Disclaimer: Sailor Moon not mine. Please don't sue. LOL Naoko Takeuchi created Sailor Moon and these characters are being used without permission so please don't take my three cents away from me and drag me to court...*sob* =) All of my usual ramblings can be found at the end in the Author's Notes, & email me at inspiredthoughts@hotmail.com Chapter Two "I'm fine, papa, really. It was just some kind of shock. I felt... we felt them die. It was horrible." At this Lita bowed her head and resolutely held back more tears. "We have to think of the future now. You have to work with Queen Serenity, come up with battle plans, anything to stop whoever did this." Her father stared sadly at her with worried eyes from Jupiter. His image was reflected on the huge mirror that hung in the council room that was identical to every other royal 'seeing glass' that hung in all the palaces. It allowed the monarchs to communicate clearly and easily face to face, though it was only used in dire emergencies because of the huge amounts of magic it took to operate the mirrors. His hand came up to touch the mirror on his side, almost as if he was stroking her cheek. "My Lita, child. It's just that I worry about you. I hate that my little girl puts her life into danger..." Lita's features darkened to anger. "Its not my choice, papa, I am Sailor Jupiter and no amount of wishing can change that. I know you hate it, and I'm sorry, but I can't not fight because that would be denying my destiny, my fate, my duty, and I will not do that under any conditions." "I'll be careful; you'll have to be satisfied with that because that's the best I can do. I'm trying, papa, please try to understand." The man on the mirror sighed and turned away for a long moment, grief touching his weathered face. "I will never like it, but I understand that you must do what you think is right. I love you, my darling girl, please be careful, please..." At this his face crumpled and he closed his eyes in pain. Feeling her heart lurch in something that felt like guilt she leaned forward, oblivious to Luna, Queen Serenity, and Nephrite, the only people left in the council room during her call so that she could talk of her scout persona with her father. "Don't worry papa, I'll be careful, I promise. I love you." The man managed a smile. "I love you too, sweetie, with all of my heart and soul and being." 'All that you have left, you mean,' she thought sadly. 'When mother died part of you went with her.' "'Bye, papa..." The image flickered and the link between the worlds went dead. Queen Serenity went forward and wrapped her arms around Lita in a hug. "Thank you, Lita. We can't do this without Jupiter and I know how hard it is... talking to him... trying to make him understand what your duty means to you...." Lita tried to swallow and cursed as tears welled in her eyes. Pushing the Queen gently away she shrugged, trying to contain her emotions. "It's the least I can do. I'm just so tired..." Nephrite stepped forward and bowed, offering her his arm. "Princess," he murmured, deep eyes fixed on her face with an intensity that under normal circumstances would have sent thrills throughout her body...but not tonight. Too much had transpired. The gaping void that lay in her soul since the passing of Saturn, Neptune, and Uranus ached with a persistent pain that she couldn't ignore. As for the interview with her father, it had left her emotionally drained and it wasn't so much sleep she needed but peace. "Princess, if I may escort you wherever you wish to go. I told Endymion that we would await them here, but this is tiring you too much." Lita flushed and looked away as Luna chimed in. "You may, General Nephrite. We'll fill the others in when the awaken and arrive here, but Lita really can't do any more." With a mysterious wink, so unlike Luna that Lita blinked in surprise, Luna went to go call the rest of the noblemen and counselors back in. With a small sigh Lita gathered her shaking limbs under her and wrapped her arm through Nephrite's. Clinging to him, she was grateful for his solid, strong support as he allowed himself to bear most of her weight. They passed the incoming counselors, all nodding in acknowledgment or stopping a moment to console her, until she was trembling all over by the time they had walked around the corner of the hall. As soon as they were out of sight of the council room Lita collapsed against Nephrite, almost crying in frustration at her own weakness. Sure arms held her upright and wonderfully close to the general. He murmured soothing reassurances in her ear and gave her all the comfort he could through his warm embrace. Finally he picked her up, just as easily as the other times, and looked down at her, wry amusement touching his usually stoic features. "Where would you like me to take you?" The question caught her off guard, that he was actually asking what she wanted, he hadn't seemed to care when she was pounding on him to let her come here or when she tried to stand by herself but... Who knows? She couldn't read the man, not well, and people were never her strongest point. "I dunno," she said softly, hesitant for once in her life. "Just someplace quiet I guess..." She trailed off, finally discontented by the attention that those azure eyes held only for her. Nephrite finally took his eyes from her and smiled, deep voice rumbling comfortingly in his chest as he answered her. "Then perhaps we'll just walk around until we find someplace humm?" She nodded her ascent and subconsciously leaned her head against his chest once more, liking the safety that radiated from him to cover her like a warm blanket. 'It feels like a lion purring...' she thought absently as she mulled over her obvious attraction for him and how she so easily trusted him, though it was part of her nature. Quick to love, to fight, to always think the best of people. She had never been, could never be, as closed off as Rei and Ami and Mina and even Serenity were, for her dilemma always lay in the back of her mind, refusing to give her peace. To be a true scout... to be able to protect Serenity with all her heart and soul... she had to be free of the royal obligations that came with being heir. Because of that she had to be open to anyone, everyone, who might be the 'one'. The person who could hold her heart in his hands without her fearing pain, who could kiss all her worries away. Not everyone found that kind of love but Lita knew it was real, tangible, because her parents had shared it and because she had been raised in that kind of atmosphere she couldn't, wouldn't settle for anything less. So instead of marrying the first eligible bachelor who had courted her she was looking around. Of course she was getting hurt...matters of the heart usually caused some woe... but she was living so much more fully for her experiences. Smiling fleetingly she though of Ken, handsome, charming Ken. He had been one of her suitors, one of her most tempting, but the love they shared had grown to simple friendship now. And there had been others who had talked and laughed their way into her heart but none that held the capacity to love her the way she wanted to be loved, none that she could care for with as much passion as they deserved. She was a hopeless romantic, yes, but not one afraid to be hurt and try new things. "Why did it drain you so, when the scouts died?" That startled her, Lita wasn't expecting that kind of question, and the pain that it brought was just as unwelcome. Her mouth firmed in a bitter frown but his voice held no malice, just curiosity. Sighing she answered. "Because when the planets first chose their guardians they were all sisters, of the house of the Moon. Its been generations, farther back than we can trace, since them, but the bond they shared as sisters has been passed on to all of us. We know where the others are, if I can concentrate I can tell you what direction the other scouts are and if they're near or far." "And when new scouts are chosen we feel it, feel them becoming part of our ring of magic, and when they die we feel it also. We experience someone we think of as family falling into oblivion, feel their soul being wrenched away from us, from this plane, to travel to the other." "It's as if a part of us dies with them. It's more horrible than you can ever imagine. It's never happened to us before, but other scouts have told stories that have been passed down from future generations. I hope it never happens again, ever." Her voice quieted at that and Lita reflected on Rei's ominous warnings. The raven-haired woman had whispered of war and destruction and death, now it appeared that it all was coming to pass. She turned her head away from Nephrite and rested her chin on her chest. They were going to fight. That meant blood, pain, and more death. Her mouth curled into a twisted rendition of a smile. It meant a chance for revenge. The people who had killed her friends would pay, and pay with their lives. 'Quick to love, to fight, to think the best of people yes, but just as quick to pick up a sword to defend a fallen friend.' "You're angry," the general remarked quietly. Unsettled by how easily he read her she answered in equally measured tones none the less. "Yes. I'm damned angry and have every right to be. I hope the killers enjoy their last days in this world because I'll be coming for them soon and there will be no where in this far flung galaxy that they can hide and I cannot find them." * * Nephrite frowned a bit as he stared at Lita's head. Her tone was cold, unemotional, and yet he sensed turmoil raging beneath her calm exterior. A contradiction, and an enigma. How he wanted to figure her out! The mood swings fascinated him, intrigued him. He turned his attention to their surroundings. His aimless path had taken them to the gardens far away from the palace, where the flower-beds were allowed to grow a little more wild, the hedges branching out as their uneven tips yearningly reached for the sky. Making a decisive right they found themselves in a quiet circular glen, brush walls blocking them from view. A small languid fountain blew out droplets of water that were flung into the air before returning to the pool, causing ripples to travel out and lap the stone pool's edge. Nephrite wondered at the symbolism... He set Lita down on a bench before taking a seat next to her but her attention was turned inward and he saw the fury still seething there. Anger was good, but blind rage would only get her killed. Anger could provide strength for your sword or make you leave your back open for an attack. Time for another tactic... "Tell me of Jupiter," he said suddenly, breaking her from her thoughts. Lita's emerald gaze turned to him, startled once more. "I told you of Earth, my Lady, and I would gladly like to hear of your home world also." A hesitant smile touched her exquisite face and her eyes warmed with an inner glow. "Very well," she said softly, anger still there but muted, not as fierce. And he spent the next few hours simply listening, becoming more and more enchanted by this woman through every word that left her rose colored lips. * * Hours later Lita's voice finally died away. Broken from the near trance she had been in, she looked up and met Nephrite's kind gaze. Flushing a bit, she looked away and for the first time noticed the stars and the earth which hung like a jewel in the distant horizon. She must have been speaking for forever and yet she didn't feel as drained or as hurt. The pain of loss still ached, but talking of her home world had healed part of it. "Thank you for sharing with me," the man sitting next to her rumbled gently. "It honors me." Blushing even more, Lita fixed her eyes upon the sky but turned swiftly at the soft fingertips that touched her burning cheeks. "I don't mean to embarrass, Lady, I truly don't. I am very glad that you felt comfortable enough to speak with me. I enjoyed it." Lita tried desperately to avoid Nephrite's face because she knew what would happen if she looked at him and yet... she couldn't help herself. Searching green met quiet, calm, strong midnight blue. He smiled a bit at her, the expression that pulled at his handsome features and turned him into something beautiful enough to be a statue, a work of art, but statues were cold and aloof and he was warm and caring. His hand left her cheek and went into his gray jacket to pull out a velvet box. Now it was his turn to look away in embarrassment. "Lita," he began, unsure, "I would like you to accept this gift from me. And while I wish," at this he hastily cleared his throat, "this to be a courting gift, for I would very much like to pursue you, if it is not what you wish then I would you like you to have them as a token of friendship." Her trembling hands reached out and took the small black box. Shaking fingertips rubbed the satiny fabric, warmed by being so close to his heart, before she opened it. There nestled against the ebony were two earrings. As she started down at the delicate pink roses and felt a pleasant heat spreading throughout her entire body as a small gasp of wonder escaped parted lips. "They're beautiful," she breathed, hardly daring to believe it. "Thank you Nephrite, thank you. I gladly accept them and I would like very much for them to be co... courting gifts." She bowed her head so that he wouldn't see the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. She was glad, she only hoped that this wouldn't end in one more broken heart ache. "I... Lita I would... Damn," he murmured. "I'm usually good with words but not tonight, it seems. Lita, I want you to know that I would never, if it was in my power to prevent it, hurt you in any way. I promise. I am very attracted to you and *would* like to pursue you. After all, no one has ever made me blush like a schoolboy before!" Lita smiled weakly at the bad jest before looking up, allowing hope to take root in her sore heart. She grinned shyly, for once in her life, and leaned up a little bit to plant a soft kiss on Nephrite's cheek. "Pursue away." Joy radiated from him as he chuckled deeply. "As you wish, my Lady. But first, may I suggest that we first go back to the war room and check in before the rest of the senshi and generals come looking for us and find us in a most uncomfortable position?" Lita snorted as a glitter of very Mina-like mischief entered her eyes. "Uncomfortable for them or us?" Author's Notes: Think this going to be a four parter here, folks. Hey, email me! Let me know whatcha think about my stories or whatever, I respond to all my email, please?! I love email and it usually sits all alone and sad and empty...*sniff* Well not totally alone but still alone, sota...hehe Umm I'll try to get chapter three out soon, I'm fending off a case of writer's block with every creative cell I have but we'll see. *groans* Writer's block is evil, email is good though. I'll see ya'll next week, hopefully!, and here's all the nice people who kept my inbox company this week: Yoshi, msibet, Lady Ashura, FlameAngel16, Mn, and Echo-chan... Oh and cheers for mercurami who proof/pre read this for me and saved me from the deathly jaws of grammar!!