Author's Note: The prompt for this chapter was the lyrics to the song Forgiven by Within Temptation. Song Lyrics are in italics.

Couldn't save you from the start
Love you so it hurts my soul
Can you forgive me for trying again
Your silence makes me hold my breath
Time has passed you by
Serenity and Endymion were unaware that they were being watched. They knew that their encounter had not gone unnoticed, but they believed they had given their respective minders the slip. They didn't know that a pair of piercing purple eyes was trained on them. But Sailor Mars was so still and so quiet, it would have been easy to mistake her for a statue of some ancient goddess.

Like a moth to the flame, Jadeite approached. Her back may have been to him, but he knew better than to believe he had gotten the drop on Sailor Mars. He would have to outmaneuver her another way. "We meet again."

"So it would seem," she replied. Neither her posture, nor her voice betrayed any emotion.

It was to be a challenge. He relished those.

"Serenity is fortunate to have such loyal servants."

She waited a breath before responding. Jadeite smirked again. He had angered her. The advantage was his.

"She is fortunate indeed."

She was on the defensive. It was time to press.

"She is fortunate also to have such a passionate lover." He stepped behind her, not quite touching, but uncomfortably close still.

"See the way his eyes roam all over her body, as though memorizing every inch of skin."

She remained rooted to the spot, still betraying nothing. He pressed on. He was no longer looking at the lovers off in the distance.

"See the gentle way his hands run over her, tenderness and devotion in every caress, belying his burning desire."

It may have been the wind, but Jadeite knew it was her breath that caught.

"See the way he touches her hair, as though she is the most precious and beautiful star in the sky."

He was not talking about Serenity or Endymion.

Her hand met his, just above her shoulder.

Just as suddenly, his arm was twisted behind his back and he was on his knees. It was a credit to them both that they made no sounds to disturb the royal couple nearby.

"You presume much, Earthling."

In spite of his precarious situation, Jadeite still managed a smile. "Forgive me my lady."

She did not acknowledge him, but she did let go.

"It is time for my princess and I to leave." And she turned to retrieve her wayward bundle of curiosity.

"I'll see you soon my lady."

She continued to walk away, but she did not correct him.

Jadeite smiled.

I watched the clouds drifting away
Still the sun can't warm my face
I know it was destined to go wrong
You were looking for the great escape
To chase your demons away

She was not prone to expressing her emotions very often. So it meant all the more when he could see the awe and delight on her face as she held the ring. "It's beautiful."

"Not half as beautiful as you." There were no games this time. He spoke from his heart, and said what he felt.

In private, they could afford to be so much more open, more than either of them ever were. She kissed him and held him close. "You don't have to keep trying to impress me you know. You won me over a long time ago."

"You accept then?" he asked eagerly.

She let out a deep sigh, and suddenly the moment was gone.

"You know we can't."

He came crashing back down to reality too.

"Yes, I know."

For a moment, they stayed in each other's arms. Gone was the giddy excitement of young love. Slowly, the weight of responsibility and secrecy crept in.

"I'll be returning again in a week with the next diplomatic envoy. We can see each other then. The envoys are becoming more frequent. It may be a good sign."

He held her tighter. "Perhaps."

"Someday, we'll be together. We can put all of this behind us."

"I hope so."

I've been so lost since you've gone
Why not me before you?
Why did fate deceive me?
Everything turned out so wrong
Why did you leave me in silence?

It was all over. She knew it in every way.

The palace was a smoldering ruin. The field was strewn with dead soldiers from either side. And her wounds were bleeding freely. She had no strength to rise to her feet.

There was no turning back.

It was her blade that had ultimately struck down Jadeite, as he marched his army to the gate. She was all that stood between them. She had held out for as long as she could, but the numbers were too many. She had felt the pain as each of the Senshi fell, and she felt it twice as much when Serenity plunged the blade into her chest.

She looked over to Jadeite's body, where her own blade was embedded.

It really was all over.

With what little strength she had left, she crawled over to him. It was odd. In death, his face was serene, unlike the maddened state she had last seen him in. She could imagine that he hadn't betrayed her, hadn't killed her, hadn't broken her heart. She could imagine that they were merely lovers basking in the afterglow. That was what he had wanted; to bind himself to her and wake up next to her everyday.

It was not to be in this lifetime. Perhaps another one. She pulled the blade from his chest and rested her head there. She stopped for a moment as she felt something odd. She reached under his jacket and found the ring hanging from a chain.

Now, more than ever, she felt the weight and pain of her many wounds. In her hands was the symbol of all she had lost. She decided she was going to take this with her into the next life. Maybe then, they would have a chance at real happiness. So she rested her head on his chest again and brought his arms around her. She imagined a simpler life; one without war and hatred; one with bickering and annoyance, one with forgiveness and love.

You gave up the fight
You left me behind
All that's done's forgiven
You'll always be mine
I know deep inside
All that's done's forgiven

Jadeite considered the ring. It was a symbol of so much. And, against all odds, it had been returned to him. Second chances were strange. They made no sense. He was raised a soldier, and taught justice. Forgiveness was different. As a king, he knew compassion was important. But he had always assumed it was his compassion that mattered. After a thousand years and three lifetimes, being given compassion was something new. He didn't know what to make of it. He didn't deserve it, but there it was nonetheless. He could even hold a symbol of it in his hand.

Her footsteps were still nearly silent, but he knew she was near anyway. The connection was still that strong.

"Are you ready for today's meditation?"

He slips the ring in his pocket and rises to his feet.

"No." He can't quite meet her eyes, but he knows he has to do this if he is to move forward.

"I was thinking that I might simply take a walk today. Would you consider joining me?"

The silence streches on for a moment and he wonders if he's offended her again.

Then a pair of soft hands are upon his cheeks, and a pair of warm lips are upon his.

He can breathe easier. All was forgiven.