Author's Note: The prompt for this chapter is the song Ashes and Wine. Song lyrics are in italics.

Don't know what to do anymore

I've lost the only love worth fighting for

I'll drown in my tears

Don't let him see

That would show you, that would make you hurt like me

All the same

I don't want mudslinging games

It's just a shame

To let you walk away

Jadeite's training had prepared him for many things. He had trained for combat against many men, trained to live off the land for long periods of time, he had learned escape and evasion, the art of deception, and he had learned of death; how to avoid it and how to deliver it.

But of the many things that Jadeite had learned, how to heal a broken heart was not among them. He wondered if there was a teacher wise enough to pass that lesson on to future generations.

Still, his teacher was wise, and Jadeite adhered to the things he remembered. He did his duties, guarding the prince, the palace and the kingdom from threats. He practiced diplomacy during the seemingly interminable envoy visits from the Alliance, trying to negotiate some sort of lasting agreement for mutual defense. He hid his feelings for the Martian Senshi, lest they become public and start a war.

This kept him busy, but it did little assuage the pain of a few simple words.

"You know we can't."

She was right, and he agreed. That did not mean he felt no pain. That did not mean the ring he kept with him at all times now brought him any less pain than it did comfort. And it did not mean that the breakdown of negotiations was merely a strategic loss for Earth.

He continued to discharge his duties, but the growing melancholy and despair was beginning to affect him. Ordinarily, his fellow Shitennou would have noticed and said something. But Jadeite knew that each of them was likely feeling something similar. And none had the heart to help each other. Their own burdens were keeping them apart, so unlike the tough and determined boys who gave up their names to enter the training.

His suffering was not completely unnoticed. But that was to be Jadeite's downfall.

"It appears that no aid will come to us, will it General?"

"No Lady Beryl," he said tersely. "We are alone."

She came closer. If he were himself, Jadeite would have noted that the growing despair he felt was not merely from his own depression. This woman was dangerous.

"It feels wrong, doesn't it, to be abandoned by those who could help?"

His silence spoke volumes. She knew she had him.

"It is a terrible thing to be spurned. But the ring you bear is testament enough to that, is it not?"

Her voice is falsely sweet. There is accusation and damnation in her tone, and his own sins are laid bare.

"You wonder how I know? You wonder how much more I know?" This time, there is challenge in her voice as well. Shitennou do not back down from challenges.

"There is a way for you to know, of course, General."

Temptation is now made clear. His powers are not permitted for this purpose.

"You could know all that I know Jadeite. I can reveal to you the secrets. I can reveal Mars's true feelings. You can know why she rejected you. You can know why negotiations failed, and about Endymion's secret plan to leave Earth with Serenity. You can know it all Jadeite, if only you would use your powers to their fullest potential. Join me, and you will possess true power."

Don't know if our fate's already sealed

This day's spinning surface on a wheel

I'm ill with the thought of your kiss

Coffee laced intoxicating on her lips

Shut it out

I've got no claim on you now

Not allowed to wear your freedom down

No

Her defense is staunch, but she can not bring herself to quite strike the finishing blow. His eyes may be full of madness, but she remembers how those bright blue eyes used to look at her, as though she were the brightest star in the sky. All around her, the world burns. The pain in her spirit tells her that her Sister Senshi are either dead or dying, and that Serenity has taken her own life to be with Endymion. There is no victory left. There is only stopping this evil in its tracks.

"Why are you doing this Jadeite?"

At the sound of her voice, his attacks become more savage.

"Because you betrayed me! You never loved me! Beryl showed me the truth. She showed me that you were using me to gain Endymion's trust so that he would betray us and leave for the Moon! I trusted you, witch, and you betrayed me!"

The last words are punctuated by a lethal blow that sends her sprawling to the ground. Mars knows she will not recover from this wound. Jadeite leans over and takes her by the throat, intending to end her life. She can barely choke out the words, but she somehow manages to.

"That's not true. I never stopped loving you."

His eyes widen in shock and his grip slackens for a moment. She seizes the opportunity and thrusts her blade into his chest.

"She lied to you Jadeite," she gasps. "I'm sorry for your pain, and I'm sorry we can't be together."

The madness begins to leave his eyes. "It's true," he says in awe. "You do love me." And with that realization, he falls into oblivion.

I'll tear myself away

That is what you need

There is nothing left to say

But

Is there a chance?

A fragment of light at the end of the tunnel?

A reason to fight?

Is there a chance you may change your mind?

Or are we ashes and wine?

The day's still ashes and wine

Or are we ashes?

Jadeite once again walked the familiar road up Sendai Hill to the Hikawa Jinja. For months, he had taken this route with shame; a reminder of a dark chapter in his life. Now, it was a road of comfort, because of the destination at the end, and the woman who waited for him in the room with the fire.

This was the road to his heart. It was a road he had been walking since Mars first descended to the Royal Gardens a thousand years ago. And today, he intended to complete his journey when he joined Rei in the Fire Room.

He fingered the ring in his pocket. Once again, he was carrying it everywhere he went, drawing strength and courage from it. He would need them, because after today, he would never carry it again. The feelings that went with it, he would have to carry in his heart. It could only work if he had truly found it again. He would find that out shortly.

He slid the door to the Fire Room open and found Rei already in meditation. He took a moment to observe her, enjoying the way the fire gave her skin a lovely flush, and the way her breathing was so even, so graceful and elegant. The light played tricks with her hair, changing it from striking sable, to subtle reds. Her presence filled the room with an aura of power and grace. She was royalty, and a soldier, and a woman. And each and every aspect could be felt. It still scared him, but he was irresistibly drawn.

Her eyes open, and when they meet his, he can not look away.

A gentle smile graces her lips.

"Are you ready for today's meditation."

He takes a deep breath and readies himself.

"Not yet. There's something I'd like to do first."

He kneels before her and reaches into the pocket, searching for the ring. When he presents it to her, the larger unspoken question is in his eyes. Has his heart returned to him?

She takes the ring, and then takes his face in her hands and delivers the answer by kissing him soundly.