Nephrite was greeted by a rather pleasant sight when he got to the training fields early the next morning. A tall young woman stood in the center, wearing a fitted white bodice with a green skirt and collar and pink ribbons. He recognized the woman as the princess of Jupiter, a member of the Moon Princess's court, and thus one of the Sailor Senshi he still knew so little about. Her elemental affinity, at least, was betrayed by the lightning arcing around her as she all but danced her way through a series of forms he didn't recognize.

"Good morning," he greeted as she stopped.

"Good morning," she returned without looking.

Nephrite tilted his head and watched as she started the pattern again, moving slightly faster. "You fight like a dancer."

"Thank you, I think." She kept going as though he hadn't spoken.

"I do not recognize the style."

"I would imagine not," Jupiter returned. "It's Uranian. She taught me the last time she was here."

"She?"

"Sailor Uranus." She inhaled sharply through her nose before continuing. "Most of their powers are wind and air based, so incorporating my storms is a work in progress."

He could see it, once he knew – the way the motions were reaching for the sky, meant to keep the person interacting with the air around them. His own powers stirred in response, raising a stiff wind in the otherwise still dome.

Jupiter stopped, finally, and faced him. "I'm assuming the wind was your doing."

"Yes," he admitted.

"You should be more careful. Like I said, I am still working on this, and that surprise nearly let loose my lightning."

"My apologies. May I ask you something, though?"

"I suppose," she replied, nonchalant, as she resumed her practice.

"Would you be willing to teach me?" he asked. "The poses, I mean. My powers seem to understand the rest."

Jupiter visibly sized him up. "I am not sure how well it would work," she said bluntly. "Uranian styles usually work best for people who are lean and fast."

"Try me," Nephrite challenged.

She gestured him forward. "Fine. We can try some basic hand-to-hand. Then, if I think you can handle it, I will try to teach you."

He shrugged off his jacked but paused at his shirt. "Do you mind?" She shook her head, so he shucked that as well before shifting into a starting stance.

"Whenever you are ready, Lord Nephrite."

Well. He'd wondered if she knew who he was, aside from Terran. Apparently, she did. "No magic, correct?"

"Right."

He liked his chances. Jupiter was tall, and seemed far more solid than any lady he'd seen before, but he was still taller and heavier, with a longer reach. As an added benefit, he wasn't wearing heeled boots.

Nephrite lunged, remembering what she'd said about speed and thinking not many would be quick enough to dodge. He hadn't reckoned on her superhuman reaction time and was shocked when she slipped down and out of his grip before he could properly take hold. She spun back with the same dancer's grace he'd noted previously, sweeping low and coming up hard, shoulder to chest.

"Is that all?" she asked as he staggered back, winded.

He shook his head and reset his stance. His next foray was more cautious, testing feints and strikes she turned aside easily as he catalogued her habits and style.

She kept the majority of her attention on his arms, he saw, even as she relied primarily on her legs. A learned response, then, something she had developed in response to a regularly used tactic on the part of some trainer or other partner. He made as if to back off, all but inviting her to become more aggressive and press the advantage.

His opponent didn't immediately take the bait, frowning and circling warily. When he kept to the same, though, she ran forward, tensed to leap – and crashed into another leg that threw her off her feet, allowing him to yank her in fast and pin her against his chest.

"Well played," Jupiter admitted as she caught her breath. "You are much faster than you look."

"Thank you, though I will admit my win was something of a fluke. I doubt such a trick would work again."

"Probably not," she agreed as Nephrite released her.

He smiled. "Do I pass your test, then?"

"I think so, provided you are willing to tell me how you did that in exchange."

"That sounds like a deal."

88888888

A week later, seeking another lesson, Nephrite found the practice yard strangely empty. Returning to the palace, he flagged down a passing servant and was informed that Princess Jupiter was in the kitchens.

Bemused, the general wound his way through the castle to the lower levels and found her in the middle of what appeared to be highly organized chaos as assorted staff members went in a thousand different directions, doing a million different things.

The princess herself was directing a fleet of runners to bring her things as she beat a mysterious concoction in her arms. The pink apron she'd thrown on over her pale green gown was liberally spattered with assorted foodstuffs and, incongruously, she had dirt on the side of her nose.

A lady of her rank could easily have demanded anything she wished, yet there she was, doing it herself. The entire staff acted as though nothing unusual was even happening.

Nephrite was charmed beyond words. Jupiter had proven to be a formidable combatant and able teacher, and to suddenly be confronted with delicate femininity was something of a shock. The contradiction of the two, of her, was unlike anything he'd ever seen.

While generally affable, Nephrite had grown up in relative isolation and only felt close to a select handful of people. He'd never really sought more, content with how much he had gained already. Wanting someone of his own volition was a pleasant surprise.

"Will wonders never cease?" he said aloud, voice easily cutting through the chaos.

Jupiter's narrowed eyes told him she was less than pleased with the intrusion. "No one is allowed in here unless they're working," she informed him.

Much like their first real meeting, she couldn't be bothered to stop whatever it was she was doing. He enjoyed that nearly as much as her dual nature, knowing she would never fall all over him like the other ladies he'd known, and that if he wanted her attention it had to be earned and treasured because she would never tolerate a fool.

He shrugged and rolled up his sleeves. "Just tell me what to do."

Clearly caught off guard, she frowned. "Really? You want to help in the kitchen?"

"I've never tried it before," he said mildly, "but I am hardly opposed to giving it a shot."

Studying him, she barked a few orders. One of the helpers approached holding another pink apron, looking away as though expecting trouble. He just took it with casual thanks and put it on, awaiting further instructions.

Jupiter dumped her mixture into a pan that had magically appeared by her elbow, which was promptly whisked away by yet another staff member. She joined him at a more secluded work top.

"Baking is a very precise science," she said briskly, "but it also requires a certain amount of artistry. Any number of factors can affect your results, so to begin with, we'll have you try something more forgiving."

She handed him a recipe card and showed him what to do, step by step. He watched the cake batter take form under her hands and carefully mirrored her actions.

The princess scraped her batter into one of the pans she'd prepared as he gingerly added the last ingredient to his and mixed it in. She snuck a spoon into his as he scooped it into the second pan and awaited her verdict.

"Not bad," she decided. "It could use more vanilla, and you added the butter a bit too soon, but for a first effort you did well enough."

"Thank you."

She spared him a grin as she returned to the center of the chaos. "Now get out of my kitchen. I have work to do."

88888888

Nephrite spent the night shadowing Endymion, which kept him from eating with the others. When he returned to his rooms, however, a steaming plate was waiting for him, a slice of beautifully decorated cake on the side.

He opened the note with it and laughed out loud.

I made it better. Come back tomorrow and try again.