"
"Buy me a new one, he says! All you pretentious princes are all the same. You think that money can get you out of anything. YOU'RE WRONG!" Ami never thought she could scream like that, but this horrible boy brought it out of her. "That book you just threw so carelessly into the fire is a priceless family heirloom. It's a one of a kind! How can you repay me? Give me back my book! Give it back!"
To Zoisite's surprise, and moreover, to _her_ surprise, she started beating her little fists on his chest, screaming, "Give me back my book!"
He quickly grabbed her wrists to stop her from messing up his clean uniform and gently pushed her back into a chair. "I already apologized. What do you want me to do? Get on my hands and knees and beg for your forgiveness? If you're so smart, you can rewrite it from memory."
"You're so STUPID! You can't rewrite the history behind that book you just destroyed! It's been in my family for thousands of years! It's irreplaceable!"
Zoisite couldn't believe his ears. 'ME? STUPID? Does she know who I am? I'm Zoisite Aufait, the smartest boy, and probably person, in this solar system!'
"You're so materialistic! It's *just* a book. If you were such an intellectual, you would know that the stories and the history that was told are of real importance and value. Who cares about the actual book. Books can be made again and again! As long as you remember the information, which I'm sure you do, then you shouldn't worry."
'How can he be so careless and unfeeling?' Little Ami's mind questioned. She was too angry and shocked at his impertinence to reply.
"I swear," he continued, "girls prize materials more than the substance contained in them. Amazing! That's why males are the superior sex...we don't fuss over that kind of stuff, unlike you girls! Girls just know how to complain and whine! Hmph!"
"Get out of this library this instant! I never want to hear your nonsense or see your imperious face ever again!" she yelled.
She didn't have to tell him twice.
To be continued..... *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Next chapter: Ami and Makoto get sweet revenge! Then after that chapter, Minako and Rei go head to head with Kunzite and Jadeite. Stay tuned and witness their evil antics!!!
Mwhahahahahah!
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