Disclaimer: Same as Always
Author's Notes: I'm back, and that's all that matters. Thank you to those who haven't abandoned me and to those who actually e-mailed me to make sure I was still alive.
I'm too ashamed to face my editor at this point. I've been on a hiatus for too long, and to suddenly contact him out of the blue seems awfully awkward. So if you're reading this, my dear editor, please accept this sincere public apology. Forgive me...
Oh, and this chapter is for all the Ami-chan and Zoi-boy fans out there.
' denotes thought
AN: =author's notes
denotes mental messages
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The Winning Losers
Chapter 16: Ladies and Gentlemen, Place Your Bets
"She's coming to!"
"Rei-chan? Come on, open your eyes -"
"Give her some air! Let me examine her."
"Thank God!"
Familiar faces swam into view, but everything was blurred, as if she was looking through a window of cellophane. Rei felt a warm hand grasp her left one, and she turned a hazy gaze toward intense blue eyes and a mop of disheveled ebony hair.
"Cousin... Endy?" she whispered, sounding uncharacteristically like a little girl rising from the land of dreams.
"No, I'm the Easter bunny. Of course I'm your Endy, you nitwit!" he replied, beside himself with relief that she was okay.
Her pale lips curled into a ghost of her trademark smirk. "Shut up, Cousin. I'm in no condition to match your obnoxiousness right now."
"Yup, our Rei-chan is back!" cried Serenity, hugging Rei with superhuman force. Alarmed for her patient and friend, Dr. Ami nearly had to pry the princess's arms off of Rei. The crushing embrace threatened to cut off her air supply. Rei slowly raised a hand to her blonde friend's wet cheek; the movement seemed to be quite a calculated effort. The bed-ridden girl felt awfully exhausted, but she managed a knowing smile. "Usa-chan, silly girl, I am fine now. Wipe those unnecessary tears before you drown us all."
Ami set aside the syringe with the promithicus antidote and performed a quick examination of Rei. Satisfied that her friend was out of danger's reach, she finally gave Rei a watery smile and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze with her cool hand.
"Thank you, Ami-chan."
Minako bounced Ami and Serenity out of the way, eager to have her own say. "Welcome back, Sleeping Beauty! Do you know how much we worried about you?"
"I could hazard a guess," Rei replied lightly. "I've put you through so much trouble, Mina-chan..." Her tone became earnest and semi-apologetic. Although she had been unconscious, visions of the real world had still reached her, and she knew that Minako had ventured into the wild and humid jungles of Venus to find one live-saving root for her. "Thanks a million, Mina-chan."
"Eh, don't sweat it. You would have done the same for me, and plus, it was a great exercise. I've never sweated so much or felt so energized in my life!"
Kunzite snorted. "Speak for yourself. Your planet is hell with houseplants. Not to mention that I was stuck with you for a whole day in the middle of nowhere."
"Aww Kunzite, don't deny that you liked it. It's not as if you ever get out anyway. So what better company to have than mine?"
"No company at all."
"Social virgin."
"Sticks and stones, Minako. Sticks and stones."
"If only I had some sticks and stones at hand to break those bones of yours."
"Tsk, tsk. Violence will not get you far."
"No, but it would be damn fun to inflict it upon you."
Their insults flowed just as fluidly as before, but the malice was gone, replaced with harmless jabbing. In fact, Minako and Kunzite rather enjoyed it. No one save for Makoto paid much attention to the change. She even caught the fact that they addressed each other by first name, without title or rank proceeding the name. Keeping the thought in the back of her mind, Makoto decided to ask Minako about it later.
"I thank you, Lord Acoupser," Rei added, "for accompanying her."
"You're welcome," he answered solemnly. His opinion of the Princess Mars had changed dramatically after the Senshi had revealed her story. In all honesty, he was glad that she was alive and well. Everything he had previously held against her fell away, and he and his fellow Shittenou saw her in a completely different light.
One of the Shittenou in particular, brooding silently in the corner, didn't know what to think of her anymore.
"Are you hungry, Rei-chan?" asked Makoto, holding a wooden cooking spoon in one hand and a pot in the other. Where or when she obtained either item was anyone's guess.
"Mako-chan, you know I can't live without your famous chicken soup," replied the other with a chuckle.
"I'm on it!" Makoto gave her a quick peck on her forehead before heading out the door.
"We too should all leave and give Rei-chan some time to rest," suggested the ever-vigilant Ami. "I'll stay behind just in case -"
"No. I will stay."
Everyone turned to face Jadeite, unsure if they heard correctly. Doing his best to appear nonchalant, he added, "You all are tired. Get some rest, and I shall make sure to see Lady Hino to her room safely."
Shrugging indifferently, for Jadeite was an inconstant fellow, Zoisite, Kunzite, and Nephrite bowed respectfully toward Princess Rei and filed out of the room. Minako and Ami, defenses raised, moved not an inch, but a nod from Serenity encouraged them to trust the Earth general. They patted Rei's hand and reluctantly followed Endymion and his princess to the exit.
Surprised and somewhat startled, Rei avoided making eye contact with the man from her premonition. Up until that point, she at least had other people to occupy her attention, but now... Now she was alone in the same room with him, and there was no way she could ignore him. She wasn't ready to face him yet, not after all that she had learned. 'What is he doing anywise?' Why did he volunteer to watch over her, the one person he detested most? It made no sense to her.
Little did she know that it made no sense to him either. But his mouth ran on a mind of its own, and he was too confused himself to understand the meaning of his actions.
Unwelcome memories of her dreaded vision resurfaced, and Rei still could not accept them without reasoning. 'How could I fall in love with *that*? He's arrogant and crass and reckless beyond belief! I've hated him since childhood, so how could our hate for one another turn into... something else... overnight?'
But Rei was not foolish. The gods would not tell or show her something that was false. It was even less likely that they were satisfying a sick streak of humor. 'Maybe they intended to communicate a hidden meaning?' Whatever that meaning was, Rei would eventually discover it. Wisely, she decided to consider all possibilities, whether desired or not, and let the river of destiny sweep her away in its course. For the time being, the golden-haired, ocean-eyed devil would be re-evaluated.
She could feel his eyes trained on her face, penetrating her soul. She was afraid to look. She was afraid of what she would find in his eyes. And Rei was never afraid in her life.
He sat in the corner of the room, just five feet from the foot of her bed, with a strange, moody expression directed toward her. She fascinated him, no doubt about it. She spited him and annoyed him and insulted him as no one on Earth would dare, but oh, how she fascinated him!
Maybe if Rei closed her eyes and ignored his very existence, he would get the point and leave. For half an hour, she pretended to sleep, hoping that when she opened her eyes he would be gone.
She opened her eyes. He was still there.
'Damn.'
During this whole time, not a word passed between the two of them. 'He knows,' she thought bitterly. 'He knows about my inner demons... about my weakness.' His whole demeanor toward her was altered, and that could have only meant that he knew the truth. She hated giving her opponents the advantage of that knowledge, and she tried to hide it all costs. Above all, she didn't want any pity.
"It's not a weakness, you know."
His sudden words jolted her from her thoughts, and for a moment, she swore that he had read her mind. They were too close to home.
"Aren't you supposed to be gloating over my handicap? Go on and say what I know is on your mind. I'm a freak of nature, and you knew it all along. Go on, I don't care. I've lived with it too long to be offended."
"What do you take me for? A simpleton?"
"No, not a simpleton."
"A slave of prejudice?"
"I don't think so."
"A pompous dandy?"
"Maybe."
He smiled at that. "I'm glad, then. I may be the last one, but I'm none of the former. Trust me, Hino, you have many flaws, and I mean *many* flaws, but your condition is not your fault. You were born with it to overcome, and I believe that you can."
She answered him with a roll of her eyes. "Well, now that *you* believe in me, I'm sure I can," she drawled sarcastically.
"With that attitude, you won't live to see Tuesday."
"If that means never meeting you again, then I'll die happy."
"Keep insulting me, and we can arrange that."
He took her arm as she rose to get out of the bed. "What do you think you're doing?" she snapped.
"Escorting you to your room, as promised."
She tilted up her stately chin in defiance. "I know how to walk."
"Assuming that you don't trip over your pride."
"Is this your idea of helping me?"
"A thousand apologies, you royal pain in the ass."
"That's 'Princess Royal Pain in the Ass' to you, sir."
Her spirit impressed him, as did her slightly morbid sense of humor. Princess Rei Hino of Mars was a mystery - a breathtaking, frustrating mystery. Taking her hand, he gave a low chuckle that tickled her ears, and she unknowingly allowed him to escort her to her room.
The cool night air caressed Ami's skin like a knowing lover, inviting her into the hypnotic Lunar gardens. She ventured into the darkness alone, wandering aimlessly among the velvet roses jeweled with drops of dew. Her diaphanous white gown trailed behind her in the breeze, softly fluttering like the ghostly waves of the sea. Ami had spent the entire evening fussing over and tending to Rei, refusing herself even a single minute of rest. For the whole of the situation, her only thought was to aid her dearest friend, and she had fought hard to keep her worries at bay. Now that Rei was well and awake, Ami could remember to breathe easily again. However, the weariness began to settle in, and the stress began to take its toll on the gentle girl.
'I haven't even eaten anything since breakfast, and it's near midnight already...'
It was one of those rare times when Ami, the self-proclaimed "Ice Queen", wished that she had someone to whom she could express her emotional trials. Someone who would help her forget about the aches in her head. Someone who would ease the heaviness in her heart. Someone just for her.
'Quit it, Ami Mizuno. You're a princess, not a drama queen.'
Though she would never admit it to herself, she secretly envied Serenity and Endymion. Yes, she was incredibly happy for them, for not a handsomer couple ever graced the universe, but was a Senshi destined for a happily-ever-after? She was surrounded by loved ones, adored by millions, respected by her peers, and hailed by her subjects as the noblest princess in Mercurian history.
Yet she was lonely. Even the Ice Queen suffered a chill every now and then.
Before she knew it, she found herself in the middle of the wood of evergreen trees, facing a smooth slab of dark gray stone that towered above her 5'6 frame. It was none other than the famed Poet's Stone, a national Lunar landmark. The legendary poet Elliot Exanimo, of both Lunar and Mercurian descent, outlined some of his most indelible poems on the famous stone, writing them in chalk and then erasing them once he published the finished product. He was Ami's favorite literary figure of all time, and she had bid furiously for the relic at an anonymous galaxy auction for charity. She remembered how rigorously she had had to compete to purchase the priceless item; it was a showdown between her and one other faceless Elliot Exanimo fanatic. The unknown opposing bidder gave her a run for her money, driving the price up to the astronomical value of 2.7 million in gold weight. But she had ultimately triumphed, and she smugly imagined the other bidder eating his heart out. If he had known that he was contending with the princess of Mercury, he could not have hoped to win against her, the heir of the wealthiest royal house of the Inner Alliance. She herself was a shrewd businesswoman and a self-made millionaire - a master of the stock market who executed a marketing plan like a military campaign. The other guy didn't stand a chance.
In the spirit of the great Elliot Examino, Ami opened the stone to the public, allowing people to leave a few personal words on the inspirational rock. The surface of the stone was worn smooth with years of visitors leaving their own verbal handprints, and Ami herself loved to visit it occasionally to channel her own thoughts and feelings through song and verse. Picking up a nearby piece of chalk, she let the words flow from her soul and onto the stone. She stepped back to read her impromptu work-in-progress, for rarely did she realize what she wrote while in the midst of a creative spurt.
The sound of a snapping twig in the distance made her body freeze, and the bulky piece of chalk fell from her hand. Senshi senses kicked into overdrive, Ami soundlessly made her way toward the intruder, crouching low to the ground and cloaking herself in the shadows. The darkness obscured her vision, but it was too dangerous to conjure a light. She summoned a deadly ice saber with her right hand, ready to plunge it into a human sheath if necessary.
A long leg clad in a shining leather boot swung at her legs, but she jumped just in time to dodge it. As she whipped around to face the intruder, an iron hand clamped down on her wrist. The strong arm pulled her in, but with a strength that belied her slender frame, she flipped the attacker onto his back, twisting his arm in the process. In a heartbeat, she had the finely edged tip of the ice saber pointed at his neck.
The prostrate man groaned, and Ami's eyes widened with realization.
"Lord Aufait?!"
"Ugh... That's a killer arm you have there, Princess. Now would you please move that saber a safe distance from my person?"
Ami shrieked with rage and pushed the blade even closer to Zoisite's tempting pale neck.
"Damn it, woman, what the hell are you doing?!"
"What the hell are *you* doing, stalking around in the dead of night and attacking young women?!"
"You crept up on me first! I thought you were an assassin or something!" He gingerly pushed the blade away from his throat and stood up with as much dignity as he could muster, ignoring her outstretched hand. His pride would not allow him to accept her assistance. She didn't mind at all - it was just a matter of courtesy, not of sincere concern.
"You have not answered my question, sir," she stated calmly.
"Can't a man have a moment of peace? Is it against the law to enjoy the quiet and coolness of the night? By God, you Silver Millennium people are maddening."
"I find it hard to believe you."
"And I find it hard to endure you. Anyway, I should be asking the same of you, princess," he muttered. He muttered other choice words as he dusted off his uniform. "I just had this cleaned and pressed today, too." He then turned a jaunty emerald eye to her flushed face. The physical exertion brought a pretty blush to her cheek, and her lustrous navy locks haphazardly framed her delicate face. Unashamedly, he watched her chest rise and fall with heavy breaths, and he took note of the beautiful white hand that clutched the lethal weapon. It was a striking juxtaposition, the graceful sprite of a princess and the long, sharp saber. He never thought she ever looked better. Though he absolutely abhorred her, he was a connoisseur of women, and he had to concede that she was indeed an exquisite specimen.
A mocking smile curled his handsome mouth. "'Tis improper for a lady to be out alone at this late hour, or are you not as innocent as you appear to be? It's always the quiet one who is the most naughty, isn't it?"
Ami's crystalline sapphire eyes narrowed venomously at him. "Watch your words, you uncouth beast. How dare you question my honor? And who are you to question me? Your reputation as a brazen womanizer has reached every corner of the universe."
"I'm that famous, huh?" He grinned rakishly, running a hand proudly through his strawberry blonde curls.
"You're disgusting." The control she had earlier commanded in his presence in the royal infirmary had completely left her. Civility be damned with him. "I'm surprised that you get around so quickly when your pants are forever around your ankles."
Zoisite raised his eyebrows in astonishment. "Who knew you had it in you, Ice? Such foul language! My influence must be doing wonders on you."
"You just happen to bring the worst out of people, MY LORD," she spat, "and don't call me Ice."
"Sorry, ICE, I call the shots here. And it's not me who always has his pants down. Women usually hike their skirts up for me."
"Well, just because you are a perverse Neanderthal does not mean that I fall in the same category."
"Ha! Of course, my lady. You're sacred, I assure you. No man would be in his right mind if he wanted you."
She turned away from him, withdrawing the ice sword simultaneously. "Quite right," she murmured, eyes directed toward the ground. For some inexplicit reason, Zoisite felt a tinge of guilt, and he regarded her curiously as she momentarily lost the cold fire in her voice and face. He meant to get a rise out of her - that was all. 'She doesn't really believe that, does she?' The Princess Mercury was a rare diamond in a field of glass. Beauty, brains, strength, wit, wealth, power... what man wouldn't want her? Zoisite was the only exception, or so he thought.
For that instant, Ami was not the condescending pillar of strength that Zoisite had grown to hate. For a fleeting moment, she was not the perfect, detached figurine of ice depicted in the newspapers. He saw a woman, lonely and sorrowful, an ethereal prisoner in a silver cage.
He took a step closer to her, but he stopped himself abruptly. Why should he care? More importantly, why did he care?
The shadow that had crossed her features disappeared as quickly as it had come. She was back on the offensive. "I guess I can't compare to you in that department. I'm not half the woman that you are, my dear general." That was a blow below the belt, and she relished in the scowl that marred his beautiful face. She was obviously referring to the traumatic prank she had pulled on him eight years ago when she had magically transformed him into a girl.
Zoisite quickly regained his composure. He refused to give her the last laugh. "I guess I should thank you for that, my lady. Because I had spent a day as a female, I have gained a sensitivity toward women that men would normally not have. The experience in getting in touch with my feminine side has helped me gain wild popularity among the ladies. They go crazy over my 'gentle, sensitive nature.' All thanks to you," he added for good measure.
'Did my devious plan actually backfire?' she thought in horror. 'Am I responsible for creating this monstrosity?' She darted her eyes to his search his infuriatingly gorgeous visage. 'He's just saving face,' she decided, which calmed her nerves greatly.
They stared into each other's eyes for a long time, as if challenging each other to see who would back down first. He was tall and slim yet definitely toned, and he was supposedly the brightest mind she had ever encountered. Why was she cursed with seeing only his worst attributes? Wasn't she supposed to test her intelligence with his? Wasn't she supposed to study the workings of his mind and engage him in intellectual debates? It was not as if she felt dumber around him - she actually toyed with the suspicion that he was not the genius he was rumored to be - but she surely felt more human. And that deeply disturbed her.
If he wasn't so egotistic and repugnant, they probably would have been good friends, if not more. She immediately shook that blasphemous thought from her head.
"Let's make a wager, Lord Aufait."
That successfully piqued his interest. "Ah, so Little Miss Perfect has a vice! You're a gambling woman!"
"Do you want to hear it or not, sir?"
"By all means, proceed, counselor."
"Thank you. I bet that you are incapable of wholly committing yourself to one woman. You sleep around to compensate for the fact that you haven't the slightest notion of true love."
This wasn't fun anymore. Zoisite did not like the direction of this conversation.
"You're one to talk! You wouldn't know love if it melted that glacier you call a heart," he bit defensively.
"That may be true, but I do not partake in the same... activities as you do. You are insecure, so you try to assert yourself by dominating scores of willing women. So I propose this: if you cannot fall in love a woman - purely and honestly love a woman - and make her love you in return in the next, let's say, half a year, you must abstain from women for the rest of your life."
"You can't be serious!" he cried incredulously. "You can't rush things like that!"
"Frightened, Lord Aufait? I thought nothing was beyond your ability, your formidable charm," she said innocently.
He growled viciously. "That's a high price to pay, Ice." Abstain from women? Forever? That was inhumane. "You might as well castrate me!"
"That would work as well."
Zoisite blanched. "I'd rather go with the first consequence."
'How hard could it be?' he asked himself. 'Just because I haven't found a so-called true love does not mean I am incapable of finding one. I'm young, I'm rich, and damn it, I'm the finest man to ever walk on the face of the Earth! It's not my fault that I've thus far chosen to enjoy my life. But if I wanted to shackle myself to a wench, I could do it without breaking a sweat.'
Then a thought struck him. He stalked over to the Mercurian fairy and touched his nose to hers so that they met eye to eye. "If I win, it is only fair that you must pay just as dearly," he snarled.
She didn't flinch from his touch. "Fair enough. Name the consequence."
Zoisite rubbed his silken chin, immersing himself in deep thought. 'This is my chance to ruin her life... I've got to make this worth the world!' The dam of evil schemes suddenly burst, and a smile of pure evil contorted his once heavenly face.
The devil himself would have cowered in Zoisite's presence. There was something horribly demonic in the glint in his jade eyes. Ami braced herself.
"If I win this little wager, my dear, I will choose your future husband. No contest."
Ami stumbled back a few steps. She couldn't begin to imagine what hell he would put her through if she lost. This was her life she was wagering! Her future! Her heart... She started to regret that she mentioned the stupid bet in the first place... But what if she won? The odds against Zoisite were tremendous. None of his romantic liaisons lasted for more than a week! They both knew that he had solely experienced physical love, that no woman had ever captured his heart. 'He'll just pounce on the closest thing with a skirt! He's a man of his hormones, not of his heart.' Furthermore, he thought himself above everyone. No mere woman could tame him! She was confident that he would lose.
"Deal."
Zoisite's smile widened maliciously, and the two rivals shook hands professionally, sealing the bet and sealing their fates.
She left him to let the gravity of the situation seep into him. He was Zoisite Aufait! He had never lost a bet in his life. Statistics and calculations served him well, and his determination served him better. 'Fall in love with a woman, purely and honestly... and make her love me... Child's play, I'm sure.'
At least his vacation became more interesting.
He walked around for a while until he came across an unmistakable shape. 'The Poet's Stone!' He inhaled sharply, suddenly humbled in the presence of the wondrous symbol. Zoisite wholeheartedly devoted himself to the works of the late and great Elliot Exanimo, raising monuments and museums on Earth to commemorate the literary legend. He was the proud owner of the largest collection of original manuscripts of the master poet and playwright. Dozens of the man's books lined Zoisite's shelves, and he always kept Examino's last journal close to his pillow so he could nightly read the most profound thoughts that the galaxy had to offer.
Raising a hand in silent awe, he ran a finger reverently along the edge of the large boulder. He coveted the Poet's Stone... How close he had once been to obtaining it! With rankling bitterness, he recalled the auction that he had lost some time ago. He thought that no one else would drop more than 875 thousand in gold weight for the thing, and if no one else had placed a higher bid for just five minutes, it would have been his for the taking. But cruel is fate! Someone more obsessive than him had kicked the price up to 1 million. He gamely reacted, and a heated bidding war ensued. His anonymous rival finally slammed down 2.7 million big ones, and he was forced to admit defeat. The loss still stung.
'How did the stone end up here, anyway?' The thought shortly disappeared when his eyes latched onto a couple of lines written in white chalk to the left. By the looks of it, it was freshly written.
"Retracing my steps, erasing mistakes
Saving whatever was at stake
Voicing all that should've been said
Changing directions, going ahead
Living my life all over again
But in exchange for whom I am?"
Zoisite spied a piece of chalk by the rock, picked it up, and added onto what seemed to be an unfinished poem. Satisfied with his little part, he made his was back to his chamber.
The next morning, Ami dressed appropriately for her morning jog. Being a doctor, she valued and maintained her health, running precisely at six o'clock a.m. everyday. She ran laps around the gardens, threading around numerous ivory fountains and vaulting over garden benches. As she ran through the evergreen woods, she hummed a random tune, a light-hearted and original melody that pleased the songbirds in the trees. She passed by Poet's Stone, heading out of the evergreen forest. She stopped dead in her tracks. Spinning abruptly, she jogged back to her prized rock. Something was there that certainly was not there the night before. Right beneath the poem she started appeared to be some kind of continuation. It was not quite her style, but it fit with what she had began.
"No, never, not for a day
For changing the past is changing my ways
Because the events of yesterday
Shaped the person you see today."
Ami smiled to herself, strangely flattered that someone had answered her lines. 'But who...? An angel, perhaps?' She sighed, shaking her head. 'It doesn't matter, does it? Ratiocinate! It was probably some random tourist or partygoer. We often get such visitors in the gardens. Come on, Ami... What is wrong with you lately? Reality is not a place for dreams...' She blamed her frustration on last night's unexpected bet. 'Yes, that's it... but I'm okay, because I'm going to win. No cause for worry.'
She picked up the chalk and resolutely wrote:
"Let not thy heart govern thy head."
The rest of the day passed uneventfully. Rei spent the afternoon next to her Sacred Fire, allowing herself a short break to receive Phobos and Deimos. They sensed that something was troubling their charge, but they did not push the topic, and Rei was grateful for their understanding. She later accompanied Minako to a meeting with the heads of state of Noceteipsum and Nildesperandum to settle a boundary dispute. Makoto delivered an eloquent address to the Senate regarding the environmental crisis on Pluto.
Kunzite, never one to miss an opportunity for self-improvement, decided that it was a perfect day to put his Shittenou through a healthy dose of physical torture in the Lunar Gymnasium. He grudgingly admitted that the training ground on the Moon was superior to that of their own impressive gym on Earth, so he looked forward to use it to his advantage. The night before, Kunzite had prepared the day's agenda, which went as follows:
7:30 Reveille
7:45 Breakfast
8:00 Meet the boys at training grounds
8:01 Strangle Jadeite. He's bound to do/say something annoying.
8:02 Kill Zoisite. He'll pick up where Jadeite left off.
8:05 Twenty laps around the track
8:35 Thirty laps in the pool
8:45 Keep Nephrite from drowning either Jadeite and/or Zoisite
8:46 Keep myself from drowning Nephrite, Jadeite, and/or Zoisite
9:00 Weight lifting
9:20 Respiratory exercises
9:30 Break
9:45 Morning report
10:00 Update His Majesty
10:10 Pry Endymion off the princess, remind him to attend training
10:15 Hit Endy over the head, drag him to training
10:17 Hit Zoi and Jed over the head. They'll be due for a beating.
10:20 Weapons inspection
11:00 Target practice
12:00 Lunch
1:00 Afternoon report
1:15 Escort Endy to Their Majesties and the princess for boat ride
1:30 Combat practice
3:30 Hit the showers
4:00 Reconnaissance
5:00-6:30 Free
6:30 Evening report
7:30 Dinner with Senshi. Prevent nuclear war at dinner table.
In the afternoon, Endymion and Serenity took their parents, Luna, and Artemis on a boat ride across the Clairesprit River. The highlight of that excursion was when Artemis fell overboard, or more accurately, was shoved overboard. The incident began when Artemis continued his tireless flirtation with Luna, the woman who, despite being in love with the charming white-haired maverick for over two centuries, would still not admit it. The silver-tongued Artemis was bold that sunny day, much more so than usual, meaning that he was outright contemptible. She looked so radiant and so alluring in her summer dress, a girlish, airy number that flattered her pleasing figure. It was a soft shade of peach patterned in glowing mellow sunflowers and laced up the front with satin ribbons. Did she know how lovely she was? he wondered. She was older and wiser than the young lady he had met so many years ago, but she was just as stunning... He remembered their first meeting like it was yesterday; it was the first time she had slapped him and the first time he had fallen in love.
In plain view of the crown heirs and their highly amused parents, Artemis tripped Luna into his expectant arms, dipped her low, and kissed her with all the dizzying ardor of his heart. Never did he cross the line like he did that afternoon. Until that point, he had respected his romantic - if it could be considered romantic - position with the fair Luna, which was strictly limited to scandalously provocative talk on his part and furious blushes on her part. The farthest he had ever gotten without earning a resounding slap was kissing her indisposed hand. But this time, he couldn't help himself... And he didn't regret it one bit.
Even when she hurled him into the river, and even though he was soaked to the bone, he was ridiculously pleased with himself.
Luna threw him a lifesaver. She had meant to bean him with it.
Ami had the day off, so she devoted her time to some business affairs and a letter to her mother, Queen Miranda III. Ami had inherited her mother's love of knowledge and science, and like her mother, Ami pursued a career in the medical field. The queen was a soft-spoken yet fortuitous woman, the epitome of serene royalty. Much of Ami's mother was reflected in her, but she also shared the artistic nature of her father. King Midori Mizuno was an accomplished painter and celebrated musician. He had tutored Ami in harp, Rei in piano, and all five princesses in singing. He was a carefree man, and though he was a good monarch, his love for politics paled in comparison to his love for the arts. Sometimes, Ami wished she could be as free-spirited as her father, but she was too pragmatic, too grounded.
After dessert, she made her way to Poet's Stone again, intending to run away with another creative line of thought. "Let not thy heart govern thy head," she read aloud to herself as if reminding herself of her own words. Her breath caught in her throat when she discovered the same unidentified handwriting from before directly under her own. 'Who is this person who complements my thoughts?' The handwriting had a floral quality to it, but the strokes were self-assured and masculine. Luckily, she could not see the blush rise in her cheeks. Both lines together read:
"Let not thy heart govern thy head
But keep in mind what thy heart has said."
The person began something entirely different a foot or so to the side:
"Can you answer all my questions?
Will you reveal the things you know?"
Ami hesitated for a little while before she picked up the chalk and answered:
"If you'll be completely honest,
If you let your emotions show."
As she headed back to her private quarters, Ami quietly hummed a lulling tune, smiling all the while. As soon as her head fell against her feathery pillow, she drifted into a peaceful sleep, dreaming pleasant dreams. She dreamt that Zoisite lost their bet, and she envisioned him admitting defeat and begging for mercy.
Later that evening, Zoisite visited the stone, the object of his affection, and he read the answer to the two questions he had posed. Somehow, he knew that someone would respond.
"If you'll be completely honest, if you let your emotions show," his mysterious muse had replied. His mysterious muse? 'From where did that nickname come?' Oddly, it sounded agreeable to his ear. "My mysterious muse..." He scoffed at his foolishness. But still...
"If you'll be completely honest,
If you let your emotions show."
Zoisite grinned to the laughing stars twinkling in the velvet black sky. For starters, Zoisite was not an honest man. And secondly, he was not in the habit of letting his true emotions show.
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I know, it's been forever since I've updated. But look forward to the next chapter! The working title for it is "Shenanigans by the Seashore." It's quite self-explanatory, and I'm having a blast outlining it, but it will also give more background for our lovely Mako-chan, concerning "The Tragedy" that was mentioned in earlier chapters.
As always, review, review, review. Thank you kindly.
Author's Notes: I'm back, and that's all that matters. Thank you to those who haven't abandoned me and to those who actually e-mailed me to make sure I was still alive.
I'm too ashamed to face my editor at this point. I've been on a hiatus for too long, and to suddenly contact him out of the blue seems awfully awkward. So if you're reading this, my dear editor, please accept this sincere public apology. Forgive me...
Oh, and this chapter is for all the Ami-chan and Zoi-boy fans out there.
' denotes thought
AN: =author's notes
denotes mental messages
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The Winning Losers
Chapter 16: Ladies and Gentlemen, Place Your Bets
"She's coming to!"
"Rei-chan? Come on, open your eyes -"
"Give her some air! Let me examine her."
"Thank God!"
Familiar faces swam into view, but everything was blurred, as if she was looking through a window of cellophane. Rei felt a warm hand grasp her left one, and she turned a hazy gaze toward intense blue eyes and a mop of disheveled ebony hair.
"Cousin... Endy?" she whispered, sounding uncharacteristically like a little girl rising from the land of dreams.
"No, I'm the Easter bunny. Of course I'm your Endy, you nitwit!" he replied, beside himself with relief that she was okay.
Her pale lips curled into a ghost of her trademark smirk. "Shut up, Cousin. I'm in no condition to match your obnoxiousness right now."
"Yup, our Rei-chan is back!" cried Serenity, hugging Rei with superhuman force. Alarmed for her patient and friend, Dr. Ami nearly had to pry the princess's arms off of Rei. The crushing embrace threatened to cut off her air supply. Rei slowly raised a hand to her blonde friend's wet cheek; the movement seemed to be quite a calculated effort. The bed-ridden girl felt awfully exhausted, but she managed a knowing smile. "Usa-chan, silly girl, I am fine now. Wipe those unnecessary tears before you drown us all."
Ami set aside the syringe with the promithicus antidote and performed a quick examination of Rei. Satisfied that her friend was out of danger's reach, she finally gave Rei a watery smile and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze with her cool hand.
"Thank you, Ami-chan."
Minako bounced Ami and Serenity out of the way, eager to have her own say. "Welcome back, Sleeping Beauty! Do you know how much we worried about you?"
"I could hazard a guess," Rei replied lightly. "I've put you through so much trouble, Mina-chan..." Her tone became earnest and semi-apologetic. Although she had been unconscious, visions of the real world had still reached her, and she knew that Minako had ventured into the wild and humid jungles of Venus to find one live-saving root for her. "Thanks a million, Mina-chan."
"Eh, don't sweat it. You would have done the same for me, and plus, it was a great exercise. I've never sweated so much or felt so energized in my life!"
Kunzite snorted. "Speak for yourself. Your planet is hell with houseplants. Not to mention that I was stuck with you for a whole day in the middle of nowhere."
"Aww Kunzite, don't deny that you liked it. It's not as if you ever get out anyway. So what better company to have than mine?"
"No company at all."
"Social virgin."
"Sticks and stones, Minako. Sticks and stones."
"If only I had some sticks and stones at hand to break those bones of yours."
"Tsk, tsk. Violence will not get you far."
"No, but it would be damn fun to inflict it upon you."
Their insults flowed just as fluidly as before, but the malice was gone, replaced with harmless jabbing. In fact, Minako and Kunzite rather enjoyed it. No one save for Makoto paid much attention to the change. She even caught the fact that they addressed each other by first name, without title or rank proceeding the name. Keeping the thought in the back of her mind, Makoto decided to ask Minako about it later.
"I thank you, Lord Acoupser," Rei added, "for accompanying her."
"You're welcome," he answered solemnly. His opinion of the Princess Mars had changed dramatically after the Senshi had revealed her story. In all honesty, he was glad that she was alive and well. Everything he had previously held against her fell away, and he and his fellow Shittenou saw her in a completely different light.
One of the Shittenou in particular, brooding silently in the corner, didn't know what to think of her anymore.
"Are you hungry, Rei-chan?" asked Makoto, holding a wooden cooking spoon in one hand and a pot in the other. Where or when she obtained either item was anyone's guess.
"Mako-chan, you know I can't live without your famous chicken soup," replied the other with a chuckle.
"I'm on it!" Makoto gave her a quick peck on her forehead before heading out the door.
"We too should all leave and give Rei-chan some time to rest," suggested the ever-vigilant Ami. "I'll stay behind just in case -"
"No. I will stay."
Everyone turned to face Jadeite, unsure if they heard correctly. Doing his best to appear nonchalant, he added, "You all are tired. Get some rest, and I shall make sure to see Lady Hino to her room safely."
Shrugging indifferently, for Jadeite was an inconstant fellow, Zoisite, Kunzite, and Nephrite bowed respectfully toward Princess Rei and filed out of the room. Minako and Ami, defenses raised, moved not an inch, but a nod from Serenity encouraged them to trust the Earth general. They patted Rei's hand and reluctantly followed Endymion and his princess to the exit.
Surprised and somewhat startled, Rei avoided making eye contact with the man from her premonition. Up until that point, she at least had other people to occupy her attention, but now... Now she was alone in the same room with him, and there was no way she could ignore him. She wasn't ready to face him yet, not after all that she had learned. 'What is he doing anywise?' Why did he volunteer to watch over her, the one person he detested most? It made no sense to her.
Little did she know that it made no sense to him either. But his mouth ran on a mind of its own, and he was too confused himself to understand the meaning of his actions.
Unwelcome memories of her dreaded vision resurfaced, and Rei still could not accept them without reasoning. 'How could I fall in love with *that*? He's arrogant and crass and reckless beyond belief! I've hated him since childhood, so how could our hate for one another turn into... something else... overnight?'
But Rei was not foolish. The gods would not tell or show her something that was false. It was even less likely that they were satisfying a sick streak of humor. 'Maybe they intended to communicate a hidden meaning?' Whatever that meaning was, Rei would eventually discover it. Wisely, she decided to consider all possibilities, whether desired or not, and let the river of destiny sweep her away in its course. For the time being, the golden-haired, ocean-eyed devil would be re-evaluated.
She could feel his eyes trained on her face, penetrating her soul. She was afraid to look. She was afraid of what she would find in his eyes. And Rei was never afraid in her life.
He sat in the corner of the room, just five feet from the foot of her bed, with a strange, moody expression directed toward her. She fascinated him, no doubt about it. She spited him and annoyed him and insulted him as no one on Earth would dare, but oh, how she fascinated him!
Maybe if Rei closed her eyes and ignored his very existence, he would get the point and leave. For half an hour, she pretended to sleep, hoping that when she opened her eyes he would be gone.
She opened her eyes. He was still there.
'Damn.'
During this whole time, not a word passed between the two of them. 'He knows,' she thought bitterly. 'He knows about my inner demons... about my weakness.' His whole demeanor toward her was altered, and that could have only meant that he knew the truth. She hated giving her opponents the advantage of that knowledge, and she tried to hide it all costs. Above all, she didn't want any pity.
"It's not a weakness, you know."
His sudden words jolted her from her thoughts, and for a moment, she swore that he had read her mind. They were too close to home.
"Aren't you supposed to be gloating over my handicap? Go on and say what I know is on your mind. I'm a freak of nature, and you knew it all along. Go on, I don't care. I've lived with it too long to be offended."
"What do you take me for? A simpleton?"
"No, not a simpleton."
"A slave of prejudice?"
"I don't think so."
"A pompous dandy?"
"Maybe."
He smiled at that. "I'm glad, then. I may be the last one, but I'm none of the former. Trust me, Hino, you have many flaws, and I mean *many* flaws, but your condition is not your fault. You were born with it to overcome, and I believe that you can."
She answered him with a roll of her eyes. "Well, now that *you* believe in me, I'm sure I can," she drawled sarcastically.
"With that attitude, you won't live to see Tuesday."
"If that means never meeting you again, then I'll die happy."
"Keep insulting me, and we can arrange that."
He took her arm as she rose to get out of the bed. "What do you think you're doing?" she snapped.
"Escorting you to your room, as promised."
She tilted up her stately chin in defiance. "I know how to walk."
"Assuming that you don't trip over your pride."
"Is this your idea of helping me?"
"A thousand apologies, you royal pain in the ass."
"That's 'Princess Royal Pain in the Ass' to you, sir."
Her spirit impressed him, as did her slightly morbid sense of humor. Princess Rei Hino of Mars was a mystery - a breathtaking, frustrating mystery. Taking her hand, he gave a low chuckle that tickled her ears, and she unknowingly allowed him to escort her to her room.
The cool night air caressed Ami's skin like a knowing lover, inviting her into the hypnotic Lunar gardens. She ventured into the darkness alone, wandering aimlessly among the velvet roses jeweled with drops of dew. Her diaphanous white gown trailed behind her in the breeze, softly fluttering like the ghostly waves of the sea. Ami had spent the entire evening fussing over and tending to Rei, refusing herself even a single minute of rest. For the whole of the situation, her only thought was to aid her dearest friend, and she had fought hard to keep her worries at bay. Now that Rei was well and awake, Ami could remember to breathe easily again. However, the weariness began to settle in, and the stress began to take its toll on the gentle girl.
'I haven't even eaten anything since breakfast, and it's near midnight already...'
It was one of those rare times when Ami, the self-proclaimed "Ice Queen", wished that she had someone to whom she could express her emotional trials. Someone who would help her forget about the aches in her head. Someone who would ease the heaviness in her heart. Someone just for her.
'Quit it, Ami Mizuno. You're a princess, not a drama queen.'
Though she would never admit it to herself, she secretly envied Serenity and Endymion. Yes, she was incredibly happy for them, for not a handsomer couple ever graced the universe, but was a Senshi destined for a happily-ever-after? She was surrounded by loved ones, adored by millions, respected by her peers, and hailed by her subjects as the noblest princess in Mercurian history.
Yet she was lonely. Even the Ice Queen suffered a chill every now and then.
Before she knew it, she found herself in the middle of the wood of evergreen trees, facing a smooth slab of dark gray stone that towered above her 5'6 frame. It was none other than the famed Poet's Stone, a national Lunar landmark. The legendary poet Elliot Exanimo, of both Lunar and Mercurian descent, outlined some of his most indelible poems on the famous stone, writing them in chalk and then erasing them once he published the finished product. He was Ami's favorite literary figure of all time, and she had bid furiously for the relic at an anonymous galaxy auction for charity. She remembered how rigorously she had had to compete to purchase the priceless item; it was a showdown between her and one other faceless Elliot Exanimo fanatic. The unknown opposing bidder gave her a run for her money, driving the price up to the astronomical value of 2.7 million in gold weight. But she had ultimately triumphed, and she smugly imagined the other bidder eating his heart out. If he had known that he was contending with the princess of Mercury, he could not have hoped to win against her, the heir of the wealthiest royal house of the Inner Alliance. She herself was a shrewd businesswoman and a self-made millionaire - a master of the stock market who executed a marketing plan like a military campaign. The other guy didn't stand a chance.
In the spirit of the great Elliot Examino, Ami opened the stone to the public, allowing people to leave a few personal words on the inspirational rock. The surface of the stone was worn smooth with years of visitors leaving their own verbal handprints, and Ami herself loved to visit it occasionally to channel her own thoughts and feelings through song and verse. Picking up a nearby piece of chalk, she let the words flow from her soul and onto the stone. She stepped back to read her impromptu work-in-progress, for rarely did she realize what she wrote while in the midst of a creative spurt.
The sound of a snapping twig in the distance made her body freeze, and the bulky piece of chalk fell from her hand. Senshi senses kicked into overdrive, Ami soundlessly made her way toward the intruder, crouching low to the ground and cloaking herself in the shadows. The darkness obscured her vision, but it was too dangerous to conjure a light. She summoned a deadly ice saber with her right hand, ready to plunge it into a human sheath if necessary.
A long leg clad in a shining leather boot swung at her legs, but she jumped just in time to dodge it. As she whipped around to face the intruder, an iron hand clamped down on her wrist. The strong arm pulled her in, but with a strength that belied her slender frame, she flipped the attacker onto his back, twisting his arm in the process. In a heartbeat, she had the finely edged tip of the ice saber pointed at his neck.
The prostrate man groaned, and Ami's eyes widened with realization.
"Lord Aufait?!"
"Ugh... That's a killer arm you have there, Princess. Now would you please move that saber a safe distance from my person?"
Ami shrieked with rage and pushed the blade even closer to Zoisite's tempting pale neck.
"Damn it, woman, what the hell are you doing?!"
"What the hell are *you* doing, stalking around in the dead of night and attacking young women?!"
"You crept up on me first! I thought you were an assassin or something!" He gingerly pushed the blade away from his throat and stood up with as much dignity as he could muster, ignoring her outstretched hand. His pride would not allow him to accept her assistance. She didn't mind at all - it was just a matter of courtesy, not of sincere concern.
"You have not answered my question, sir," she stated calmly.
"Can't a man have a moment of peace? Is it against the law to enjoy the quiet and coolness of the night? By God, you Silver Millennium people are maddening."
"I find it hard to believe you."
"And I find it hard to endure you. Anyway, I should be asking the same of you, princess," he muttered. He muttered other choice words as he dusted off his uniform. "I just had this cleaned and pressed today, too." He then turned a jaunty emerald eye to her flushed face. The physical exertion brought a pretty blush to her cheek, and her lustrous navy locks haphazardly framed her delicate face. Unashamedly, he watched her chest rise and fall with heavy breaths, and he took note of the beautiful white hand that clutched the lethal weapon. It was a striking juxtaposition, the graceful sprite of a princess and the long, sharp saber. He never thought she ever looked better. Though he absolutely abhorred her, he was a connoisseur of women, and he had to concede that she was indeed an exquisite specimen.
A mocking smile curled his handsome mouth. "'Tis improper for a lady to be out alone at this late hour, or are you not as innocent as you appear to be? It's always the quiet one who is the most naughty, isn't it?"
Ami's crystalline sapphire eyes narrowed venomously at him. "Watch your words, you uncouth beast. How dare you question my honor? And who are you to question me? Your reputation as a brazen womanizer has reached every corner of the universe."
"I'm that famous, huh?" He grinned rakishly, running a hand proudly through his strawberry blonde curls.
"You're disgusting." The control she had earlier commanded in his presence in the royal infirmary had completely left her. Civility be damned with him. "I'm surprised that you get around so quickly when your pants are forever around your ankles."
Zoisite raised his eyebrows in astonishment. "Who knew you had it in you, Ice? Such foul language! My influence must be doing wonders on you."
"You just happen to bring the worst out of people, MY LORD," she spat, "and don't call me Ice."
"Sorry, ICE, I call the shots here. And it's not me who always has his pants down. Women usually hike their skirts up for me."
"Well, just because you are a perverse Neanderthal does not mean that I fall in the same category."
"Ha! Of course, my lady. You're sacred, I assure you. No man would be in his right mind if he wanted you."
She turned away from him, withdrawing the ice sword simultaneously. "Quite right," she murmured, eyes directed toward the ground. For some inexplicit reason, Zoisite felt a tinge of guilt, and he regarded her curiously as she momentarily lost the cold fire in her voice and face. He meant to get a rise out of her - that was all. 'She doesn't really believe that, does she?' The Princess Mercury was a rare diamond in a field of glass. Beauty, brains, strength, wit, wealth, power... what man wouldn't want her? Zoisite was the only exception, or so he thought.
For that instant, Ami was not the condescending pillar of strength that Zoisite had grown to hate. For a fleeting moment, she was not the perfect, detached figurine of ice depicted in the newspapers. He saw a woman, lonely and sorrowful, an ethereal prisoner in a silver cage.
He took a step closer to her, but he stopped himself abruptly. Why should he care? More importantly, why did he care?
The shadow that had crossed her features disappeared as quickly as it had come. She was back on the offensive. "I guess I can't compare to you in that department. I'm not half the woman that you are, my dear general." That was a blow below the belt, and she relished in the scowl that marred his beautiful face. She was obviously referring to the traumatic prank she had pulled on him eight years ago when she had magically transformed him into a girl.
Zoisite quickly regained his composure. He refused to give her the last laugh. "I guess I should thank you for that, my lady. Because I had spent a day as a female, I have gained a sensitivity toward women that men would normally not have. The experience in getting in touch with my feminine side has helped me gain wild popularity among the ladies. They go crazy over my 'gentle, sensitive nature.' All thanks to you," he added for good measure.
'Did my devious plan actually backfire?' she thought in horror. 'Am I responsible for creating this monstrosity?' She darted her eyes to his search his infuriatingly gorgeous visage. 'He's just saving face,' she decided, which calmed her nerves greatly.
They stared into each other's eyes for a long time, as if challenging each other to see who would back down first. He was tall and slim yet definitely toned, and he was supposedly the brightest mind she had ever encountered. Why was she cursed with seeing only his worst attributes? Wasn't she supposed to test her intelligence with his? Wasn't she supposed to study the workings of his mind and engage him in intellectual debates? It was not as if she felt dumber around him - she actually toyed with the suspicion that he was not the genius he was rumored to be - but she surely felt more human. And that deeply disturbed her.
If he wasn't so egotistic and repugnant, they probably would have been good friends, if not more. She immediately shook that blasphemous thought from her head.
"Let's make a wager, Lord Aufait."
That successfully piqued his interest. "Ah, so Little Miss Perfect has a vice! You're a gambling woman!"
"Do you want to hear it or not, sir?"
"By all means, proceed, counselor."
"Thank you. I bet that you are incapable of wholly committing yourself to one woman. You sleep around to compensate for the fact that you haven't the slightest notion of true love."
This wasn't fun anymore. Zoisite did not like the direction of this conversation.
"You're one to talk! You wouldn't know love if it melted that glacier you call a heart," he bit defensively.
"That may be true, but I do not partake in the same... activities as you do. You are insecure, so you try to assert yourself by dominating scores of willing women. So I propose this: if you cannot fall in love a woman - purely and honestly love a woman - and make her love you in return in the next, let's say, half a year, you must abstain from women for the rest of your life."
"You can't be serious!" he cried incredulously. "You can't rush things like that!"
"Frightened, Lord Aufait? I thought nothing was beyond your ability, your formidable charm," she said innocently.
He growled viciously. "That's a high price to pay, Ice." Abstain from women? Forever? That was inhumane. "You might as well castrate me!"
"That would work as well."
Zoisite blanched. "I'd rather go with the first consequence."
'How hard could it be?' he asked himself. 'Just because I haven't found a so-called true love does not mean I am incapable of finding one. I'm young, I'm rich, and damn it, I'm the finest man to ever walk on the face of the Earth! It's not my fault that I've thus far chosen to enjoy my life. But if I wanted to shackle myself to a wench, I could do it without breaking a sweat.'
Then a thought struck him. He stalked over to the Mercurian fairy and touched his nose to hers so that they met eye to eye. "If I win, it is only fair that you must pay just as dearly," he snarled.
She didn't flinch from his touch. "Fair enough. Name the consequence."
Zoisite rubbed his silken chin, immersing himself in deep thought. 'This is my chance to ruin her life... I've got to make this worth the world!' The dam of evil schemes suddenly burst, and a smile of pure evil contorted his once heavenly face.
The devil himself would have cowered in Zoisite's presence. There was something horribly demonic in the glint in his jade eyes. Ami braced herself.
"If I win this little wager, my dear, I will choose your future husband. No contest."
Ami stumbled back a few steps. She couldn't begin to imagine what hell he would put her through if she lost. This was her life she was wagering! Her future! Her heart... She started to regret that she mentioned the stupid bet in the first place... But what if she won? The odds against Zoisite were tremendous. None of his romantic liaisons lasted for more than a week! They both knew that he had solely experienced physical love, that no woman had ever captured his heart. 'He'll just pounce on the closest thing with a skirt! He's a man of his hormones, not of his heart.' Furthermore, he thought himself above everyone. No mere woman could tame him! She was confident that he would lose.
"Deal."
Zoisite's smile widened maliciously, and the two rivals shook hands professionally, sealing the bet and sealing their fates.
She left him to let the gravity of the situation seep into him. He was Zoisite Aufait! He had never lost a bet in his life. Statistics and calculations served him well, and his determination served him better. 'Fall in love with a woman, purely and honestly... and make her love me... Child's play, I'm sure.'
At least his vacation became more interesting.
He walked around for a while until he came across an unmistakable shape. 'The Poet's Stone!' He inhaled sharply, suddenly humbled in the presence of the wondrous symbol. Zoisite wholeheartedly devoted himself to the works of the late and great Elliot Exanimo, raising monuments and museums on Earth to commemorate the literary legend. He was the proud owner of the largest collection of original manuscripts of the master poet and playwright. Dozens of the man's books lined Zoisite's shelves, and he always kept Examino's last journal close to his pillow so he could nightly read the most profound thoughts that the galaxy had to offer.
Raising a hand in silent awe, he ran a finger reverently along the edge of the large boulder. He coveted the Poet's Stone... How close he had once been to obtaining it! With rankling bitterness, he recalled the auction that he had lost some time ago. He thought that no one else would drop more than 875 thousand in gold weight for the thing, and if no one else had placed a higher bid for just five minutes, it would have been his for the taking. But cruel is fate! Someone more obsessive than him had kicked the price up to 1 million. He gamely reacted, and a heated bidding war ensued. His anonymous rival finally slammed down 2.7 million big ones, and he was forced to admit defeat. The loss still stung.
'How did the stone end up here, anyway?' The thought shortly disappeared when his eyes latched onto a couple of lines written in white chalk to the left. By the looks of it, it was freshly written.
"Retracing my steps, erasing mistakes
Saving whatever was at stake
Voicing all that should've been said
Changing directions, going ahead
Living my life all over again
But in exchange for whom I am?"
Zoisite spied a piece of chalk by the rock, picked it up, and added onto what seemed to be an unfinished poem. Satisfied with his little part, he made his was back to his chamber.
The next morning, Ami dressed appropriately for her morning jog. Being a doctor, she valued and maintained her health, running precisely at six o'clock a.m. everyday. She ran laps around the gardens, threading around numerous ivory fountains and vaulting over garden benches. As she ran through the evergreen woods, she hummed a random tune, a light-hearted and original melody that pleased the songbirds in the trees. She passed by Poet's Stone, heading out of the evergreen forest. She stopped dead in her tracks. Spinning abruptly, she jogged back to her prized rock. Something was there that certainly was not there the night before. Right beneath the poem she started appeared to be some kind of continuation. It was not quite her style, but it fit with what she had began.
"No, never, not for a day
For changing the past is changing my ways
Because the events of yesterday
Shaped the person you see today."
Ami smiled to herself, strangely flattered that someone had answered her lines. 'But who...? An angel, perhaps?' She sighed, shaking her head. 'It doesn't matter, does it? Ratiocinate! It was probably some random tourist or partygoer. We often get such visitors in the gardens. Come on, Ami... What is wrong with you lately? Reality is not a place for dreams...' She blamed her frustration on last night's unexpected bet. 'Yes, that's it... but I'm okay, because I'm going to win. No cause for worry.'
She picked up the chalk and resolutely wrote:
"Let not thy heart govern thy head."
The rest of the day passed uneventfully. Rei spent the afternoon next to her Sacred Fire, allowing herself a short break to receive Phobos and Deimos. They sensed that something was troubling their charge, but they did not push the topic, and Rei was grateful for their understanding. She later accompanied Minako to a meeting with the heads of state of Noceteipsum and Nildesperandum to settle a boundary dispute. Makoto delivered an eloquent address to the Senate regarding the environmental crisis on Pluto.
Kunzite, never one to miss an opportunity for self-improvement, decided that it was a perfect day to put his Shittenou through a healthy dose of physical torture in the Lunar Gymnasium. He grudgingly admitted that the training ground on the Moon was superior to that of their own impressive gym on Earth, so he looked forward to use it to his advantage. The night before, Kunzite had prepared the day's agenda, which went as follows:
7:30 Reveille
7:45 Breakfast
8:00 Meet the boys at training grounds
8:01 Strangle Jadeite. He's bound to do/say something annoying.
8:02 Kill Zoisite. He'll pick up where Jadeite left off.
8:05 Twenty laps around the track
8:35 Thirty laps in the pool
8:45 Keep Nephrite from drowning either Jadeite and/or Zoisite
8:46 Keep myself from drowning Nephrite, Jadeite, and/or Zoisite
9:00 Weight lifting
9:20 Respiratory exercises
9:30 Break
9:45 Morning report
10:00 Update His Majesty
10:10 Pry Endymion off the princess, remind him to attend training
10:15 Hit Endy over the head, drag him to training
10:17 Hit Zoi and Jed over the head. They'll be due for a beating.
10:20 Weapons inspection
11:00 Target practice
12:00 Lunch
1:00 Afternoon report
1:15 Escort Endy to Their Majesties and the princess for boat ride
1:30 Combat practice
3:30 Hit the showers
4:00 Reconnaissance
5:00-6:30 Free
6:30 Evening report
7:30 Dinner with Senshi. Prevent nuclear war at dinner table.
In the afternoon, Endymion and Serenity took their parents, Luna, and Artemis on a boat ride across the Clairesprit River. The highlight of that excursion was when Artemis fell overboard, or more accurately, was shoved overboard. The incident began when Artemis continued his tireless flirtation with Luna, the woman who, despite being in love with the charming white-haired maverick for over two centuries, would still not admit it. The silver-tongued Artemis was bold that sunny day, much more so than usual, meaning that he was outright contemptible. She looked so radiant and so alluring in her summer dress, a girlish, airy number that flattered her pleasing figure. It was a soft shade of peach patterned in glowing mellow sunflowers and laced up the front with satin ribbons. Did she know how lovely she was? he wondered. She was older and wiser than the young lady he had met so many years ago, but she was just as stunning... He remembered their first meeting like it was yesterday; it was the first time she had slapped him and the first time he had fallen in love.
In plain view of the crown heirs and their highly amused parents, Artemis tripped Luna into his expectant arms, dipped her low, and kissed her with all the dizzying ardor of his heart. Never did he cross the line like he did that afternoon. Until that point, he had respected his romantic - if it could be considered romantic - position with the fair Luna, which was strictly limited to scandalously provocative talk on his part and furious blushes on her part. The farthest he had ever gotten without earning a resounding slap was kissing her indisposed hand. But this time, he couldn't help himself... And he didn't regret it one bit.
Even when she hurled him into the river, and even though he was soaked to the bone, he was ridiculously pleased with himself.
Luna threw him a lifesaver. She had meant to bean him with it.
Ami had the day off, so she devoted her time to some business affairs and a letter to her mother, Queen Miranda III. Ami had inherited her mother's love of knowledge and science, and like her mother, Ami pursued a career in the medical field. The queen was a soft-spoken yet fortuitous woman, the epitome of serene royalty. Much of Ami's mother was reflected in her, but she also shared the artistic nature of her father. King Midori Mizuno was an accomplished painter and celebrated musician. He had tutored Ami in harp, Rei in piano, and all five princesses in singing. He was a carefree man, and though he was a good monarch, his love for politics paled in comparison to his love for the arts. Sometimes, Ami wished she could be as free-spirited as her father, but she was too pragmatic, too grounded.
After dessert, she made her way to Poet's Stone again, intending to run away with another creative line of thought. "Let not thy heart govern thy head," she read aloud to herself as if reminding herself of her own words. Her breath caught in her throat when she discovered the same unidentified handwriting from before directly under her own. 'Who is this person who complements my thoughts?' The handwriting had a floral quality to it, but the strokes were self-assured and masculine. Luckily, she could not see the blush rise in her cheeks. Both lines together read:
"Let not thy heart govern thy head
But keep in mind what thy heart has said."
The person began something entirely different a foot or so to the side:
"Can you answer all my questions?
Will you reveal the things you know?"
Ami hesitated for a little while before she picked up the chalk and answered:
"If you'll be completely honest,
If you let your emotions show."
As she headed back to her private quarters, Ami quietly hummed a lulling tune, smiling all the while. As soon as her head fell against her feathery pillow, she drifted into a peaceful sleep, dreaming pleasant dreams. She dreamt that Zoisite lost their bet, and she envisioned him admitting defeat and begging for mercy.
Later that evening, Zoisite visited the stone, the object of his affection, and he read the answer to the two questions he had posed. Somehow, he knew that someone would respond.
"If you'll be completely honest, if you let your emotions show," his mysterious muse had replied. His mysterious muse? 'From where did that nickname come?' Oddly, it sounded agreeable to his ear. "My mysterious muse..." He scoffed at his foolishness. But still...
"If you'll be completely honest,
If you let your emotions show."
Zoisite grinned to the laughing stars twinkling in the velvet black sky. For starters, Zoisite was not an honest man. And secondly, he was not in the habit of letting his true emotions show.
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I know, it's been forever since I've updated. But look forward to the next chapter! The working title for it is "Shenanigans by the Seashore." It's quite self-explanatory, and I'm having a blast outlining it, but it will also give more background for our lovely Mako-chan, concerning "The Tragedy" that was mentioned in earlier chapters.
As always, review, review, review. Thank you kindly.