To all the readers: What has it been.two months? I bet I've been long
forgotten already. I cannot tell you the reason for my absence, but please
have mercy on my tired soul! I write with a heavy heart, for the past
weeks have crushed my spirits into oblivion, but it is unjust to compromise
my dear readers. The joyous response of you all makes me forget the tears
that blind my view of the screen. Goodness, how melodramatic and dark my
humor is at the moment. I find it all bitterly hilarious. In other words,
I'm very sorry.
And to my editor: You're a long-suffering person. This is why I could never be a professional writer - I couldn't meet a deadline if my life depended on it. Forgive me?
Nutty Colada - You absolutely amazed me.No one has written as many consecutive reviews as you have. Thank you, you crazy reader you!!
And many thanks to Unwanted and Charlie Chaplin 2 for making me their favorite author.
' denotes thought
AN: =author's notes
denotes mental messages (Senshi communicate privately this way to each other, and Shittenou do the same. Blood relations can also communicate mentally.)
Short summary: Cousins Rei and Endymion spend some quality time.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The Winning Losers
Chapter 12: Heart to Heart
The wind blew softly through her silken ebony hair, weaving the long and shiny locks with its whimsical, invisible fingers. Regardless of the cool shade of the prehistoric eucalyptus tree, Endymion could see the lovely amethyst sparkle in his cousin's eyes. He also saw a frightening hardness in them as they were now transfixed on her white queen, standing boldly in the middle of the battlefield. The men that Endymion had valiantly deployed had fallen quickly and shamefully to the ruthless military expertise of Princess Rei. His own lone sovereign was about to meet the same fate.
"Checkmate."
Endymion glared bitterly at his younger cousin. Oblivious to his seething glower, Rei sank easily into her seat and savored the sweet words of victory. She closed her eyes and smiled serenely, thus pouring more salt into his wounded pride.
"Since when did you get so damn good at chess?" he demanded with childish resentment. "I remember teaching *you* the rules and strategies of the game when you were worse than a novice. I also remember having to make mistakes on purpose just to let you win."
"Princess Mercury is not only one of my best friends but also a genius and a universal chess champion. She's a wonderful tutor in the art of this archaic game. Much better than you, Cousin, so do not feel so bad." Reaching over the table, she patted his arm consolingly.
"Kick me while I'm down, why don't you," he muttered. "Of course, I already knew that. I must humbly admit that I am a disgraceful amateur compared to the famous Mercurian princess."
"Such modest words from a member of the male sex," commented Rei dryly.
"Your high opinion of my gender is flattering."
"Only you would take that as a compliment."
"Coming from you? I've heard much, much worse. If that wasn't a compliment from you, then I don't know what is."
"True," she agreed.
"But I assure you," continued Endymion, "that I have matured into a perfect gentleman."
"Thanks to Aunt Gwen. Who knows what would have become of you if dear Uncle James had reared you single-handedly."
Endymion pondered that idea for thirty seconds. "That's a scary thought. But you must admit, there are fewer nobler and wiser than me pa."
"I don't doubt that. I adore Uncle James."
Endymion smiled devilishly. "But I've also heard stories about his younger days. Do you know, the kitchen staff of a palace is an ever- flowing fountain of delicious gossip?"
"Yes, it's common knowledge. If one should want to start an investigation, one should start in the kitchen quarters."
"How come I didn't know that sooner? That information could have been very useful in my boyhood! Countless chances of blackmail lost!"
"Gentleman, indeed," grumbled Rei. "That's the exact reason your parents forbade you to step foot into the kitchen."
Endymion rubbed his hairless chin. "Oh.clever, very clever."
"Anyways, everyone knows that my honest, sweet, resolute Uncle James was once the most notorious lady killer known in history."
"A vile defiler of feminine innocence," Endymion elaborated. He tried his best to suppress the tone of admiration that crept into his voice, lest his cousin should vault over the table and strangle him.
"Mmm hmm. An ideal role model to the growing males of our generation," said Rei in thick sarcasm. "It was probably an act of rebellion since he wasn't first in line to the crown. It wasn't until his elder brother died that Uncle James cleaned up his act to ascend to the throne."
"Ah yes. It's another story of duty over pleasure. I feel his pain," sympathized Endymion.
"Are you insinuating that you wish to indulge in the same evil practices?" asked Rei, though it sounded more like and accusation than a query.
"Who, me?" said Endymion in mock horror. One could practically see a crooked halo floating above his head.
Rei chose to ignore him. "I pity the pretty fools who naively trust themselves to these devious men. Those little girls cannot see the scheming eyes behind the charming face and the black heart inside the trendy, expensive suit."
"I see that the years have not dulled that sharp tongue of yours," chuckled Endymion as he shook his head. "It hasn't dulled your deep hatred for men, either."
"Hatred is such a strong word," protested Rei. "I prefer to call it 'indomitable abhorrence'."
"Call it what you will, Cousin Rei, but I am determined to rescue you from a cruel sentence of wasting your life as an old, bitter maid. That would be a terrible waste."
He knew that the topic of matchmaking lit a dangerous fuse inside her, so he braced himself for one of her infamous diatribes - the ones that could decimate an entire metropolitan province. To his surprise, she didn't utter a sound. The graceful, composed, and cultured lady before him was not the belligerent, outspoken, and brash girl that he had last seen eight years ago. The only time she had actually put protocol and grace to use was when she was in the presence of elders or guests, but she did it well. Ever since he could walk on his feet, he had played with Rei. She was the sister who he had treated like a little brother. Her stubborn tomboyish ways could not have possibly been completely bridled by polishing school. Something important must have happened in order to have such a startling effect on her. The only vestiges of her former explosive self were her corrosive tongue and cynical mind.
'What could have changed her so much?' he asked himself.
A minute had passed in disturbing silence. The only evidence that she had actually heard him was that she fixed her deep plum eyes on him. He felt her mysteriously calm stare penetrate the deepest recesses of his mind and soul like a key opening a lock. He hated it when she did that. Why he was afraid to directly meet her gaze, he did not know.
"It's funny how you bring up matrimony," Rei said at last. She said it in a voice that matched her stare; she was the personification of coolness.
Endymion laughed nervously. 'Where the hell is she going with this?'
"How so?" he asked, trying to match her bearing. He didn't even come close.
She tipped her head a little to the side and closed her eyes again. "You speak of getting me shackled to another for life, in the name of holy matrimony, even if it is against my own will. Isn't that exactly what you yourself fear at the moment?"
Her words struck him violently, but he could only respond by looking down at the chessboard between them. Rei was right on target.
"But that is not the only thing on your mind, is it, Cousin Endy? You are an open book, my dear. Reading your thoughts is far too easy with the emotional vibrations that you so powerfully emit right now. I sense anxiety, confusion, anger, and. what is this last one?" Rei furrowed her brow. "This last emotion that I feel from you is quite singular. It is a mixture of tenderness.and hope. Interesting, very interesting.this mixture of negative and positive energies."
"Amazing," breathed Endymion. "How do you do it, Rei?"
"Has eight years without my influence made you stupid?" she asked harshly. "I am a first-class mystic and prophetess. I'm supposed to know these things. You should not be so surprised, for you have similar powers, just to a lesser extent. Your mother is a Martian, and although the powers of prophesy is only passed down the noble bloodline to the first-borne daughter, all Martians are born with a rather high level of extrasensory perception, or ESP. However, you are special because the natural energies of Earth are absorbed into your royal body and integrate with your semi- Martian blood. You have a rare empathic power, which enables you to tell many things through touch and heal others with your own life force."
"I never told anyone but my parents and my Shittenou about my powers, but of course you'd know. So that's where I get it. And all this time I though that I was a freak like you," he joked.
"Trust me, you are still a freak. But going back to the topic at hand, what causes you to feel this way? The topic of matrimony was brought up subconsciously by your worries. When you asked me to spend some 'quality family time' with you, I saw urgency in the way you looked at me. But the strange part was that you didn't even know why you wanted to talk to me so badly, correct?"
"No, I don't know why I felt that it was so important to speak privately with you. I just need someone to talk to - someone who knows me better than I know myself. Did I really look that desperate?" asked Endymion.
"Not quite desperate, just in need of verbal solace and clarification. Now where did I leave off? Oh yes, matrimony. You are twenty years old. On Earth, that makes you a legal adult. By your age, you should already be betrothed. Goodness, even children are finding themselves in arranged marriages, so there must be tremendous pressure on you. To top it all off, you are the crown prince of one of the most powerful planets in this system, and it is absolutely necessary that you continue the royal lineage. How can that happen if you do not produce an heir?"
"Maybe Zoisite can figure out a way to whip up a child in the laboratory," suggested Endymion.
"Lord knows what hideous creature that evil genius can produce. Anyways, your parents have been dropping hints here and there that they would like to hear the pitter-patter of little feet sometime in their lifetime. Better sooner than later, they probably figured. They also want you to settle down-"
"Settle down?!" shouted Endymion. "I haven't even gotten the chance to go anywhere!"
"-with a nice girl. Kingdoms from all across the galaxy must be throwing their unattached virgin daughters at your feet."
"More directly at me than at my feet."
"Same difference. And you have not found one with whom you feel comfortable."
"There's just no connection to any of them!" he agreed.
"And I bet that a good number of them were hideous."
"What kind of man do you take me for, Cousin Rei? Am I so superficial that I would turn away a lady just because she was not born with a fair face?"
"Yes."
"But they were really ugly!"
"Conceited jerk."
"But the worst part was that they thought they were beautiful, so they were incredibly snobby."
"Narcissistic *and* ugly? What a combination."
"Exactly. I mean, if she were really unattractive but she had a good heart, it would be fine."
"Right, but let us go back to those emotions of yours. Hope.hope is a double-edged sword. I, of all people, should know that. It can be miraculously uplifting, or it can be devastatingly disappointing. One may even compare it to gambling, but the stakes are much higher than gold and gems. Moreover, the loss of hope can result in the loss of much more - the loss of freedom, faith, and even love. I can go on and on about the great tragedies of hope, and in great detail, but I'd just be killing your own in the process."
During Rei's little lecture, Endymion's smile deepened into an uneasy frown. "Believe me, the little hope I had before is now gasping for life."
"Good, because a little hope can go a long way."
Endymion wanted to bang his head against the tree. "Damn it, Rei, where the hell are you going with this?! First, you speak of hope as if it were a damned curse, and then you - OW!"
One of the ivory pawns hit him squarely between his eyes, leaving a nice, dark red mark as a memento.
"What was that for?" he demanded.
"That," replied Rei, "was for interrupting me, which was incredibly tactless. And this --," she then flicked another pawn at the exact spot between his eyes, "-is for not having any faith in me. It pains me to know that my dearest cousin does not trust me."
"It pains me every time you launch a chess piece at my face. Those things are hard." Despite the soreness, Endymion couldn't help but grin. 'The old Rei is still in there after all!'
"Sorry," she said. "Next time I'll throw the whole damn board at you."
"That's my girl."
Rei reorganized the chess pieces as she spoke. "It's a shame that you didn't let me finish. I was building up the suspense. You've totally killed the effect."
"Oh, would you stop stalling and just say what you've got to say?"
In response, she smirked. "We mystics like to beat around the bush.it makes us sound even more enigmatic and unworldly. It's a habit of ours to keep our audience on the edge of its seat."
"I'm already on the edge of my seat!" he exclaimed. "Any further and I'll fall flat on my ass."
"That's impossible. Your head is no where near the pavement."
"Very funny. Are all mystics comedians, too?"
"No, but now we're getting off track again."
"It was your fault this time."
"Guilty as charged," Rei admitted, "but let me find my former train of thought.Ah yes, a little hope can go a long way. In fact, that little hope has sustained you through these past weeks. Your anxiety has been eating away at your last mental defenses."
"Are mystics shrinks, too?"
"Hush, you squashed cabbage leaf. Your casual sarcasm is your means of emotional protection, but your anxiousness is all too apparent. However, that little hope is a glimmer of light in the confusing darkness that surrounds you, and that glimmer of light is the thing that has compelled you to seek my companionship. You have not spoken to anyone about your thoughts or feelings because you did not know how to explain it yourself."
"Yet somehow I was sure that I could depend on my Cousin Rei to put into words what I thought was indefinable." He smiled at her. "I've always liked talking to you, Rei. If ever I need to clear my thoughts, I immediately think of you. In a way, I guess you are my shrink."
Rei smiled tenderly back at him. "I'm glad. But you also came to me because you were too embarrassed to discuss any of this with your parents or the Shittenou." She said "Shittenou" as if the word tasted like age-old canned asparagus in her mouth.
"My parents would tell me that my imagination is getting the best of me, and my Shittenou would have had a field day. They would never let me live this down."
"That little bit of hope, Endy, that glimmer of light.I know what it is. Or should I say.*who* it is?"
"Princess Serenity.Usako," he whispered.
Rei continued: "Usa-chan was your best friend in childhood, and she is the only girl that you've allowed to get close to you. Although you haven't seen her for eight years, you've never forgotten her. On those rare occasions when you had free time, you wrote letters to each other. Now that you are being elbowed into marriage, you want to be with someone who, as you said, can at least create an emotional bond with you, and the only girl you've ever met to have accomplished that is none other than Princess Serenity. Still, there are doubts and questions floating about in that head of yours, so ask away."
Endymion paused, for he didn't know what to ask first, but he finally decided to ask about what worried him the most. "I know that time can change a person into a completely different person, and eight years is a long time. Has Princess Serenity's personality changed much?"
"You are right. Time can truly change a person. She has definitely matured, for training to be the next queen forces one to mature quickly, but her basic nature - her pure heart and strong spirit - has not changed at all."
The sweat trickling down his forehead and palms glistened in the light of the setting sun. "Has she any particular suitor in mind?" Endymion positively feared the answer.
Rei wanted to howl with laughter, but that would have seemed incredibly inappropriate. "Did you hear," she said between silent giggles, "about the injuries of the Duke from Uranus?"
"Yeah, so?"
"That was no accident."
After pondering over his cousin's significant look and underlying tone, Endymion slapped his knee and guffawed in sheer delight, but the urgency of his questions cut his merriment short. He felt foolishly self- conscious when he asked, "Do you think that I have a good chance?"
In startling seriousness, Rei replied, "I love Usa-chan like a little sister, and one may say that I am over-protective of her, even if it is my duty as a Senshi. Every suitor that has tried to court her was completely unworthy of holding her hand, and poor Usa-chan must suffer because of the Conventions of Cordiality. I myself have many flaws, but I pride myself in my judge of character, so believe me when I say that a future proposal from you will give her true happiness."
Her blessing meant the world to him. To show his sincere gratitude, he got up from his seat and embraced her tightly.
"Cousin Rei, there's just one more question I have to ask you."
"What is that?"
"Is she hot?"
The two of them then walked toward the Lunar Gardens. Endymion walked with a severe limp.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
I know, short chapter, but please be patient.
According to my notes, the next chapter will feature a horse race between Makoto and Nephrite (won't that be interesting) and some shenanigans involving Serenity, Viscount Edgeworth, and an old, senile couple.
Thank you to all who've stuck by this story.
And to my editor: You're a long-suffering person. This is why I could never be a professional writer - I couldn't meet a deadline if my life depended on it. Forgive me?
Nutty Colada - You absolutely amazed me.No one has written as many consecutive reviews as you have. Thank you, you crazy reader you!!
And many thanks to Unwanted and Charlie Chaplin 2 for making me their favorite author.
' denotes thought
AN: =author's notes
denotes mental messages (Senshi communicate privately this way to each other, and Shittenou do the same. Blood relations can also communicate mentally.)
Short summary: Cousins Rei and Endymion spend some quality time.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The Winning Losers
Chapter 12: Heart to Heart
The wind blew softly through her silken ebony hair, weaving the long and shiny locks with its whimsical, invisible fingers. Regardless of the cool shade of the prehistoric eucalyptus tree, Endymion could see the lovely amethyst sparkle in his cousin's eyes. He also saw a frightening hardness in them as they were now transfixed on her white queen, standing boldly in the middle of the battlefield. The men that Endymion had valiantly deployed had fallen quickly and shamefully to the ruthless military expertise of Princess Rei. His own lone sovereign was about to meet the same fate.
"Checkmate."
Endymion glared bitterly at his younger cousin. Oblivious to his seething glower, Rei sank easily into her seat and savored the sweet words of victory. She closed her eyes and smiled serenely, thus pouring more salt into his wounded pride.
"Since when did you get so damn good at chess?" he demanded with childish resentment. "I remember teaching *you* the rules and strategies of the game when you were worse than a novice. I also remember having to make mistakes on purpose just to let you win."
"Princess Mercury is not only one of my best friends but also a genius and a universal chess champion. She's a wonderful tutor in the art of this archaic game. Much better than you, Cousin, so do not feel so bad." Reaching over the table, she patted his arm consolingly.
"Kick me while I'm down, why don't you," he muttered. "Of course, I already knew that. I must humbly admit that I am a disgraceful amateur compared to the famous Mercurian princess."
"Such modest words from a member of the male sex," commented Rei dryly.
"Your high opinion of my gender is flattering."
"Only you would take that as a compliment."
"Coming from you? I've heard much, much worse. If that wasn't a compliment from you, then I don't know what is."
"True," she agreed.
"But I assure you," continued Endymion, "that I have matured into a perfect gentleman."
"Thanks to Aunt Gwen. Who knows what would have become of you if dear Uncle James had reared you single-handedly."
Endymion pondered that idea for thirty seconds. "That's a scary thought. But you must admit, there are fewer nobler and wiser than me pa."
"I don't doubt that. I adore Uncle James."
Endymion smiled devilishly. "But I've also heard stories about his younger days. Do you know, the kitchen staff of a palace is an ever- flowing fountain of delicious gossip?"
"Yes, it's common knowledge. If one should want to start an investigation, one should start in the kitchen quarters."
"How come I didn't know that sooner? That information could have been very useful in my boyhood! Countless chances of blackmail lost!"
"Gentleman, indeed," grumbled Rei. "That's the exact reason your parents forbade you to step foot into the kitchen."
Endymion rubbed his hairless chin. "Oh.clever, very clever."
"Anyways, everyone knows that my honest, sweet, resolute Uncle James was once the most notorious lady killer known in history."
"A vile defiler of feminine innocence," Endymion elaborated. He tried his best to suppress the tone of admiration that crept into his voice, lest his cousin should vault over the table and strangle him.
"Mmm hmm. An ideal role model to the growing males of our generation," said Rei in thick sarcasm. "It was probably an act of rebellion since he wasn't first in line to the crown. It wasn't until his elder brother died that Uncle James cleaned up his act to ascend to the throne."
"Ah yes. It's another story of duty over pleasure. I feel his pain," sympathized Endymion.
"Are you insinuating that you wish to indulge in the same evil practices?" asked Rei, though it sounded more like and accusation than a query.
"Who, me?" said Endymion in mock horror. One could practically see a crooked halo floating above his head.
Rei chose to ignore him. "I pity the pretty fools who naively trust themselves to these devious men. Those little girls cannot see the scheming eyes behind the charming face and the black heart inside the trendy, expensive suit."
"I see that the years have not dulled that sharp tongue of yours," chuckled Endymion as he shook his head. "It hasn't dulled your deep hatred for men, either."
"Hatred is such a strong word," protested Rei. "I prefer to call it 'indomitable abhorrence'."
"Call it what you will, Cousin Rei, but I am determined to rescue you from a cruel sentence of wasting your life as an old, bitter maid. That would be a terrible waste."
He knew that the topic of matchmaking lit a dangerous fuse inside her, so he braced himself for one of her infamous diatribes - the ones that could decimate an entire metropolitan province. To his surprise, she didn't utter a sound. The graceful, composed, and cultured lady before him was not the belligerent, outspoken, and brash girl that he had last seen eight years ago. The only time she had actually put protocol and grace to use was when she was in the presence of elders or guests, but she did it well. Ever since he could walk on his feet, he had played with Rei. She was the sister who he had treated like a little brother. Her stubborn tomboyish ways could not have possibly been completely bridled by polishing school. Something important must have happened in order to have such a startling effect on her. The only vestiges of her former explosive self were her corrosive tongue and cynical mind.
'What could have changed her so much?' he asked himself.
A minute had passed in disturbing silence. The only evidence that she had actually heard him was that she fixed her deep plum eyes on him. He felt her mysteriously calm stare penetrate the deepest recesses of his mind and soul like a key opening a lock. He hated it when she did that. Why he was afraid to directly meet her gaze, he did not know.
"It's funny how you bring up matrimony," Rei said at last. She said it in a voice that matched her stare; she was the personification of coolness.
Endymion laughed nervously. 'Where the hell is she going with this?'
"How so?" he asked, trying to match her bearing. He didn't even come close.
She tipped her head a little to the side and closed her eyes again. "You speak of getting me shackled to another for life, in the name of holy matrimony, even if it is against my own will. Isn't that exactly what you yourself fear at the moment?"
Her words struck him violently, but he could only respond by looking down at the chessboard between them. Rei was right on target.
"But that is not the only thing on your mind, is it, Cousin Endy? You are an open book, my dear. Reading your thoughts is far too easy with the emotional vibrations that you so powerfully emit right now. I sense anxiety, confusion, anger, and. what is this last one?" Rei furrowed her brow. "This last emotion that I feel from you is quite singular. It is a mixture of tenderness.and hope. Interesting, very interesting.this mixture of negative and positive energies."
"Amazing," breathed Endymion. "How do you do it, Rei?"
"Has eight years without my influence made you stupid?" she asked harshly. "I am a first-class mystic and prophetess. I'm supposed to know these things. You should not be so surprised, for you have similar powers, just to a lesser extent. Your mother is a Martian, and although the powers of prophesy is only passed down the noble bloodline to the first-borne daughter, all Martians are born with a rather high level of extrasensory perception, or ESP. However, you are special because the natural energies of Earth are absorbed into your royal body and integrate with your semi- Martian blood. You have a rare empathic power, which enables you to tell many things through touch and heal others with your own life force."
"I never told anyone but my parents and my Shittenou about my powers, but of course you'd know. So that's where I get it. And all this time I though that I was a freak like you," he joked.
"Trust me, you are still a freak. But going back to the topic at hand, what causes you to feel this way? The topic of matrimony was brought up subconsciously by your worries. When you asked me to spend some 'quality family time' with you, I saw urgency in the way you looked at me. But the strange part was that you didn't even know why you wanted to talk to me so badly, correct?"
"No, I don't know why I felt that it was so important to speak privately with you. I just need someone to talk to - someone who knows me better than I know myself. Did I really look that desperate?" asked Endymion.
"Not quite desperate, just in need of verbal solace and clarification. Now where did I leave off? Oh yes, matrimony. You are twenty years old. On Earth, that makes you a legal adult. By your age, you should already be betrothed. Goodness, even children are finding themselves in arranged marriages, so there must be tremendous pressure on you. To top it all off, you are the crown prince of one of the most powerful planets in this system, and it is absolutely necessary that you continue the royal lineage. How can that happen if you do not produce an heir?"
"Maybe Zoisite can figure out a way to whip up a child in the laboratory," suggested Endymion.
"Lord knows what hideous creature that evil genius can produce. Anyways, your parents have been dropping hints here and there that they would like to hear the pitter-patter of little feet sometime in their lifetime. Better sooner than later, they probably figured. They also want you to settle down-"
"Settle down?!" shouted Endymion. "I haven't even gotten the chance to go anywhere!"
"-with a nice girl. Kingdoms from all across the galaxy must be throwing their unattached virgin daughters at your feet."
"More directly at me than at my feet."
"Same difference. And you have not found one with whom you feel comfortable."
"There's just no connection to any of them!" he agreed.
"And I bet that a good number of them were hideous."
"What kind of man do you take me for, Cousin Rei? Am I so superficial that I would turn away a lady just because she was not born with a fair face?"
"Yes."
"But they were really ugly!"
"Conceited jerk."
"But the worst part was that they thought they were beautiful, so they were incredibly snobby."
"Narcissistic *and* ugly? What a combination."
"Exactly. I mean, if she were really unattractive but she had a good heart, it would be fine."
"Right, but let us go back to those emotions of yours. Hope.hope is a double-edged sword. I, of all people, should know that. It can be miraculously uplifting, or it can be devastatingly disappointing. One may even compare it to gambling, but the stakes are much higher than gold and gems. Moreover, the loss of hope can result in the loss of much more - the loss of freedom, faith, and even love. I can go on and on about the great tragedies of hope, and in great detail, but I'd just be killing your own in the process."
During Rei's little lecture, Endymion's smile deepened into an uneasy frown. "Believe me, the little hope I had before is now gasping for life."
"Good, because a little hope can go a long way."
Endymion wanted to bang his head against the tree. "Damn it, Rei, where the hell are you going with this?! First, you speak of hope as if it were a damned curse, and then you - OW!"
One of the ivory pawns hit him squarely between his eyes, leaving a nice, dark red mark as a memento.
"What was that for?" he demanded.
"That," replied Rei, "was for interrupting me, which was incredibly tactless. And this --," she then flicked another pawn at the exact spot between his eyes, "-is for not having any faith in me. It pains me to know that my dearest cousin does not trust me."
"It pains me every time you launch a chess piece at my face. Those things are hard." Despite the soreness, Endymion couldn't help but grin. 'The old Rei is still in there after all!'
"Sorry," she said. "Next time I'll throw the whole damn board at you."
"That's my girl."
Rei reorganized the chess pieces as she spoke. "It's a shame that you didn't let me finish. I was building up the suspense. You've totally killed the effect."
"Oh, would you stop stalling and just say what you've got to say?"
In response, she smirked. "We mystics like to beat around the bush.it makes us sound even more enigmatic and unworldly. It's a habit of ours to keep our audience on the edge of its seat."
"I'm already on the edge of my seat!" he exclaimed. "Any further and I'll fall flat on my ass."
"That's impossible. Your head is no where near the pavement."
"Very funny. Are all mystics comedians, too?"
"No, but now we're getting off track again."
"It was your fault this time."
"Guilty as charged," Rei admitted, "but let me find my former train of thought.Ah yes, a little hope can go a long way. In fact, that little hope has sustained you through these past weeks. Your anxiety has been eating away at your last mental defenses."
"Are mystics shrinks, too?"
"Hush, you squashed cabbage leaf. Your casual sarcasm is your means of emotional protection, but your anxiousness is all too apparent. However, that little hope is a glimmer of light in the confusing darkness that surrounds you, and that glimmer of light is the thing that has compelled you to seek my companionship. You have not spoken to anyone about your thoughts or feelings because you did not know how to explain it yourself."
"Yet somehow I was sure that I could depend on my Cousin Rei to put into words what I thought was indefinable." He smiled at her. "I've always liked talking to you, Rei. If ever I need to clear my thoughts, I immediately think of you. In a way, I guess you are my shrink."
Rei smiled tenderly back at him. "I'm glad. But you also came to me because you were too embarrassed to discuss any of this with your parents or the Shittenou." She said "Shittenou" as if the word tasted like age-old canned asparagus in her mouth.
"My parents would tell me that my imagination is getting the best of me, and my Shittenou would have had a field day. They would never let me live this down."
"That little bit of hope, Endy, that glimmer of light.I know what it is. Or should I say.*who* it is?"
"Princess Serenity.Usako," he whispered.
Rei continued: "Usa-chan was your best friend in childhood, and she is the only girl that you've allowed to get close to you. Although you haven't seen her for eight years, you've never forgotten her. On those rare occasions when you had free time, you wrote letters to each other. Now that you are being elbowed into marriage, you want to be with someone who, as you said, can at least create an emotional bond with you, and the only girl you've ever met to have accomplished that is none other than Princess Serenity. Still, there are doubts and questions floating about in that head of yours, so ask away."
Endymion paused, for he didn't know what to ask first, but he finally decided to ask about what worried him the most. "I know that time can change a person into a completely different person, and eight years is a long time. Has Princess Serenity's personality changed much?"
"You are right. Time can truly change a person. She has definitely matured, for training to be the next queen forces one to mature quickly, but her basic nature - her pure heart and strong spirit - has not changed at all."
The sweat trickling down his forehead and palms glistened in the light of the setting sun. "Has she any particular suitor in mind?" Endymion positively feared the answer.
Rei wanted to howl with laughter, but that would have seemed incredibly inappropriate. "Did you hear," she said between silent giggles, "about the injuries of the Duke from Uranus?"
"Yeah, so?"
"That was no accident."
After pondering over his cousin's significant look and underlying tone, Endymion slapped his knee and guffawed in sheer delight, but the urgency of his questions cut his merriment short. He felt foolishly self- conscious when he asked, "Do you think that I have a good chance?"
In startling seriousness, Rei replied, "I love Usa-chan like a little sister, and one may say that I am over-protective of her, even if it is my duty as a Senshi. Every suitor that has tried to court her was completely unworthy of holding her hand, and poor Usa-chan must suffer because of the Conventions of Cordiality. I myself have many flaws, but I pride myself in my judge of character, so believe me when I say that a future proposal from you will give her true happiness."
Her blessing meant the world to him. To show his sincere gratitude, he got up from his seat and embraced her tightly.
"Cousin Rei, there's just one more question I have to ask you."
"What is that?"
"Is she hot?"
The two of them then walked toward the Lunar Gardens. Endymion walked with a severe limp.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
I know, short chapter, but please be patient.
According to my notes, the next chapter will feature a horse race between Makoto and Nephrite (won't that be interesting) and some shenanigans involving Serenity, Viscount Edgeworth, and an old, senile couple.
Thank you to all who've stuck by this story.